Running MySQL or SQLite from CDROM or USB using Stunnix Advanced Web Server

Stunnix Advanced Web Server allows the starting of MySQL database server sites off cdrom, DVD or USB on Windows, MacOS X (v10.2 and above, PPC and Intel) and Linux. No installation of MySQL onto the user's computer is needed - MySQL database server is run directly off CDROM or USB.

Different versions of MySQL - version 4 and version 5 - are availale for running off CDROM with SAWS. One can select which version to use in the CD/DVD and the mode for accessing the database using CDBuilder tool shipped with SAWS.

There are several modes to handle database data managed by MySQL and SQLite running off CD, DVD or USB stick. Of course there is a mode when database files also reside on the media (CDROM or DVDROM) and data is available in read-only mode. Another mode is when the database files are copied to the user's HDD - either the first time the product is run (meaning that changes made to data will be preserved between runs) or each time the product is run (meaning that all changes made during session are lost). It's possible to choose type of directory the files are copied to - ether temporary (meaning that data can be gone at any moment in time) - or to a hidden permament directory. The same modes are available for sites that use SQLite. In any case mysql executable and sqlite modules still reside on the media containing the site - i.e., they run directly off CDROM.

In case SAWS discovers that web server and MySQL are running not off CDROM or DVDROM, but from write-enabled media, no copying is performed.

Once user decides to quit a session, MySQL server running off CDROM is stopped automatically along with the web server and other programs (like Tomcat) running off CD.

All information needed to access the database is made available to site code running off CD-ROM - the port numer MySQL listens to (via environment variable MYSQL_PORT) or the location of SQLite database files (using environment variable SQLITE_TABLES). There is no need to pass this information if using PHP and MySQL - php's mysql extension respects this variable automatically.

The database files managed by MySQL or SQLite are stored only in a single place on CDROM, meaning that there is no redundancy in data.

MySQL running off CD can be run in innodb mode and not - according to settings made in CDBuilder tool.

Property pages in CDBuilder

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