Essentials
The BL Flow product requires using the root user that always exists in the MySQL installation. Recent versions of MySQL server install without access to the root user from outside the localhost (i.e. it cannot be used from any other server except its own.) To support this secure choice the Flow installer for Chameleon creates 2 users for our apps to connect with - Player and Updater.
Remote Privileges and Supporting Apps
During the MySQL install, the user is no longer asked if they would like to allow remote access for the root user. Limiting root access to the local machine only is a good security practice. To support this Flow (version 7.1.4.4 for Super Ticker and Flow for Brando version 7.5.4.2) now create 2 users for our apps to use to connect with by default
- Player
- is read-only with updates only allowed for a few select reporting tables
- Updater
- has update privileges
Further to this Flow has a configuration preference value that can be set that allows other BL apps to connect to the correct database server when they aren't running on the database server. It is the System > Database Location for Apps setting,
Replication Privileges
In situations where you want to use replication to provide a ongoing backup source you need a user with specific privileges.
Recommended Replication User
Creating a user with these privileges will provide the ability to do everything required for master dump for for a replication reset through to continuous replication monitoring.
You will want to create this user on both the master and the backup/slave servers.
Using SQL
-- check if user exists SELECT EXISTS(SELECT 1 FROM `mysql`.`user` WHERE `user` = 'blbackup' AND `host` = '%') AS 'BackupUserExists 1=Yes'; -- create the user if it doesn't exist CREATE USER 'blbackup'@'%' IDENTIFIED WITH mysql_native_password AS '*4D8DE8683A65AFAB16B91226426A0D9116C664D6'; -- grant privileges to user (can be more limited if you prefer - see notes below) GRANT REPLICATION SLAVE ON *.* TO 'blbackup'@'%'; GRANT REPLICATION CLIENT ON *.* TO 'blbackup'@'%'; GRANT SELECT, SHOW VIEW, EVENT, TRIGGER, SHOW DATABASES, RELOAD ON *.* TO 'blbackup'@'%';
Replication User for essential replication support
This option describes in more detail the options you have if you want a more restricted replication user and how to build privileges on to increase functionality.
You may choose to grant the privileges to an existing user or create a specific user for replication on the master/primary server. That account will need only the global privilege:
- REPLICATION SLAVE.
The DMan app can be used in scenarios with replication to provide status monitoring. To do so it will require the privileges:
- REPLICATION CLIENT
- SELECT
Using SQL
GRANT REPLICATION SLAVE ON *.* TO 'blbackup'@'%'; GRANT REPLICATION CLIENT ON *.* TO 'blbackup'@'%'; GRANT SELECT ON *.* TO 'blbackup';
NOTE that the REPLICATION privileges can only be granted at the global level and not specific database on the server.
Using Workbench
If you are doing so using the MySQL Workbench app you may find that it's easy to get the necessary privileges on the user account by selecting the
- Administrative Roles
- ReplicationAdmin
- BackupAdmin
For backups
If you want to use this user for dumping the data from the server it will need additional privileges.
- SHOW VIEW
- EVENT
- TRIGGER
If dumping all databases at once
- SHOW DATABASES
If pulling master data from a server
- RELOAD
Suspending Privileges
You may want to temporarily disable the access to the database. In that case you would use a REVOKE command:
REVOKE ALL PRIVILEGES ON superticker.* FROM 'BL';
Read-Only Privileges
If you wished to grant read-only privileges you would need to assign:
- SELECT ON all tables
- EXECUTE ON FUNCTION CalcUtilityStatus
Flow will then be able to display the content but no changes will be able to me made. Note that Flow is not truly designed to operate in view mode except when using a browsing only user and as a result when using other user types you may encounter errors if you try to perform an action that requires a change to the content.
Flow version will need to be greater then 6.11.4.2 to support even this basic access when only SELECT privileges are given.
CREATE USER 'BLreadonly' IDENTIFIED BY 'bl-password'; -- make your own password GRANT SELECT ON `superticker`.* TO 'BLreadonly'; GRANT EXECUTE ON FUNCTION `superticker`.`CalcUtilityStatus` TO 'BLreadonly';