Databases with External Server Components
You can configure a Model Manager database to use components maintained externally by your organization. This is useful, for example, if you already have a SQL database server installation with associated backup routines set up.
External SQL Databases
On the pages for adding or editing a Model Manager database:
1
Select External in the SQL Database > Type list to use a SQL database in an external SQL database server.
2
Select the type of SQL database platform in the Platform list. The supported platforms are:
-
PostgreSQL® Database
-
Microsoft SQL Server® Database
-
MySQL® Database
-
Oracle® Database
Set up a backup routine for the SQL database server that includes the SQL database used by the Model Manager server.
PostgreSQL® Database
1
In the Server name field, write the name of the computer that the PostgreSQL® database server process runs on. Defaults to localhost.
2
In the Port field, write the number of the port that the PostgreSQL® database server listens on. Defaults to 5432.
3
In the Database name field, write the name of a SQL database that you want the Model Manager to use.
4
In the Method list, under Authentication, select the method of authentication. Select Password to authenticate using password-based authentication methods. Select Passwordless to authenticate using passwordless authentication methods (for example, SSPI on Windows®).
5
In the Username field, write the username used to authenticate with the PostgreSQL® database server.
6
In the Password field, write the password used to authenticate with the PostgreSQL® database server. This is only available when using password-based authentication methods.
The password will be encrypted by the Model Manager server and stored in a local SQLite® database in the Model Manager server Preference Directory— see also Password Security.
The Model Manager supports PostgreSQL® version 10.0 and newer.
Microsoft SQL Server® Database
1
In the Server name field, write the name of the computer that the Microsoft SQL Server® database server process runs on. Defaults to localhost.
2
In the Port field, write the number of the port that the Microsoft SQL Server® database server listens on. Defaults to 1433.
3
In the Database name field, write the name of a SQL database that you want the Model Manager to use.
4
In the Instance name field, write the instance name of the Microsoft SQL Server® database server.
5
In the Application name field, write an application name to use when connecting to the database.
6
In the TLS encryption menu, select the TLS encryption mode used for the network communication between the Model Manager server and the Microsoft SQL Server® database server. Select Default to use the default mode of the database server, Disabled to not require TLS encryption, Strict to require strict TLS encryption, and Enabled to require non-strict TLS encryption. The strict TLS encryption mode uses version 8.0 of the Tabular Data Stream (TDS) protocol — supported in Microsoft SQL Server® 2022 and newer — allowing for a more secure handshake and supporting TLS 1.3.
7
In the Trust server certificate menu, select the trust mode for the certificate of the database server when TLS encryption is enabled. Select Yes to always trust the certificate. Select No if the Model Manager server must first validate the server certificate for the database server connection to succeed. Select Default to use the default trust mode — currently the same as No. If TLS encryption is set to Strict, the server certificate is always validated regardless of this setting.
8
In the Custom hostname in certificate field, write the hostname used when validating the certificate of the database server when TLS encryption is enabled. Leave empty to use the value of the Server name field.
9
Select the Use integrated security checkbox to authenticate using the Windows account running the Model Manager server process.
10
In the Username field, write the username used to authenticate with the Microsoft SQL Server® database server. Only available if the Use integrated security checkbox is cleared.
11
In the Password field, write the password used to authenticate with the Microsoft SQL Server® database server. This is only available if the Use integrated security checkbox is cleared.
The password will be encrypted by the Model Manager server and stored in a local SQLite® database in the Model Manager server Preference Directory— see also Password Security.
The Model Manager supports Microsoft SQL Server® 2014 and newer.
Microsoft SQL Server® must be installed with the Full Text Search component to use it with a Model Manager server database.
You are strongly recommended to enable row versioning via the READ_COMMITTED_SNAPSHOT isolation level for the Microsoft SQL Server® database you intend to use with the Model Manager server database.
For further details on the TLS encryption settings, consult Microsoft’s official documentation on Microsoft JDBC Driver for SQL Server.
MySQL® Database
1
In the Server name field, write the name of the computer that the MySQL® database server process runs on. Defaults to localhost.
2
In the Port field, write the number of the port that the MySQL® database server listens on. Defaults to 3306.
3
In the Database name field, write the name of a SQL database that you want the Model Manager to use.
4
Select the Use SSL checkbox to require secure connections.
5
Select the Verify server certificate checkbox to require that the MySQL® database server’s certificate is verified.
6
In the Username field, write the username used to authenticate with the MySQL® database server.
7
In the Password field, write the password used to authenticate with the MySQL® database server.
The password will be encrypted by the Model Manager server and stored in a local SQLite® database in the Model Manager server Preference Directory— see also Password Security.
Connecting with the Model Manager server to MySQL® requires a JDBC driver that is licensed by your organization. In the file comsolmodelmanagerserver.ini, found inside the installation directory for the Model Manager server:
•
Windows®: <Installation directory>\bin\win64
•
Linux®: <Installation directory>/bin/glnxa64
•
macOS: <Installation directory>/bin/maci64
add the line
-Dcs.modelmanager.mysql.jdbcdriver=<Path to JDBC driver>
with <Path to JDBC driver> being the path to the JDBC driver’s JAR file on the file system.
If running as a Windows® service, the file is comsolmodelmanagerservice.ini.
The Model Manager supports MySQL® version 8.0.20 and newer.
A Model Manager server database requires utf8mb4 character set encoding and that the foreign_key_checks system variable is enabled.
Some search functionality in Model Manager relies on InnoDB full-text indexes. You are strongly recommended to set
innodb_ft_min_token_size=1
innodb_ft_enable_stopword=OFF
in the MySQL® configuration file.
Oracle® Database
1
In the Server name field, write the name of the computer that the Oracle® Database server process runs on. Defaults to localhost.
2
In the Port field, write the number of the port that the Oracle® Database server listens on. Defaults to 1521.
3
In the System Identifier field, write the system identifier (SID) of the Oracle® Database instance.
Leave this field empty if you want to connect using a service name instead.
4
In the Service name field, write the service name for the Oracle® Database instance.
Leave this field empty if you want to connect using the system identifier instead.
5
In the Username field, write the username used to authenticate with the Oracle® Database server.
6
In the Password field, write the password used to authenticate with the Oracle® Database server.
The password will be encrypted by the Model Manager server and stored in a local SQLite® database in the Model Manager server Preference Directory— see also Password Security.
Connecting with the Model Manager server to Oracle® Database requires a JDBC driver that is licensed by your organization. In the file comsolmodelmanagerserver.ini, found inside the installation directory for the Model Manager server:
•
Windows®: <Installation directory>\bin\win64
•
Linux®: <Installation directory>/bin/glnxa64
•
macOS: <Installation directory>/bin/maci64
add the line
-Dcs.modelmanager.oracle.jdbcdriver=<Path to JDBC driver>
with <Path to JDBC driver> being the path to the JDBC driver’s JAR file on the file system.
If running as a Windows® service, the file is comsolmodelmanagerservice.ini.
The Model Manager supports Oracle® Database version 12.2.0.1 and newer.
External Resources Directories
On the pages for adding or editing a Model Manager database:
1
Select External in the Resources Directory > Type list to use an external resources directory.
2
In the Directory field, write the path on the file system to an existing directory.
Set up a backup routine that backs up the resources directory — including all its subfolders and files — to a physical disk separate from that of the resources directory itself.
External Search Indexes
On the pages for adding or editing a Model Manager database:
1
Select External in the Search Indexes > Type list to use search indexes stored in an external search index server.
2
In the Platform list, select Apache Solr™ server.
3
In the Base URL field, write the base URL used to connect to the Apache Solr™ server. Defaults to http://localhost:8983/solr.
4
In the Method list, select the method of authentication. Select Password to authenticate using a username and password. Select None if the Apache Solr™ server does not require authentication.
5
In the Username field, write the username used to authenticate with the Apache Solr™ server.
6
In the Password field, write the password used to authenticate with the Apache Solr™ server.
The password will be encrypted by the Model Manager server and stored in a local SQLite® database in the Model Manager server Preference Directory— see also Password Security.
7
In the Assets and Items fields, write the names of Apache Solr™ cores to use as search indexes for the Model Manager server database.
The Model Manager supports Apache Solr™ version 8.7.0 and newer.
The Model Manager search functionality uses a block join query parser to search nested documents. Make sure that the managed-schema files for the Apache Solr™ cores includes the element <fieldType name="_nest_path_" class="solr.NestPathField"/>.
A Model Manager server uses an exponential backoff strategy (up to a few minutes) if any circuit breakers configured for the Apache Solr™ server trip during indexing of documents. Trying to use the Model Manager search functionality at this point will also fail with an error message informing of insufficient resources for the current load.
You can optionally set up a backup routine that includes the Apache Solr™ cores used by the Model Manager server database. This will make the restore process run faster because there will be less search data to transfer from the SQL database to the cores.