[RESOLVED] Home Server

[Nightwalker83]

Hi,

I am thinking about setting up a home server to see if that will help me solve some queries I have in terms of coding such as this one. I have a couple of questions:

1. Which server product is suited to my needs?
   
   • Windows Home Sever
   • Windows Server (version)
   • Other (please specify)
2. What is the best approach to do this?

Thanks,


Nightwalker

[jmcilhinney]

I've never actually used WHS so I can't comment on it too much, but I can tell you that it has been discontinued. I would imagine that support will continue for some time but, if I'm not mistaken, you can only buy WHS preinstalled on hardware, not just as software to install yourself, so it may be a bit harder to find now. It's designed to run headless, i.e. management is done via remote connection, so installing yourself might be tricky.

There is a new version of Windows Server in the 2012 range called Foundation and that is the new basic model. More expensive than WHS but more like a regular business server.

If you don't need to run Windows-specific software then you could always use Linux, which would cut the software cost to essentially nothing. You certainly wouldn't have an issue installing MySQL and there would be tons of information on the web about running MySQL on Linux.

[Nightwalker83]

I've never actually used WHS so I can't comment on it too much, but I can tell you that it has been discontinued. I would imagine that support will continue for some time but, if I'm not mistaken, you can only buy WHS preinstalled on hardware, not just as software to install yourself, so it may be a bit harder to find now. It's designed to run headless, i.e. management is done via remote connection, so installing yourself might be tricky.

There is a new version of Windows Server in the 2012 range called Foundation and that is the new basic model. More expensive than WHS but more like a regular business server.

While searching I came across a site linking to a 30 day trial of WHS! Unfortunately, I don't have the url at the moment (bookmarked on my computer) but I will post the link when I get home. Awhile ago it was suggested that I try Windows Server but I haven't really looked into enough to find a tutorial on it.

Edit:

Here is the site I was referring to above.

[dilettante]

I have no idea what you are trying to accomplish, but you can just install MySQL on a second PC.

WHS 2011 can be found for about $45 in OEM form (basically "no support" - but anyone can buy "OEM" SKUs now). There is no retail form of the product. It requires a machine that can run 64-bit since it doesn't come in 32-bit editions.

You can log on at the console just like any edition of Windows, and there is nothing tricky about installing it. Basically it is Win Server 2010 R2 with a low client limit and some extra items for home media serving, PC backup, etc.

[Nightwalker83]

What I'm trying to do is create a server to host a sql database so that I can test some vb6 code I have written.

[dilettante]

Then you can just use a second machine or even a VM. Hard to see how that's much different from just using it on the same machine though, thus my confusion.


I looked at your other thread again.

What makes you think you have an HTTP tunnel set up at the MySQL end, and what makes you think the clunky old-style ODBC Drivers MySQL offers (seriously? ODBC? 1993 is calling and wants its database connector technology back) supports HTTP as a transport for connections?

[Nightwalker83]

What makes you think you have an HTTP tunnel set up at the MySQL end, and what makes you think the clunky old-style ODBC Drivers MySQL offers (seriously? ODBC? 1993 is calling and wants its database connector technology back) supports HTTP as a transport for connections?

That's the thing! I'm not sure what ODBC is used for... I asked one of my lecturers about it because one of our homework exercises referred to it to. However, my lecturer told me that ODBC is an old technology and if I remember correctly he said it was used to connect up to an Access database. I asked him because we hadn't even been taught how to use the ODBC Administrator to correct to a database but he said don't worry they were an old version of the notes. Some how an old version of the notes was uploaded by mistake.

[jmcilhinney]

That's the thing! I'm not sure what ODBC is used for... I asked one of my lecturers about it because one of our homework exercises referred to it to. However, my lecturer told me that ODBC is an old technology and if I remember correctly he said it was used to connect up to an Access database. I asked him because we hadn't even been taught how to use the ODBC Administrator to correct to a database but he said don't worry they were an old version of the notes. Some how an old version of the notes was uploaded by mistake.

ODBC is Open Database Connectivity. It is a translation layer between applications and databases that provides a common set of functionality. The idea is that an application developer writes code to connect to an ODBC data source and then any data source for which an ODBC driver has been written can be used, rather than having to write data source-specific code for each one. All the data source-specific stuff is in the ODBC driver. There's an ODBC driver for just about every data source imaginable.

OLE DB is similar but, if I'm not mistaken, is Windows-specific. Again, there are a very large number of data sources for which OLE DB providers exist.

In .NET apps, you connect to ODBC data sources via the System.Data.Odbc namespace. The app connects to the ODBC driver and it connects to the database. Likewise for System.Data.OleDb and OLE DB data sources and providers. When writing ADO.NET code, it is preferable to use a data source-specific provider if one is available, e.g. SqlClient, Connector/Net for MySQL or ODP.NET for Oracle. These will provide better performance and more features. For data sources for which no specific provider exists, e.g. Access, you should use OleDb if possible and, if not, then use Odbc as a last choice.

[Nightwalker83]

In .NET apps, you connect to ODBC data sources via the System.Data.Odbc namespace.

Yeah, I have looked at the vb.net example I downloaded here.

[jmcilhinney]

As I said, only use ODBC if you have to. If you have the option, use Connector/Net to connect to MySQL from .NET apps. The only reason that I can think of to use Connector/ODBC from a developer's point of view is if you want to be able to use the same code to connect to other ODBC data sources. If you only intend to connect to MySQL and the customer is not limiting you to ODBC then use the best option available, i.e. Connector/Net.

[Nightwalker83]

Well, the local database/files are easy to connect to! What I won't to try try not myself is connecting to a remote database because I've never accomplished it before. Not sure if Mysql can act as if it on a remote host? I have only ever used it locally (non web-host) via localhost.

[jmcilhinney]

If you have a web server on your local PC then you should be able to configure your local MySQL for HTTP access and then connect via the web server. I'm no DBA or MySQL guru so I make no claims about knowing the details.

That said, it is always nice to test with separate OS so that the situation is a bit more real-world. A VM is a realistic option for that though, saving you the need for extra hardware, although you may need more RAM. You could install MySQL on Linux on a VM on your workstation for basically no cost.

[Nightwalker83]

I guess the connection string would be the same as the example I linked to in the first post? I might try it to make sure.

[dilettante]

I find it very hard to believe that any MySQL ODBC Driver can use HTTP simply by using a URL as the server name. And unless you have one of the HTTP tunneling schemes set up at the server end it wouldn't help anyway.

There are a couple of supposedly tunnel-like PHP scripts for the server side, but I suspect they require customized client logic to use them. And in reality they are probably much more like a web service than an actual HTTP tunnel.

Remember, the MySQL user community consists primarily of people far less sophisticated than VB programmers. They toss around terms they don't understand with gay abandon.


I think you are looking for a magic solution. It doesn't exist.

[Nightwalker83]

Forgetting about the ODBC for a moment is the path you suggested in post #4 still possible?

[tr333]

If you're just after something to run MySQL, I would recommend just installing VMWare Player and install Ubuntu into that. It's easy to install MySQL on either Ubuntu Server or the desktop variant. If you run it on Ubuntu Server and keep it off a public internet connection (or if you secure it properly with digest auth in Apache), then you can install phpmyadmin for a web interface to configuring it. If you go with Ubuntu desktop, then MySQL Workbench would be the GUI admin tool.

[Nightwalker83]

@tr333,

If I use Linux would LAMP suffice as a server?

[dilettante]

It is still very far from clear what it is you are trying to accomplish.

Using MySQL isn't very different whether you have it installed locally or on a second system or VM. Nothing anyone has suggested will magically make it work over HTTP if that is your goal. And if so knowing why that is your goal could make a huge difference in getting help.

[Nightwalker83]

It is still very far from clear what it is you are trying to accomplish.

Using MySQL isn't very different whether you have it installed locally or on a second system or VM. Nothing anyone has suggested will magically make it work over HTTP if that is your goal. And if so knowing why that is your goal could make a huge difference in getting help.

All I want to do is what I stated in post #5 if mysql can handel this it is fine with me.

[Nightwalker83]

I might try setting up an old pc we have lying around so that it can act as a testing server so I don't screw up my primary machines.

[akhileshbc]

You want to test the connection, db operations(SELECT, INSERT, etc.) that you have written in your VB.Net application with a mysql db. Isn't it ?
Then download the MySQL connector for ADO.Net: http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/connector/net/1.0.html

Install WAMP or XAMP or something like that in your machine. Turn it ON. Now, your db would be available under the host: "localhost", db name would be the name of the db that you have created (you could use phpMyAdmin for this), and use a db username and password that you have created for it or you could use the default ones when you install WAMP.

Then import the MySQL connector in your program and use it. An example is available here: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/6...answer-6190631

For the connection string, you could use this syntax: http://www.connectionstrings.com/mys...ysqlconnection

Like others said, I didn't get the idea of using a separate server/PC for testing. You could use the local server within that PC like I said above, or you could setup a Virtual Machine like others suggested.

Or, are you trying to figure out something specific ?

[Nightwalker83]

You want to test the connection, db operations(SELECT, INSERT, etc.) that you have written in your VB.Net application with a mysql db. Isn't it ?

Yes and no! I want to test the connection using Mysql and VB6. I might convert it for .Net later.

[akhileshbc]

Yes and no! I want to test the connection using Mysql and VB6. I might convert it for .Net later.

Using ADO and ODBC : http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1...6-0-read-write

Use WAMP or XAMPP and turn it ON. Then the db would be accessible from your localhost. You could run your application without any issues, I believe !

[Nightwalker83]

I'm trying to do it on a remote connection! That is why I'm asking about the WHS, etc. I have created database application in the past with C#, VB6 and Java. However, they have only been on the localhost and with the controls particularly in .Net it doesn't seem for easy conversion from using a local database to using a remote database.

[akhileshbc]

I'm trying to do it on a remote connection! That is why I'm asking about the WHS, etc. I have created database application in the past with C#, VB6 and Java. However, they have only been on the localhost and with the controls particularly in .Net it doesn't seem for easy conversion from using a local database to using a remote database.

Check my post on your other thread.

[tr333]

@tr333,

If I use Linux would LAMP suffice as a server?

That's exactly what I was talking about

LAMP == Linux + Apache + MySQL + PHP/Python/Perl

The alternative is WAMP, or Windows + Apache + MySQL + PHP

[dilettante]

You don't need all of that other baggage to use MySQL though.

If you really want to do what you say, which seems to be using a client/server database with the database on a separate server, you'll probably find a lot more support for doing this using SQL Server Express. I'd start there, and later when more comfortable with whatever you are struggling with now you can easily change over to MySQL if there is a reason to.

[Nightwalker83]

I came across this video on YouTube which explains how to access a remote database using Putty.

[dilettante]

Well, yeah, if your server is running an SSH service. Sure you can do that.

What it has to do with the original question escapes me entirely though. You just seem to be adding more complexity if you are trying to use MySQL on a separate server.

I think we're back to "What are you trying to do?"

[Nightwalker83]

I have a mysql database hosted remotely and I am trying to see if I can access it via a vb6 program I created.

[akhileshbc]

I have a mysql database hosted remotely and I am trying to see if I can access it via a vb6 program I created.

Have you tried what I have posted in the other thread ?

[Nightwalker83]

Have you tried what I have posted in the other thread ?

I have finally managed to successfully connect my vb6 application to my online database following the instructions at Hosting24. I also managed to get the connection working using WAMP on my local machine. I will upload the project to my other thread and might ask si_the_geek whether or not it is possible to add it to the Database Develop FAQ.

[akhileshbc]

I have finally managed to successfully connect my vb6 application to my online database following the instructions at Hosting24. I also managed to get the connection working using WAMP on my local machine. I will upload the project to my other thread and might ask si_the_geek whether or not it is possible to add it to the Database Develop FAQ.

Isn't that the same thing that I was saying ?

[Nightwalker83]

Isn't that the same thing that I was saying ?

Yes, it looks like it! Although, I had forgotten you had posted it since it was in the other thread. I have also uploaded a working project in the other thread. Thanks for your help!