This article explains the basic operation of databases on Webhosting. If you need to export or import data, follow the instructions in Webhosting – Import and export a database in phpMyAdmin.
In this article you will learn:
- What the database parameters are
- How to create a database
- How database user accounts work
- How to manage a database
- How to find the database version
- Common problems
- Frequently asked questions
Database parameters
Each Webhosting service gives you an unlimited number of databases or MariaDB instances.
The basic database parameters on Webhosting are:
- Total database space 1 GB for LowCost ⧉ webhosting, 2 GB for NoLimit ⧉, 5 GB for the Extra ⧉ variant)
- Creation and deletion via the customer administration
- Management via the phpMyAdmin ⧉ interface
Creating a database
To create a database, follow these instructions:
- Log in to the customer administration ⧉.
- In the top menu, choose the Hosting services Webhosting or WMS tab.
- Open the detail of the specific service.
- In the left menu, click the New database link.
- Name the database (max. 7 characters without diacritics), select or enter the e-mail recipient for the password, and click the create button.
Alternatively, you can create the database directly in the Webhosting detail by clicking the create new link in the Databases table.
After the database is created, the system sends the login details to the e-mail address entered when the service was ordered.
Database user accounts
You can access databases only from the web interface phpMyAdmin ⧉ and from VEDOS webhosting servers. Databases are not accessible from the outside or from other servers, and we do not allow this access in any way.
After a MariaDB database is created, you receive two login accounts:
- The admin user (the login name starts with the letter a) has full database privileges. Use this username to manage databases exclusively through the phpMyAdmin[pma] interface – if it is not absolutely necessary, do not connect to it from PHP.
- The web user (the login name starts with the letter w) has limited privileges: it may work with data, but it may not change the table structure. Connect this user to the database from PHP.
Each database has these 2 users fixed. For security reasons, you cannot change the rights of these users or add new users.
When entering database credentials in your PHP application, make sure you correctly enter the following 4 details (you will find them in the e-mail with information about the database creation, or in the database detail in the customer administration):
- database server name – in the form of wmX.wedos.net or mdX.wedos.net, where X is a number
- database name
- login name
- password (watch out for any spaces before or after the password)
Database management
Changes entered in the customer administration take effect within 30 minutes.
You can access database management in the customer administration with these steps:
- Log in to the customer administration ⧉.
- In the top menu, choose the Hosting services Webhosting or WMS tab.
- Open the detail of the specific service.
- In the service detail, find the specific database and click the magnifying-glass icon to open its detail.
Directly in the customer administration, you can:
Changing the database account password
If you change the password of the user through which your application connects to the database, also make the corresponding change in the PHP code that uses this account password to access the database! If you leave the old password in the code, the database connection will not work.
You can change the password for each database account. In the Change admin password or Change web password table in the database detail, make the change and save it.
Deleting a database
Before deleting a database, we recommend backing up the data by exporting it according to these instructions. Deleting the database will completely and irreversibly remove it, including all data it contains.
To delete a database, enter the word DELETE in uppercase letters into the field in the Delete database box and confirm with the Delete database button.
After deletion, you cannot create a new database with the same name.
You can restore the data itself from your own or our backup, via import into the newly created database. You then connect the new database to the web application by adjusting its configuration.
Current database version
The highest possible MariaDB version is currently 10.11.16.
If the software using this database does not tell you the database version, you can check it in:
Database version in the customer administration
You can get the database version (and other information about it) in the database detail by following these steps:
- Log in to the customer administration ⧉.
- In the top menu, select Hosting services Webhosting or WMS.
- Select from the list the service whose database you want to check.
- In the service detail, in the Databases table, click the name of the selected database.
- In the database detail, check the database version in the Database server item.
Database version in phpMyAdmin
In the phpMyAdmin interface, you can get the database version by following these steps:
- Log in to the phpMyAdmin ⧉ interface.
- Find the database version in the Database server panel.
Common problems
Common database problems include:
- Unsuitable database version
- Slow database
- Database unavailable from the Internet
- The web user does not have sufficient privileges
- The website stopped working after database changes
- Accidentally deleted database
Unsuitable database version
Problem: The application requires a different database type or version.
Solution: Changing the database version is typically not supported by our services.
Webhosting supports only MariaDB databases. You can run any other database system only on your own server ⧉.
Slow database
Problem: The application requires a different database type or version.
Cause: Database speed depends largely on its size and the quality of indexing. A common cause is a missing primary database index.
Solution: Check whether the database contains unnecessary items, such as archived logs and other items that the website or its components do not actively use. Make sure that each table contains a primary index, and if necessary update the indexing of the content itself.
More information can be found in the community article MySQL – performance optimization, indexes ⧉.
Database unavailable from the Internet
Problem: I cannot log in to the database from an application running with another provider or on my computer.
Cause: Access to databases on Webhosting is for security reasons limited only to WEDOS Webhosting and WMS services. We do not provide exceptions to this rule.
Solution: Use an application on Webhosting to manage databases (for example on a subdomain), or the phpMyAdmin ⧉ interface.
Insufficient privileges of the web user
Problem: The application does not work correctly if I log in to the database as the web user.
Cause: The application needs to use administrator account commands, such as creating tables during the installation of the content management system.
Solution: Enter the administrator account details for the necessary period.
Website not working after database modification
Problem: After making changes to the database, the website stopped working.
Cause: The most common source of problems is changing the password in the administration, but not in the website configuration file. It may also be damage to or deletion of part of the database necessary for the proper operation of the website.
Solution: If you only changed the database password, update it in your application’s configuration file. A community guide for editing common content management systems can be found at this link ⧉. If you changed the database content and the website stopped working, import a backup.
Deleted database
Problem: We accidentally deleted the database.
Solution: There are two types of deleted databases:
- Restore deleted data from a backup.
- A deleted database itself (according to the instructions in the chapter Deleting a database) cannot be restored. Create a new database (with a new name) and restore the data from backup into it. Then fix the access credentials in the application configuration file (a community guide for editing common content management systems can be found at this link ⧉).
Frequently asked questions
Where exactly do I set the new database credentials in PHP?
It depends on your specific application. An article containing the database connection for common content management systems can be found in the community guide CMS content management systems and database connection ⧉. If you use another application, ask the application support or your webmaster.
What is the difference between MySQL / MariaDB?
MariaDB is a branch of MySQL. They are mutually compatible and most CMSs work fully with MariaDB. If your application requires MySQL, it should also work reliably with MariaDB and vice versa. On most DB servers we now use only MariaDB without the option to change it. If you strictly require MySQL, a VPS server ⧉ could be a solution. Alternatively, contact our customer support.
How do I find the database login details without the e-mail about the service setup?
You can find them in the configuration file of your PHP application that uses the database. If that is not possible, you will need to change the database password. Next to the password change form, you will also find a table with an overview of database access credentials.