databases
CFEngine can interact with commonly used database servers to keep promises about the structure and content of data within them.
There are two main cases of database management to address: small embedded databases and large centralized databases.
Databases are often centralized entities that have a single point of management. While large monolithic database can be more easily managed with other tools, CFEngine can still monitor changes and discrepancies. In addition, CFEngine can also manage smaller embedded databases that are distributed in nature, whether they are SQL, registry or future types.
For example, creating 100 new databases for test purposes is a task for CFEngine; but adding a new item to an important production database is not a recommended task for CFEngine.
There are three kinds of database supported by CFEngine:
- LDAP - The Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
A hierarchical network database primarily for reading simple schema (Only CFEngine Enterprise).
- SQL - Structured Query Language
A number of relational databases (currently supported: MySQL, Postgres) for reading and writing complex data.
- Registry - Microsoft Registry
An embedded database for interfacing with system values in Microsoft Windows (Only CFEngine Enterprise)
In addition, CFEngine uses a variety of embedded databases for its own internals.
Embedded databases are directly part of the system and promises can be made directly. However, databases running through a server process (either on the same host or on a different host) are independent agents and CFEngine cannot make promises on their behalf, unless they promise (grant) permission for CFEngine to make the changes. Thus the pre-requisite for making SQL database promises is to grant a point of access on the server.
databases:
"database/subkey or table"
database_operation => "create/delete/drop",
database_type => "sql/ms_registry",
database_columns => {
"name,type,size",
"name,type",
},
database_server => body;
body database_server name
{
db_server_owner = "account name";
db_server_password = "password";
db_server_host = "hostname or omit for localhost";
db_server_type = "mysql/posgres";
db_server_connection_db = "database we can connect to";
}
body common control
{
bundlesequence => { "databases" };
}
bundle agent databases
{
#commands:
# "/usr/bin/createdb cf_topic_maps",
# contain => as_user("mysql");
databases:
"cf_topic_maps/topics"
database_operation => "create",
database_type => "sql",
database_columns => {
"topic_name,varchar,256",
"topic_comment,varchar,1024",
"topic_id,varchar,256",
"topic_type,varchar,256",
"topic_extra,varchar,26"
},
database_server => myserver;
}
################################################
body database_server myserver
{
any::
db_server_owner => "postgres";
db_server_password => "";
db_server_host => "localhost";
db_server_type => "postgres";
db_server_connection_db => "postgres";
none::
db_server_owner => "root";
db_server_password => "";
db_server_host => "localhost";
db_server_type => "mysql";
db_server_connection_db => "mysql";
}
body contain as_user(x)
{
exec_owner => "$(x)";
}
The promiser in database promises is a concatenation of the database name and underlying tables. This presents a simple hierarchical model that looks like a file-system. This is the normal structure within the Windows registry for instance. Entity-relation databases do not normally present tables in this way, but no harm is done in representing them as a hierarchy of depth 1.
Attributes
Common Attributes
Common attributes are available to all promise types. Full details for common attributes can be found in the Common Attributes section of the Promise Types and Attributes page. The common attributes are as follows:
action
classes
comment
depends_on
handle
ifvarclass
meta
database_server
Type: body database_server
db_server_owner
Description: The db_server_owner string represents the user name
for a database connection.
Type: string
Allowed input range: (arbitrary string)
Example:
db_server_owner => "mark";
db_server_password
Description: The db_server_password string represents the clear
text password for a database connection.
Type: string
Allowed input range: (arbitrary string)
Example:
db_server_password => "xyz.1234";
db_server_host
Description: The db_server_host string represents the hostname or
address for a database connection.
A blank value is equal to localhost.
Type: string
Allowed input range: (arbitrary string)
Example:
cf3
db_server_host => "sqlserv.example.org";
db_server_type
Description: The db_server_type string represents the type of
database server being used.
Type: (menu option)
Allowed input range:
postgres
mysql
Default value: none
Example:
db_server_type => "postgres";
db_server_connection_db
Description: The db_server_connection_db string is the name of an
existing database to connect to in order to create/manage other databases.
In order to create a database on a database server (all of which practice
voluntary cooperation), one has to be able to connect to the server.
However, without an existing database this is not allowed. Thus, database
servers provide a default database that can be connected to in order to
thereafter create new databases. These are called postgres and mysql
for their respective database servers.
Type: string
Allowed input range: (arbitrary string)
Example:
body database_server myserver(x)
{
db_server_owner => "$(x)";
db_server_password => "";
db_server_host => "localhost";
db_server_type => "$(mysql)";
db_server_connection_db => "$(x)";
}
where x is currently mysql or postgres.
database_type
Description: The database_type menu option is a type of database
that is to be manipulated.
Type: (menu option)
Allowed input range:
sql
ms_registry
Default value: none
Example:
database_type => "ms_registry";
database_operation
Description: The database_operation menu option represents the
nature of the promise.
Type: (menu option)
Allowed input range:
create
delete
drop
cache
verify
restore
Example:
database_operation => "create";
database_columns
Description: A database_columns slist defines column definitions
to be promised by SQL databases.
Columns are a list of tuplets (Name,type,size). Array items are triplets, and fixed size data elements are doublets.
Type: slist
Allowed input range: .*
Example:
"cf_topic_maps/topics"
database_operation => "create",
database_type => "sql",
database_columns => {
"topic_name,varchar,256",
"topic_comment,varchar,1024",
"topic_id,varchar,256",
"topic_type,varchar,256",
"topic_extra,varchar,26"
},
database_server => myserver;
database_rows
Description: database_rows is an ordered list of row values to be
promised by SQL databases.
This constraint is used only in adding data to database columns. Rows are considered to be instances of individual columns.
Type: slist
Allowed input range: .*,.*
Example:
bundle agent databases
{
databases:
windows::
# Regsitry has (value,data) pairs in "keys" which are directories
"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\CFEngine AS\CFEngine"
database_operation => "create",
database_rows => { "value1,REG_SZ,new value 1", "value2,REG_DWORD,12345"} ,
database_type => "ms_registry";
}
Notes:
In the case of the system registry on Windows, the rows represent data on
data-value pairs. The currently supported types (the middle field) for the
Windows registry are REG_SZ (string), REG_EXPAND_SZ (expandable string)
and REG_DWORD (double word).
registry_exclude
Description: An registry_exclude slist contains regular expressions
to ignore in key/value verification.
During recursive Windows registry scanning, this option allows us to ignore
keys of values matching a list of regular expressions. Some values in the
registry are ephemeral and some should not be considered. This provides a
convenient way of avoiding names. It is analogous to exclude_dirs for
files.
Type: slist
Allowed input range: (arbitrary string)
Example:
databases:
"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE"
database_operation => "cache",
registry_exclude => { ".*Windows.*CurrentVersion.*",
".*Touchpad.*",
".*Capabilities.FileAssociations.*",
".*Rfc1766.*" ,
".*Synaptics.SynTP.*",
".*SupportedDevices.*8086",
".*Microsoft.*ErrorThresholds"
},
database_type => "ms_registry";