Database Server Role Design Considerations

[Simo Sorce]

On Tue, 09 Dec 2014 09:50:06 -0500
Stephen Gallagher <sgallagh at redhat.com> wrote:

> I'm looking into designing the plan for the Database Server Role
> (which the Fedora Server WG previously agreed would be based on
> PostgreSQL).
> 
> One of the things we didn't really discuss in the PRD was whether we
> would have a *requirement* for the Roles to have a GUI/WebUI
> management console for configuring their services.

To be honest, while a Graphical UI of sorts would be nice I think we
shouldn't have a requirement to have a WebUI/GUI to actually manage the
role.
We can allow to optionally install one maybe, but not require one, for
one it would basically disqualify some roles because the great
underlying software has no viable graphical UI, and it would also
annoy admins that do not care for a webUI (unless it is part of the
software on its own) and wants to maintain a small footprint.

> With the use of Cockpit for our top-level system GUI, I think it makes
> sense that we would want to be able to have a link within Cockpit's UI
> that takes us to the Role-specific web-based configuration tool. For
> the Domain Controller, this link is obvious: it should go to the
> FreeIPA Web UI.
> 
> For the Database Server, it's less clear-cut. PostgreSQL upstream does
> not provide a "blessed" GUI/WebUI configuration tool for managing it.
> Many exist and are provided by the project's very vibrant community. I
> think we need to select one of these and consider making it a core
> part of the Database Server role.
> 
> A (probably incomplete) list of potential tools are provided at
> https://wiki.postgresql.org/wiki/Community_Guide_to_PostgreSQL_GUI_Tools
> 
> I'd like to recommend that for now we stick with one of the ones that
> is already included in Fedora and are available via a web browser (not
> requiring a desktop environment/X server). From a quick search, that
> probably brings the list down to phpPgAdmin.

I would not like to have phpPgAdmin "forced down my throat" to be
honest. Mostly because of the php dependency which I try to remove on
my servers on abysmal security grounds, but also because I do not think
I would use a webui on the same DB server.

> Does anyone on this list know of an alternative web-based tool that
> they strongly prefer and would like to see us use (and possibly
> package, if it's not already in Fedora)? I'd like to nail this down
> fairly soon.

I think we need to first discuss if a webui is actually a requirement
for roles.

> My goal is to finish the design for the Database Server Role before
> the holidays and spend January implementing it.

Yep, no much time before F22 code completion.

Simo.

-- 
Simo Sorce * Red Hat, Inc * New York