Add Database Parameters

This section explains how to add custom parameter values that override the default values in an Exasol database.

Exasol databases are configured using parameters that are written as key-value pairs in the format "-parameter":"value". Parameters that are not explicitly defined in the configuration will use default values.

Invalid parameters or invalid configuration syntax will prevent the database from starting. To avoid unnecessary downtime, contact Support before you add or change database parameters.

This procedure can be carried out using either the Administration API or ConfD.

Prerequisites

The database must be stopped. For more information, see Stop a Database.

Procedure -Administration API

The following examples use curl on a Linux terminal to send REST calls to endpoints in the Administration API. You can also use other interfaces and languages to interact with the API. For more information, see Administration API.

Placeholder values are styled as Bash variables, for example: $EXASOL_IP. Replace the placeholders with your own values.

The option --insecure or -k tells curl to bypass the TLS certificate check. This option allows you to connect to a HTTPS server that uses a self-signed certificate or a certificate that is not valid. Only use this option if certificate verification is not possible and you trust the server.

  1. To get information about the database, send a GET request to the /api/v1/databases endpoint.

    curl --insecure -X "GET" \
    "https://$EXASOL_IP/api/v1/databases" \
    -H "accept: application/json" \
    -H "Authorization: Basic $AUTH_TOKEN"

    The response includes the database ID, name, and version. Additional details are included depending on the configuration and platform.

  2. To see all currently configured additional parameters, send a GET request to the /api/v1/databases/DATABASE_ID/parameters endpoint.

    curl --insecure -X "GET" \
      "https://$EXASOL_IP/api/v1/databases/$DATABASE_ID/parameters' \
      -H "accept: application/json" \
      -H "Authorization: Basic $AUTH_TOKEN"

    The response will list all additional parameters currently defined in the configuration. If no additional parameters have been configured, the result will be empty. Default parameters are not shown. For example:

    {
      "parameters": {}
    }

  3. To add parameters, send a PATCH request to the /api/v1/databases/DATABASE_ID/parameters endpoint. Add the parameters you want to add in the payload as key-value pairs in the format "-parameter": "value". For example:

    curl --insecure -X "PATCH" \
    "https://$EXASOL_IP/api/v1/databases/$DATABASE_ID/parameters" \
    -H "accept: application/json" \
    -H "Authorization: Basic $AUTH_TOKEN" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -d '{
      "parameters": {
        "-forceProtocolEncryption": "1",
        "-oidcProviderClientSecret": "abcd"
      }
    }'

  4. To verify that the configuration has been updated, send a GET request to the /api/v1/databases/DATABASE_ID/parameters endpoint again. The response now shows the new parameters. For example:

    {
      "parameters": {
        "-forceProtocolEncryption": "1",
        "-oidcProviderClientSecret": "abcd"
      }
    }

Procedure - ConfD

The following examples use ConfD through the command-line tool confd_client, which is accessible on all database nodes. You can also access ConfD through XML-RPC in your own Python programs. For more information, see ConfD.

  1. To find the name of the database, use the ConfD job db_list. For example:

    confd_client -c db_list
    - Exasol

  2. To add parameters, use the ConfD job db_configure and specify the parameters to add. For example:

    confd_client -c db_configure -a '{db_name: Exasol, params_add: "-forceProtocolEncryption=1 -oidcProviderClientSecret=abcd"}'

  3. To verify that the configuration has been updated, use the ConfD job db_info. Any custom parameters will be listed in the params: section. If no custom parameters are defined, this section will not be included in the response. 

    confd_client -c db_info -a 'db_name: Exasol' | grep params
     params: -forceProtocolEncryption=1 -oidcProviderClientSecret=abcd

Next Steps

Start the database. For more information, see Start a Database.