Choosing Remote MySQL Logical Server for SpamAssassin

WARNING: This documentation covers Parallels H-Sphere versions up to 3.1. For the latest up-to-date Parallels H-Sphere documentation, please proceed to the official Parallels site.

H-Sphere mail logical server is by default installed on a physical box together with Web and MySQL servers on the same box, thus SpamAssassin uses MySQL database on the same server.

In H-Sphere 3.0 RC 4 and up it is made possible to choose an alternative remote MySQL server for SpamAssassin database. This is in particular important for the implementation of load balanced mail cluster where it is required that SpamAssassin is configured to use remote MySQL servers.

To choose a remote remote MySQL server for SpamAssassin:

1. Login as cpanel user and set the following property in ~cpanel/shiva/psoft_config/hsphere.properties:

   EXTERNAL_SERVICE_USAGE = TRUE

   Then, restart H-Sphere to apply changes. Important: If EXTERNAL_SERVICE_USAGE is not set or is not TRUE, you won't be able to choose an external MySQL server for SpamAssassin!
2. In admin CP, go to E.Manager -> Servers -> L.Servers, proceed to settings for this mail logical server, and select a MySQL server from the Choose External Spamassassin DB Server dropdown menu in Mail Server Additional Options.
3. Login to CP server as root, download and run the H-Sphere 3.0 RC 4+ updater with the hspackages reconfig option:

   hspackages reconfig=spamassassin

   Note: Regular H-Sphere update to 3.0 RC 4 and up automatically includes the reconfig option. However, for best performance we recommend running H-Sphere updater with this option separately.

4. To move SpamAssassin DB content from the older local MySQL DB, run the following script on the source box:

   /hsphere/pkg/scripts/uprocedures/dbs_content -h

             Usage: dbs_content [ -h ] -d dbtype [ -i ip ] [ -p password ]
             dbtype: horde or spamassassin or phpmyadmin
             ip: this option is required only in the case, if redefinition took place from current external MySQL server to another
                       one or MySQL service, located on the corresponding mail logical server.
             password:  this option is required only in the case, if redefinition took place from current external MySQL server to
                        MySQL service, located on the corresponding mail logical server.