21.2.6 Sandbox Deployment of InnoDB Cluster

MySQL Shell includes the AdminAPI that adds the dba global variable, which provides functions for administration of sandbox instances. In this example setup, you create three sandbox instances using dba.deploySandboxInstance().

Start MySQL Shell from a command prompt by issuing the command:

shell> mysqlsh

MySQL Shell provides two scripting language modes, JavaScript and Python, in addition to a native SQL mode. Throughout this guide MySQL Shell is used primarily in JavaScript mode . When MySQL Shell starts it is in JavaScript mode by default. Switch modes by issuing \js for JavaScript mode, \py for Python mode, and \sql for SQL mode. Ensure you are in JavaScript mode by issuing the \js command, then execute:

mysql-js> dba.deploySandboxInstance(3310)

The argument passed to deploySandboxInstance() is the TCP port number where the MySQL Server instance listens for connections. By default the sandbox is created in a directory named $HOME/mysql-sandboxes/port on Unix systems. For Microsoft Windows systems the directory is %userprofile%\MySQL\mysql-sandboxes\port.

The root user's password for the instance is prompted for.

To deploy further sandbox server instances, repeat the steps followed for the sandbox instance at port 3310, choosing different port numbers. For each additional sandbox instance issue:

mysql-js> dba.deploySandboxInstance(port_number)

To follow this tutorial, use port numbers 3310, 3320 and 3330 for the three sandbox server instances. Issue:

mysql-js> dba.deploySandboxInstance(3320)
mysql-js> dba.deploySandboxInstance(3330)

The next step is to create the InnoDB cluster while connected to the seed MySQL Server instance. The seed instance contains the data that you want to replicate to the other instances. In this example the sandbox instances are blank, therefore we can choose any instance.

Connect MySQL Shell to the seed instance, in this case the one at port 3310:

mysql-js> \connect root@localhost:3310

The \connect MySQL Shell command is a shortcut for the shell.connect() method:

mysql-js> shell.connect('root@localhost:3310')

Once you have connected, AdminAPI can write to the local instance's option file. This is different to working with a production deployment, where you would need to connect to the remote instance and run the MySQL Shell application locally on the instance before AdminAPI can write to the instance's option file.

Use the dba.createCluster() method to create the InnoDB cluster with the currently connected instance as the seed:

mysql-js> var cluster = dba.createCluster('testCluster')

The createCluster() method deploys the InnoDB cluster metadata to the selected instance, and adds the instance you are currently connected to as the seed instance. The createCluster() method returns the created cluster, in the example above this is assigned to the cluster variable. The parameter passed to the createCluster() method is a symbolic name given to this InnoDB cluster, in this case testCluster.

The next step is to add more instances to the InnoDB cluster. Any transactions that were executed by the seed instance are re-executed by each secondary instance as it is added. This tutorial uses the sandbox instances that were created earlier at ports 3320 and 3330.

The seed instance in this example was recently created, so it is nearly empty. Therefore, there is little data that needs to be replicated from the seed instance to the secondary instances. In a production environment, where you have an existing database on the seed instance, you could use a tool such as MySQL Enterprise Backup to ensure that the secondaries have matching data before replication starts. This avoids the possibility of lengthy delays while data replicates from the primary to the secondaries. See Section 18.4.6, “Using MySQL Enterprise Backup with Group Replication”.

Add the second instance to the InnoDB cluster:

mysql-js> cluster.addInstance('root@localhost:3320')

The root user's password is prompted for.

Add the third instance:

mysql-js> cluster.addInstance('root@localhost:3330')

The root user's password is prompted for.

At this point you have created a cluster with three instances: a primary, and two secondaries.

Once the sandbox instances have been added to the cluster, the configuration required for InnoDB cluster must be persisted to each of the instance's option files. How you proceed depends on whether the instance supports persisting configuration changes automatically, see Persisting Settings. When the MySQL instance which you are using supports persisting configuration changes automatically, adding the instance automatically configures the instance. When the MySQL instance which you are using does not support persisting configuration changes automatically, you have to configure the instance locally. See Configuring Instances with dba.configureLocalInstance().

To check the cluster has been created, use the cluster instance's status() function. See Checking a cluster's Status with Cluster.status().

Once you have your cluster deployed you can configure MySQL Router to provide high availability, see Section 21.3, “Using MySQL Router with InnoDB Cluster”.