Symphony.

Hi guys,

We have a client that we've just passed an ensemble to; however they can't get past the first page on installation and are getting no errors. Basically they hit the 'Proceed with installation' button and nothing happens.

Anyone experienced this before?

It's a 64-bit CentOS 6.x server with updates installed, and the following configuration:

abrt_anon_write --> off
abrt_handle_event --> off
allow_console_login --> on
allow_cvs_read_shadow --> off
allow_daemons_dump_core --> on
allow_daemons_use_tcp_wrapper --> off
allow_daemons_use_tty --> on
allow_domain_fd_use --> on
allow_execheap --> off
allow_execmem --> on
allow_execmod --> on
allow_execstack --> on
allow_ftpd_anon_write --> off
allow_ftpd_full_access --> off
allow_ftpd_use_cifs --> off
allow_ftpd_use_nfs --> off
allow_gssd_read_tmp --> on
allow_guest_exec_content --> off
allow_httpd_anon_write --> off
allow_httpd_mod_auth_ntlm_winbind --> off
allow_httpd_mod_auth_pam --> off
allow_httpd_sys_script_anon_write --> off
allow_java_execstack --> off
allow_kerberos --> on
allow_mount_anyfile --> on
allow_mplayer_execstack --> off
allow_nsplugin_execmem --> on
allow_polyinstantiation --> off
allow_postfix_local_write_mail_spool --> on
allow_ptrace --> off
allow_rsync_anon_write --> off
allow_saslauthd_read_shadow --> off
allow_smbd_anon_write --> off
allow_ssh_keysign --> off
allow_staff_exec_content --> on
allow_sysadm_exec_content --> on
allow_unconfined_nsplugin_transition --> off
allow_user_exec_content --> on
allow_user_mysql_connect --> off
allow_user_postgresql_connect --> off
allow_write_xshm --> off
allow_xguest_exec_content --> off
allow_xserver_execmem --> off
allow_ypbind --> off
allow_zebra_write_config --> on
amavis_use_jit --> off
antivirus_can_scan_system --> off
authlogin_radius --> off
cdrecord_read_content --> off
clamd_use_jit --> off
clamscan_can_scan_system --> off
cobbler_anon_write --> off
cobbler_can_network_connect --> off
cobbler_use_cifs --> off
cobbler_use_nfs --> off
condor_domain_can_network_connect --> off
cron_can_relabel --> off
dhcpc_exec_iptables --> off
domain_kernel_load_modules --> off
exim_can_connect_db --> off
exim_manage_user_files --> off
exim_read_user_files --> off
fcron_crond --> off
fenced_can_network_connect --> off
fenced_can_ssh --> off
fips_mode --> on
ftp_home_dir --> off
ftpd_connect_db --> off
ftpd_use_passive_mode --> off
git_cgit_read_gitosis_content --> off
git_session_bind_all_unreserved_ports --> off
git_system_enable_homedirs --> off
git_system_use_cifs --> off
git_system_use_nfs --> off
global_ssp --> off
gluster_anon_write --> off
gluster_export_all_ro --> off
gluster_export_all_rw --> on
gpg_agent_env_file --> off
gpg_web_anon_write --> off
httpd_builtin_scripting --> on
httpd_can_check_spam --> off
httpd_can_network_connect --> on
httpd_can_network_connect_cobbler --> off
httpd_can_network_connect_db --> on
httpd_can_network_memcache --> off
httpd_can_network_relay --> off
httpd_can_sendmail --> off
httpd_dbus_avahi --> on
httpd_enable_cgi --> on
httpd_enable_ftp_server --> off
httpd_enable_homedirs --> off
httpd_execmem --> off
httpd_manage_ipa --> off
httpd_read_user_content --> off
httpd_run_stickshift --> off
httpd_setrlimit --> off
httpd_ssi_exec --> off
httpd_tmp_exec --> off
httpd_tty_comm --> on
httpd_unified --> on
httpd_use_cifs --> off
httpd_use_fusefs --> off
httpd_use_gpg --> off
httpd_use_nfs --> off
httpd_use_openstack --> off
httpd_verify_dns --> off
icecast_connect_any --> off
init_upstart --> on
irssi_use_full_network --> off
logging_syslog_can_read_tmp --> off
logging_syslogd_can_sendmail --> off
mmap_low_allowed --> off
mozilla_read_content --> off
mysql_connect_any --> off
named_bind_http_port --> off
named_write_master_zones --> off
ncftool_read_user_content --> off
nscd_use_shm --> on
nsplugin_can_network --> on
openvpn_enable_homedirs --> on
piranha_lvs_can_network_connect --> off
postgresql_can_rsync --> off
pppd_can_insmod --> off
pppd_for_user --> off
privoxy_connect_any --> on
puppet_manage_all_files --> off
puppetmaster_use_db --> off
qemu_full_network --> on
qemu_use_cifs --> on
qemu_use_comm --> off
qemu_use_nfs --> on
qemu_use_usb --> on
racoon_read_shadow --> off
rgmanager_can_network_connect --> off
rsync_client --> off
rsync_export_all_ro --> off
rsync_use_cifs --> off
rsync_use_nfs --> off
samba_create_home_dirs --> off
samba_domain_controller --> off
samba_enable_home_dirs --> off
samba_export_all_ro --> off
samba_export_all_rw --> off
samba_portmapper --> off
samba_run_unconfined --> off
samba_share_fusefs --> off
samba_share_nfs --> off
sanlock_use_fusefs --> off
sanlock_use_nfs --> off
sanlock_use_samba --> off
secure_mode --> off
secure_mode_insmod --> off
secure_mode_policyload --> off
sepgsql_enable_users_ddl --> on
sepgsql_unconfined_dbadm --> on
sge_domain_can_network_connect --> off
sge_use_nfs --> off
smartmon_3ware --> off
spamassassin_can_network --> off
spamd_enable_home_dirs --> on
squid_connect_any --> on
squid_use_tproxy --> off
ssh_chroot_full_access --> off
ssh_chroot_manage_apache_content --> off
ssh_chroot_rw_homedirs --> off
ssh_sysadm_login --> off
telepathy_tcp_connect_generic_network_ports --> off
tftp_anon_write --> off
tor_bind_all_unreserved_ports --> off
unconfined_login --> on
unconfined_mmap_zero_ignore --> off
unconfined_mozilla_plugin_transition --> off
use_fusefs_home_dirs --> off
use_lpd_server --> off
use_nfs_home_dirs --> on
use_samba_home_dirs --> off
user_direct_dri --> on
user_direct_mouse --> off
user_ping --> on
user_rw_noexattrfile --> on
user_setrlimit --> on
user_tcp_server --> off
user_ttyfile_stat --> off
varnishd_connect_any --> off
vbetool_mmap_zero_ignore --> off
virt_use_comm --> off
virt_use_execmem --> off
virt_use_fusefs --> off
virt_use_nfs --> off
virt_use_samba --> off
virt_use_sanlock --> off
virt_use_sysfs --> on
virt_use_usb --> on
virt_use_xserver --> off
webadm_manage_user_files --> off
webadm_read_user_files --> off
wine_mmap_zero_ignore --> off
xdm_exec_bootloader --> off
xdm_sysadm_login --> off
xen_use_nfs --> off
xguest_connect_network --> on
xguest_mount_media --> on
xguest_use_bluetooth --> on
xserver_object_manager --> off

Also, a separate but related issue. The client's server uses an Amazon RDS MySQL instance which apparently means that the table type needs to be InnoDB. Again, hoping that someone with experience with Amazon servers might be able to shed some light on the issue.

table types InnoDB shouldn't be much of an issue; I've had some switched when required (only case if you're doing text search on an old sql version) but you should be fine in most cases.

As for the issue; never used Amazon per-se so maybe someone else can help out

It depends on what version of MySQL Amazon RDS supports.

For the most part, you can swap your tables to InnoDB, in fact, we have an ticket to do so where possible on Github. The one table that may throw a curveball is the Textarea field, as this uses FULLTEXT indexes for datasource filtering. MySQL 5.6 supports FULLTEXT on InnoDB tables, where prior versions don't.

My guess is Amazon won't, as Rackspace doesn't either as their distribution package hasn't been updated with it yet.

From the Amazon RDS FAQ:

As of today, Amazon RDS supports the MySQL major versions MySQL 5.1 and MySQL 5.5. We plan to support additional MySQL major versions in the future.

http://aws.amazon.com/rds/faqs/#75

Hi guys,

Thanks for your responses.

Brendo, the client did get a warning about the FULLTEXT - you're bang on the money.

Excuse my ignorance - but what does this mean - will we be unable to deploy the site in this server as it is?

Also with regards to the other issue - is it related maybe?

Thanks again.

@nathan: you can ask your client to just install MySQL on their EC2 instance. I have multiple Symphony installations running on EC2 instances without issues. It just means that you need to manage the MySQL server yourself instead of being able to leverage the advantages of Amazon RDS.

@nathanhornby the FULLTEXT warning, is normal. It would only effect you if you are running searches on any TEXT nodes. It could depend on the fields you are using, and what you are trying to filter with in DataSources, usually if you have handles I think it should work.

I'd suggest you give it a good test before putting it live, if you decide to leave your setup as is.

Hi guys,

Thanks for the follow up. I'll pass this info on and see what we can do!

Cheers,

Nathan

Any news on this? Did you manage to get it up and running using Amazon RDS?

Hi Michael,

I've left that info with the client so should have an update soon.

They're not keen on losing the RDS features, so I think that's a non starter - however I'm hoping ignoring the FULLTEXT issue won't cause any problems.

Shouldn't the server requirements state that it requires MySQL 5.6, rather than 5.0? Or could this be due to an extension? Think the client might be a bit cheesed as I sent them the server requirements a while back, and naturally they're not correlating.

Shouldn't the server requirements state that it requires MySQL 5.6, rather than 5.0?

That ain't correct. But we might add "with MyISAM storage engine".

I did a bit of research, and according to the Amazon docs RDS can run with MyISAM, although they say that you might have recovery problems:

DB Instance Backups - (section "Automated Backups with Unsupported Storage Engines")

Gotcha.

Thanks for the info Michael. Databases certainly aren't a speciality of mine - I know as much as I need to, which isn't very much really. So I really appreciate the pointers.

Since I am interested in Amazon RDS myself, I did a bit of research on this. Turns out that you should better use MySQL's InnoDB tables if you want to capitalise the full potential of RDS.

Like @brendo mentioned, the Textarea field is the only core field which uses a FULLTEXT index. (But don't forget: It may also be used by extensions, like the Reflection Field.) If you don't attempt to do any datasource filtering on a textarea (which performs a fulltext search on the MySQL level)—and in fact I never did that—you can think about the following:

• Remove the fulltext index from your textareas' database table(s)

• Remove the FULLTEXT key from the field's createTable() function (to be safe for the future)

• in the field's buildDSRetrievalSQL() function, change the WHERE clause from

  AND MATCH (t{$field_id}_{$this->_key}.value) AGAINST ('{$data}' IN BOOLEAN MODE)
  

  to

  AND t{$field_id}_{$this->_key}.value LIKE '%{$data}%'
  

  This will prevent SQL errors if you ever use a textarea field for datasource filtering. Filtering will still "work somehow"—honestly I am not a MySQL expert, so I don't know the difference. And as I said, I am not really interested in MySQL fulltext search on textareas…

  (You should repeat the above for other field types containing a MATCH statement and FULLTEXT indexes.)

• Change all database tables to use InnodDB storage.

• Change all CREATE TABLE statements (in Symphony and its extensions) to use the InnodDB storage engine.

I am rather sure that this procedure would make Symphony's database run fine on RDS.

The TextBox Field is the only other one I know about that uses FULLTEXT

Yes, it's the only core field. But as I said above, when it comes to extensions, I know that the Reflection Field uses FULLTEXT.

So there’s pretty much no reliable way of switching to InnoDB?

My RDS instance has farted out twice already for unknown reasons, and Amazon is saying MyISAM is not recommended:

As a side note, you use many MyISAM tables, which we generally recommend against for their issues in recovery. Please see our FAQ for more details. MyISAM can also cause some locking issues in certain scenarios, but I can't say if that's the case here.

So there’s pretty much no reliable way of switching to InnoDB?

Well, when you make all changes then it is reliable. Is it easy? No, quite the contrary. You need to be very sure updates do not break your changes - which is quite a headache. At this moment I would advice against using InnoDB (I've tried, and failed for a lack of time).

I know we've talked about this a number of times, but I would really, really, really like MyISAM to be dropped in favor of InnoDB. RDS is one reason, clustering and general reliability is another.

AWS has FULLTEXT in v5.6

http://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/whats-new/2013/07/01/amazon-rds-mysql-5-6/

What other issues come up?