Using the lsst-dev-db Server

Attention

The lsst-dev-db server will be turned off on Oct 1, 2020.

Services that make use of this server should move to using alternate, supported databases.

The material presented below is for historical reference and will be removed in the future.

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lsst-dev-db is the development MySQL database server run by NCSA for LSST DM development work. The CNAMEs lsst-db.ncsa.illinois.edu and lsst10.ncsa.illinois.edu direct to lsst-dev-db.ncsa.illinois.edu to support historical usage of those hostnames.

To get an account, see the Onboarding Checklist.

This page is designed to assist developers in their work with lsst-dev-db:

1. Account Password
2. Authentication Configuration File

Account Password

The lsst-dev-db server does NOT use your NCSA account.

After you receive your initial temporary password, change it as soon as possible as follows.

Set the MYSQL_HISTFILE environment variable to /dev/null (By doing it you will prevent the command with your new password from being saved in clear-text history file.).

export MYSQL_HISTFILE=/dev/null

Then, log into MySQL:

mysql -h lsst-dev-db.ncsa.illinois.edu -u<userName> -p
Password: <type temporary mysql password>

And then, set a new password:

set password = password('theNewPassword');

Authentication Configuration File

Create a db-auth.py configuration file with your mysql host, user, password and mysql port information. This file belongs in $HOME/.lsst/, and must have permissions 600.

config.database.authInfo["auth1"].host = "lsst-dev-db.ncsa.illinois.edu"
config.database.authInfo["auth1"].user = "<user>"
config.database.authInfo["auth1"].password = "<password>"
config.database.authInfo["auth1"].port = 3306

You will also need to create a db-auth.paf file, because the pex_persistence package hasn’t been updated to use Config. This file also belongs in $HOME/.lsst, and requires permissions 600.

database: {
    authInfo: {
       host: lsst-dev-db.ncsa.illinois.edu
       port: 3306
       user: <user>
       password: <password>
    }
}