Re: running postgresql on a private machine accessing it from public web pages

On Thu, May 21, 2009 at 1:04 PM, Scott Marlowe <scott(dot)marlowe(at)gmail(dot)com> wrote:
> On Thu, May 21, 2009 at 12:23 PM, Keith D. Evans <evans(at)umbc(dot)edu> wrote:
>> We usually run postgresql on a private machine (gravity) but due to space,
>> we have moved the database to a different machine through afs (a local
>
> Wait, the whole database, including a postmaster running on the other
> machine?  Or just that you're storing the database files there.  Where
> the files are stored is inconsequential, except as applies to
> reliability.  Where the postmaster lives is all that matters.
>
>> network at the university). We do not want the private machine to be
>> accessible to outside users, so our web pages are on the university's public
>> web pages.
>
> I assume you have php on the public web servers.
>
>> They have mysql, but won't install postgresql, which we've been
>> using on gravity for years.
>
> Fine, there's really no great reason to install PostgreSQL on the same
> machines that are running web pages anyway.  As long as those machines
> can reach you pgsql server you're gold.
>
>> We want to add a database where users can get and plot data using php over
>> the internet. But since the public computers don't have postgresql, can we
>> have postgresql running on gravity allowing users accessing through the
>> internet on the public pages to access the data?
>
> Yeah, you want some kind of connection opened up between those
> machines that let's pgsql get through.  You can use an ssh tunnel, a
> vpn, or something else if you can't get a direct route opened up by
> the network guys for security reasons.  If you'll have to go through a
> machine to get to the pgsql machine, look up two hop ssh tunnel, it's
> pretty easy.
>
> But I wonder why they won't install pgsql for you.  Maybe they're
> afraid of it raising their workload too much?  If you offer to feed it
> and take care of it, maybe they'll let you.

P.s. I'd still build a pgsql machine that did nothing but pgsql and
ran in the hosting center if I was gonna have pgsql there.