Connect existing MySQL database to Jira or Confluence

[Dianna Newman]

Hi all,

I was originally installing on the Linux server but after getting error messages 'Unknown system variable 'storage_engine' (when setting up database settings) related to using MySQL 5.7.12 which I learnt is too new and unsupported I then decided to install on the Windows server since I still have the old MySQL installed. 

I didn't make backups from the software itself, all I have are the MySQL databases. My question is HOW do I connect an external database to the Windows version of Confluence and Jira.

OR is there a workaround for the 'Unknown system variable 'storage_engine'  error? I would prefer this if possible without downgrading MySQL.

[Dianna Newman]

Thank you. I successfully installed JIRA and connected it to the database.

I'm having a few issues with Confluence. If I put the real database details in during set up instead of a blank one would I lose my data?

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

You won't lose the data, but the setup will fail.  If you're installing Confluence new, it is expecting an empty database.  If you want to point at an existing one, you really should be using "upgrade" (although you should be doing that against a working installation).

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

The easiest way is probably to do a completely clean installation, giving it an empty database to work with.  Once that is working (i.e. you can log in and create projects), stop it, edit the dbconfig.xml to point at the old database and restart it.  Re-indexing is probably the first thing to do after logging in.

Without the home directories for the old systems, you may have some issues, but installing missing add-ons should be possible (I assume you've backed up the attachments separately - if not, then they're gone, but they won't break the systems, just give you errors around not finding them)

[Dianna Newman]

Thank you for your reply. Is this all possible while using a trial license? I need to be sure I can get it running again before I renew.

Is it ok to use databases that are hosted in a linux server while using a windows server to use the software on?

I don't have any important attachments. I just need the posts installed and the user accounts.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Absolutely - a trial licence will simply stop the system working when it expires.  It provides all the functions that a full paid licence does, so you can use it for this, and testing, and upgrading, and and and...

The application server does not care what the database is running on (and vice-versa).   have to support one