mysql connection failed

[Anon]

Hallo.

I really need help on an error I am getting when trying to connect to our mail server from a PHP3 script on our web server.

The message I get is as follows: MySQL Connection Failed: Host ''www.hardrive.co.za' is not allowed to connect to this MySQL server.

All permissions have been granted to the user trying to connect to the mail server. So I believe this can not be a major problem.

My connection code looks as follows:

$db_con2 = mysql_connect("mail.hardrive.co.za", "username", "password");
mysql_select_db($db_name2,$db_con2);

I believe my code is correct.
Can anyone help me or has anyone dealt with this before.

[Anon]

You have a seperate server for mail with mysql on it? curious.

You need to set permissions in mysql on that server to explicitly let the user you are trying to connect as to connect from www.hardrive.co.za

You probably only gave permission to connect from localhost.

See the GRANT statement in the manual.

[Anon]

Thanks.

I have gone and checked out the GRANT statement. The permissions have been set correctly in the user table of the mail server. (I call it mail server because it is set up mainly as a mail server, but it also has a few web sites on it). Anyway, the permissions are set up to connect from our webserver and a few other clients.

I have also gone and looked at the users and their permissions on the mail server and have found that there is nothing listed under the "host" priveliges table. Only under the "db" and "user" table. Would this make a difference??? I believe it would not.

What other options may I have???

[Anon]

Yes, it would. The host table contains the a list of hosts a user may connect from. You need to set a privilege for the user to connect from the other machine.

GRANT (set of permissions here) on (list of databases/tables here) to [e-mail] identifed by 'plaintextpassword'

So if you wanted to give the user 'rod' all permissions to all databased you would use:

grant all on . TO [e-mail] identified by 'rodspassword';

normally, for local connections, you'd use:

grant all on . to rod@localhost identified by 'rodspassword';

[Anon]

OK.

Let me just make sure that I have got this all right, because it still does not want to connect. In the "user" GRANT Table of the mail server I have added the IP Address and the name of the webserver in the "host column". With these I have also added the the username and password I am going to use in their respective columns.

In the "db" GRANT table of the mail server I have done the same, accept that there is off course no password column and in the "db" column I have added the '%' wildcard symbol so I have priviliges to do anything to any database.

Could something else be wrong or have I left something out that should be set???

Thanks for all your help so far.

[Anon]

Does the php that executes the mysql_connect() function run on the computer (mail server as you call it) that hosts the database, or is it executed on a separate machine (the harddrive. domain)? If it is executed on the same machine, you'll want to grant access to user@localhost using the GRANT command, and change the connect information in the php script to indicate 'user@localhost'. That is a long-shot answer, and something I'm sure you've figured out and tested before, but I'm trying to make sure nothing is left uncovered. Also, have you flushed the priviledges in mysql? I'm not familiar with the particulars of mysql, but I'm pretty sure you have to reload priviledge information once new information is added. I would recommend halting the mysql process, then starting it again (I'm sure there's a much more efficient way of doing this, but like I said, I don't work with mysql regularly).

[Anon]

If you modify the privilege tables directly, you'll have to flush or restart. If you use the GRANT command you do not.

[Anon]

Answering Evan. The php process is run on the hardrive domain.

Answering Rod. Yes the privileges table was flushed to be safe.

Still it does not want to work. I am starting to pull out my hair on this problem.

Could it be something to do with the mysql_connect statement I am using? Should I maybe try and include the path and/port also or does this not make a difference.

As you've noticed. I am quite new to all this, so I am trying to cover all routes.

Thanks for you're help so far.

[Anon]

Okay...let's try again...we'll get this sonner or later. You said the error message says "WWW.hardrive.co.za' is not allowed to connec to the MYSQL server. You also said that the php process is running on the hardrive domain. Is it running on www.hardrive.co.za or mail.hardrive.co.za. Also, which domain is the mysql process running on? If you can answer me those questions, I think we can work it out.

[Anon]

OK.

The php process is running on the webserver, not the mail server. Then I am trying to connect to the mail server from the php process. This would then of course start a mysql query on the mailserver. But the mailserver does not allow me to connect to it from the php process running on the webserver.

As you know, everything has been set correctly; the privileges, the code seems to be correct, etc.

How else could I do this??

[Anon]

Okay, let's implement this tactic: in the php script, attempt to connect with user root and (obviously) the correct password. Does that work?

Next plan of action: Okay, I know that we think that all of the privs. are okay, but for kicks let's start over. From the mysql interface (on the mail.hardrive.co.za machine) , do:

GRANT ALL ON . to [e-mail] IDENTIFIED BY "textpassword"

So you should replace the username in front of the @ symbol with the username you want to use, and put the password inside of the quotations at the end...I'm not intending to talk down to you, because I'm sure you know how to do this, but I'm trying to go through problems the way I go through them with myself when things are acting up...just taking obvious simple baby steps.

Now, 'kill -9' the mysql process, and restart it with safe_mysqld.

Now just create a simple php script on the www.hardrive.co.za machine:

<?

if(!(mysql_connect("mail.hardrive.co.za", "username", "pass"))){
echo("Unable to connect to database");
}

?>

If the connection is made, no error will be shown. Otherwise, it will print the message.

Let me know how this works!

[Anon]

First Shot) I hope it's not something simple like:
if(!(mysql_connect("mail.hardrive.co.za", "$username", "$pass"))){

Second Shot) are you accessing MySQL thru a specific port?

not much help, but it may lead to a different train of thought