Module 3: Databases
Exponential 6.x supports six databases, and a host must run, check and back up whichever one a plan includes. This module starts with the project's official order and how to choose, spends a lesson on SQLite (the default, and a production database for one machine), then covers database servers and ends with backups and moving a site between engines.
At a glance
| Course | Hosting and operations |
| Duration | 2 hours 55 minutes (four lessons) |
| Lessons | 4 |
| Level | Intermediate |
| Format | Hands-on; one Linux virtual machine with root per learner |
Lessons
| Lesson | Duration | What learners do |
|---|---|---|
| 3.1 Choosing a database | 40 min | Learn the official order, compare engines, find a site's database |
| 3.2 SQLite in production | 45 min | Run the monitoring checks, ANALYZE and a truncating checkpoint |
| 3.3 Database servers for a site | 45 min | Create a PostgreSQL or MariaDB database and install on it |
| 3.4 Database backups and moving between engines | 45 min | Back up, check and restore a SQLite database |
Preparing this module
- A training installation on SQLite per learner, and the
sqlite3command-line program. - For lesson 3.3: PostgreSQL or MariaDB installed on each learner's virtual machine, with the matching PHP extension
(
pgsqlormysqli) and a second copy of the code to install into. Decide in advance which engine the class uses. - Throwaway training passwords only; never show a real password on the projector.
- Rehearse the restore of lesson 3.4 once on your own machine; it is the step learners remember.
Timing plan
| Time | Item |
|---|---|
| 0:00 | Lesson 3.1 (40 min) |
| 0:40 | Lesson 3.2 (45 min) |
| 1:25 | Break (15 min) |
| 1:40 | Lesson 3.3 (45 min) |
| 2:25 | Lesson 3.4 (45 min) |
| 3:10 | End (2 h 55 min of lessons plus one break) |
Related pages
- Hosting and operations: course overview
- Database support
- Databases in the official order
- Trainers: start here
- Free documentation: this page is free to copy, translate and improve under the GNU FDL 1.3.
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