I'm working on a project that involves linking my C# application to a MySQL server. The server is running cPanel and the company does not allow all IPs to connect to it (although you can add host IPs to the remote list). The application will be running on Windows 8 Tablets on a 3G connection, so obviously I will not know the IPs if the devices to be able to add them to the list.
A collogue of mine has told me of a system, API or something like that that will allow me to interface with the Database via HTTP effectively bypassing this restriction.
I can provide more information if needed.
Does anyone know of anything similar to this or any way around this?
If you are using MySql 5.7 or higher, there is an experimental "lab" for allowing direct access to MySQL via a REST over HTTP interface, eliminating the need for a middle-tier server or database specific drivers.
You can download the plugin at the MySql Labs site. From the dropdown, select "MySQL HTTP Plugin" and you should be good.
Keep in mind that its part of the "MySql Labs" project, which means its experimental, probably buggy and should be used at your own risk. Think twice before using them on any kind of production server.
Related
We are in the process of migrating an old VFP application into a .NET WPF application with SQL server.
During the process we still need to read/write to the DBF files to keep our business working properly.
To do this, we use the standard OLEDB adapter that is available. However, our sysadmin is asking if we have an alternative way to access the DBF files.
Having each user connect to the files is not the best option from a network/security perspective. Specially when connecting from home through a VPN.
I've already tried to move the connection to a single server by exposing the data through an API. But that was slowing down the application too much. In some situations we synchronise the data through background jobs (Hangfire implementation). But this can be time consuming to implement.
Has anybody used any other techniques to do something similar while migrating a VFP application?
OLEDB is still the best option. Within the application, you could impersonate a specific user that has access to files.
Also Sybase Advantage Server can connect and work with VFP data files. Local mode is (was) for free and server mode paid. You might try checking that too.
Locate data on single PC as server. Access via RDP - kludges available to support multiple connections. Increase security if needed by connecting over VPN - then RDP.
I'm supposed to connect a .NET web service I created to a remote Hadoop database installed on a Linux machine. However, given that the Web service is on Windows, and I'm very new at this, never connected to a remote database, much less one that was located on a machine with another OS, is it possible to do this. I've heard of an ODBC driver called Microsoft HiveODBC, it seems to me like that is my best bet. I know connecting to a server on another OS shouldn't be an issue since the driver, or web service will act as intermediary.
However, is this possible, I assume someone must have done it, all I need are some specifics on how it works, if Microsoft HiveODBC works for this and if not, what else I could use. I'm also going to have to do the opposite later, but instead I'm going to have to connect from linux to an SQL Server Database.
If anyone knows anything, any guide or any sort of specifics, then I'd appreciate if they could help me. Also switching C#, or SQL Server for something else is not possible, otherwise I'd have just gone with Linux alone.
After much Google searching and at the risk of asking dumb questions, I could use some help. I’m developing a C# WinForms client application using ADO.NET to read/write data from a SQL Server 2012 database located on the Internet. That same application also needs to upload/download data files. The client application will only be used by a few employees (ever). The employees are all in different locations. The database is only about 20 MB. There will be about 100 data files totaling about 300 MB accessed individually on a periodic basis. SQL Server 2012 is running on a (non-virtual) Windows Server 2008 R2 machine which we have full control over. The client application will be running on Win-XP and Win-7 machines.
Priorities are 1. Internet security – keeping hackers out of the Windows Server machine and off the client/server communications. 2. Performance. 3. Simplicity. Corporate security and scalability are not issues. Also, performance is not that important if the solution is overlay complicated.
Two related questions I could really use help on:
Given the above priorities, what is the best way to communicate with the database? The only two options I’ve found are exclusively; a WCF service or directly through a VPN.
And again given the above priorities, what is the best way to upload/download data files? I’m sure there are many options for this using VPN, WCF, FTP; but I don’t know any specifics. Also, using a SQL Server 2012 FileTable looks promising but I’m not sure how that works over the web. Backup/restore plus being able to do a full-text search over the data would be nice features but not requirements.
I know what a VPN is but have never used one for these purposes. I know there are some security issues with PPTP, but we won’t be upgrading the XP machines for a while. I know what a WCF service is but have never written one. I also don’t know if SOAP or REST is better in this instance. I’ve built a FileTable in SQL Server, but I don’t know how to access the data remotely. I have decent knowledge of C#, ADO.NET, and SQL Server.
I realize these are big questions with subjective answers. Still, any ideas or a shove in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.
Keep it simple and use standard mechanisms. My recommendation is as follows:
Build a WCF service that is capable of performing the operations you want. You can build a SOAP or RESTful service. My general guidance here is to build a RESTful service because you're transferring files and this is much more integrated with REST. With SOAP you have some setting you're going to need to fiddle with to transfer large files.
Use SSL to secure the service, keep it simple. A VPN is an added layer of complexity and very likely not needed in this scenario. Further, it will only make the experience for the users less friendly.
I would not recommend using the FileTable in SQL Server 2012 for your needs. You own the server so when you send and receive files it will be much more straight forward to deal with the file system.
You can also build a simple forms authentication process that creates a session key for the user and passes it back. I'm not sure this is necessary, but if you need that extra layer, just make that one of the operations. Then that session key can then be passed into each method and validated before performing the operation. This will be safe because you're using SSL.
Here is a tutorial that will help walk you through building a RESTful WCF service, and it's fairly new.
My recommendation would be to deploy a VPN server to provide the security you are looking for. There are a number of good VPN servers available, and a Google search should provide a number of options at varying price points.
Once you have deployed the VPN server (and clients to all computers not on your local network that you would like to be able to access the database), you can use ADO.NET to access the database. ADO.NET will work seamlessly behind the VPN.
From the context of your question I am assuming that the files are stored in a file system outside of the database, and the database merely references the files. If this is the case, you could use any number of options for downloading the files, but FTP is a time-tested, easy-to-implement solution. There are others that may or may not work better in your situation (see here for a few options).
I have a question regarding C# Windows Forms connecting to external hosted databases.
I have a GoDaddy SQLServer 2008 database that I use for my web development database purposes. I am creating a C# windows form and I need that to connect to the database. I know how to connect a C# Windows Form to a local database, so I figured that the only difference would be to use a different connection string.
The connection string I am using is as follows:
Data Source=limeoatsdb.db.8996219.hostedresource.com; Initial Catalog=database; User ID=userid; Password=password;
I replaced the values above with dummy values, but obviously in my code they have the correct values.
First of all, is it even possible to connect a C# windows form to a GoDaddy database?
Secondly, if it is possible, any ideas on what I am doing wrong?
This is not possible. GoDaddy blocks all connections to its databases from systems it doesn't manage.
This is typical of many hosting companies. It's common that you can only use their databases from their own systems, for security reasons.
If you need access to your data, you'd need to create some form of intermediary step, such as building an API in your website which could be accessed by your form.
Beyond GoDaddy blocking ports, I should point out this is a bad idea if you plan on distributing the app.
If you allow clients to connect directly to your database, you're essentially leaving the front door wide open. There'd be nothing stopping me from connecting to your DB server with SQL Management Studio and fiddling with your data.
Think of it this way: in a web app, you'd never give client-side JavaScript direct access to your database. Instead, it has to go through your app server.
I'd create some kind of server that provides an API that the client Win Form can call. The server can even be a regular web server that provides REST/SOAP/whatever APIs. A good place to start might be looking in to WCF.
Yes, you can connect to a SQL Server database on GoDaddy servers.
It's a feature I've used to access the database through SQL Server Management Studio.
Check this: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/357147/go-daddy-sql-server-2005-remote-connection
Basically, when creating your database, make sure you check the "Direct Access" option.
Obviously, this is a security issue you must be aware of.
I'm going to develop a POS system for medium scale company
and the requirement for me is to make all data on time for all of their branches
while in my mind, move the server from local to web would solve this problem
but, i never done any online server for window application
may i know what is the best option for use as secure database ?
such as SQL can handle this well ?
i tried to google but all of the result return is not what i want
may i know what will you do when you facing this problem ?
my knowledge on coding is just VB and CS
also SQL for database
i would like to learn new if there is better option
i hope it is impossible to access by anonymous and it is store secure at back-end only
What you probably want to do is create a series of services exposed on the internet and accessed by your application. All database access would be mediated by these services. For security you would probably want to build them in WCF and expose them through IIS. Then your Windows application would just call these services for most of its processing.
If you design it properly you could also have it work with a local database as well so that it could work in a disconnected manner if, for example, your servers go down.
Typically you don't move the server off of the site premises.
The problem is that they will go completely down in the event your remote server is inaccessible. Things that can cause this are internet service interruption (pretty common), remote server overloaded (common enough), basically anything that can stop the traffic between the store location and your remove server will bring them to their knees. The first time this happens they'll scream. The second time and they'll want your head due to the lost sales.
Instead, leave a sql server at each location. Set up a master sql server somewhere. Then set up a VPN connection between the stores and this central office. Finally, have the store sql boxes do merge replication with the central office. Incidentally, don't use the built in replication, but an off the shelf product which specializes in replicating sql server. The built in one can be difficult to learn.
In the event their internet connection goes dark the individual stores will still be able to function. It will also remain performant as all of the desktop app traffic is purely to the local sql box.
Solving replication errors is much easier than dealing with a flaky ISP.
I would recommend you to check Viravis Platform out.
It is an application platform that also can be used just as an online database for any .NET client with the provided SDK. It has its own generic windows and web clients and some custom web solutions for some specific applications.
You may be using it as a complete solution or as a secure online database backend.