PostgreSQL: Advanced database-functionality

When the PostgreSQL function is selected for the first time you will be presented with the following message:

Status: PostgreSQL feature isn't included at Your current package, but could be upgraded.

You can upgrade to this feature.

This means that the PostgreSQL feature was not included in the package when you created your hosting account, it is however possible to upgrade the account to contain this feature. Simply click the link and follow the guide through the upgrade process.

The message on the screen will be different if your account contains at least 1 unused PostgreSQL database, it will be like this:

Status: No PostgreSQL database installed for this domain

Do you want to add a PostgreSQL database?: [Yes] [No]

A click on 'No' will take you back to the main menu, while clicking 'Yes' will make the system install a database, create the administrative account and assign a password to the database. The information concerning the new database will can be seen by clicking the 'Back to PostgreSQL'

In the table shown above you can find the database name, administrative username and password and also how you connect to the database. It is also possible to delete the database or access the online database administrative tool (here you can create tables, etc.).

Connections from:

Webserver (default):
It is as standard only possible to connect to the database via the webserver itself - This means you can access it from your PHP and perl scripts placed on the webserver, but it isn't possible to connect to the database from an external system (like your desktop pc). This is for security reasons the best option, but it can in some cases be preferable to be able to link up to the database from an external system (could be to synchronize an external program with the web contents) therefore there are 2 possible ways of setting the connection filter.

Anywhere:
Users with the correct username and paasword can connect to the database from anywhere, as long as there is an internet connection. This setting can be dangerous, since the username and password are send in clear text (not encrypted). This gives a potential hacker the possibility to 'sniff' the username and password and gain access to your database since you haven't restricted the IP of where you can connect from. The hacker can in principle sit on the opposite side of the earth and alter your database.

Specific hosts:
This gives you some control of the external connections when your 'Connect from' is set to 'Anywhere'. It allows you to specify exactly what IP that you will allow connections from. Remember that you still need the use of the username and password. But you have now effectively blocked of anyone you don't know about, e.g. the hacker.

Note: If you have entered an IP and chooses the 'Webserver (default)' setting again, you will lose the entered IP.

 

Functions
A click on the 'Admin' link will open the administrative web tool for PostgreSQL.