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Network Setup 2 – Server


FIREBIRD SERVER

The first task is to install Firebird on your server.

  1. Download the Firebird database and unpack if needed.
  2. Run the Firebird installer. Follow the on-screen instructions; there is no need to change any of the default options on either Mac or Windows.

Firebird is now installed!

FIREWALLS AND PORTS

Firebird uses TCP/IP for all communication, specifically port 3050. Please ensure that your computers can communicate using this port. You should not allow this port to be accessed from the Internet however.

SERVER_SETUP UTILITY

You now need to run the server setup utility. This utility will deploy the actual database onto your server and configure a few options.

  1. Download and decompress the most appropriate version.
  2. Run the server_setup program and follow the instructions below.

There are a number of important points to note regarding the database file (rising4.fdb, rising5.fdb or rising6.fdb).

  • It must live on a LOCAL DISK on your server
  • It must not be shared – users do not need direct access to this file

We recommend the following locations for your database, that we will use throughout these instructions, but the location is entirely up to you.

  • Mac: /Library/Application Support/Firebird/
  • Windows: C:\Data\Firebird\

Note that it is very important that you remember all the aliases, directories and passwords that you setup. You will need them when you are configuring your workstations. We recommend that you keep a copy of them in a secure location.

Step 1 – Rising Software Database

Follow these instructions to create your database.

  1. Select your database location using the ‘Choose Directory’ button or type in a folder location that already exists.
  2. Now click the ‘Create Database’ button.

Step 2 – Passwords and Users

Firebird comes with a default ‘Super User’ called SYSDBA. The SYSDBA user is installed automatically, with the default password of masterkey. This password is widely known, and is NOT secure. You must change the SYSDBA password to ensure that your databases cannot be compromised.

  1. Enter your current SYSDBA password. If you are running the server install utility for the first time, the SYSDBA password will be the Firebird default, “masterkey”.
  2. Enter your new password (twice, in the boxes provided)
  3. Click on ‘Change SYSDBA Password’

Auralia and Musition do not operate using the SYSDBA user. You need to add the RISINGSOFTWARE user and change the password. You can do this numerous times if necessary, but you will need to have your current SYSDBA password entered into the box mentioned above.

  1. Ensure the current new SYSDBA password has been entered
  2. Enter the desired RISINGSOFTWARE password (twice, in the boxes provided)
  3. Click ‘Add Rising Software user and set Password’

SERVER DATABASE ALIAS

You now need to setup an alias to your database file. This simplifies your workstation installation and allows you to move your database file around your server without changing your workstation configuration.

Firstly, locate the Firebird aliases file, aliases.conf. This file can be found at the following locations:

  • Mac: /Library/Frameworks/Firebird.framework/Resources/English.lproj/var/
  • Windows: \Program Files\Firebird\Firebird_2_5\ (or Firebird_2_1 if installing v4)

On Mac, please change the permissions on this file to allow ‘everyone’ to have ‘Read & Write’.

  1. sudo chmod o+rw /Library/Frameworks/Firebird.framework/Resources/English.lproj/var/aliases.conf

Open this file in a text editor such as Notepad or TextEdit. You will probably see lots of lines with ‘#’ in front of them – they are all commented out example lines. At the bottom of the file, you need to add a line defining a RISING4 or RISING5 alias, which will point to the database that you have just created using the server_setup utility.

If you have installed the database in C:\Data\Firebird\ then this is the line you would add to aliases.conf.
RISING4=C:\Data\Firebird\rising4.fdb or RISING5=C:\Data\Firebird\rising5.fdb or RISING6=C:\Data\Firebird\rising6.fdb or RISING7=C:\Data\Firebird\rising7.fdb

If you have installed the database into /Library/Application Support/Firebird then this is the line you would add to aliases.conf.
RISING4=/Library/Application Support/Firebird/rising4.fdb or for version 5, RISING5=/Library/Application Support/Firebird/rising5.fdb or for version 6, RISING6=/Library/Application Support/Firebird/rising6.fdb or for version 7, RISING7=/Library/Application Support/Firebird/rising7.fdb

On Mac, please now change the permissions back on aliases.conf, for best security.

  1. sudo chmod o-w /Library/Frameworks/Firebird.framework/Resources/English.lproj/var/aliases.conf

FILE PERMISSIONS

The database file that you installed onto your server should not have read or write access for any of your Auralia or Musition users. It should not be shared in any way. Auralia and Musition communicate with the file through the Firebird database server, via TCP/IP.

If user accounts do have read or write access to this file, you run the risk of serious data corruption.

Mac Server

The database file needs to be able to be read and written to by the Firebird database engine. When you ran the Firebird installer, a user called firebird and group named firebird were created. We recommend that you make the firebird user the owner of the file and put it into the firebird group.

Firstly, change to the folder where you installed your database – likely to be /Library/Application Support/Firebird. The first thing to do is change the ownership and group.  It’s highly likely that you’ll have to enter your password when you run those commands to change those permissions.

Version 7

  1. sudo chown firebird rising7.fdb
  2. sudo chgrp firebird rising7.fdb

And now make the file read/write for user and group.

  1. sudo chmod u+rw rising7.fdb
  2. sudo chmod g+rw rising7.fdb

Version 6

  1. sudo chown firebird rising6.fdb
  2. sudo chgrp firebird rising6.fdb

And now make the file read/write for user and group.

  1. sudo chmod u+rw rising6.fdb
  2. sudo chmod g+rw rising6.fdb

Version 5

  1. sudo chown firebird rising5.fdb
  2. sudo chgrp firebird rising5.fdb

And now make the file read/write for user and group.

  1. sudo chmod u+rw rising5.fdb
  2. sudo chmod g+rw rising5.fdb

Version 4

  1. sudo chown firebird rising4.fdb
  2. sudo chgrp firebird rising4.fdb

And now make the file read/write for user and group.

  1. sudo chmod u+rw rising4.fdb
  2. sudo chmod g+rw rising4.fdb

Windows Server

There are no additional file permissions required when using a Windows server.


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