A VMware Data Services Manager template is a software blueprint for deploying a specific version of a specific database engine.

The Provider Administrator manages database templates for all Organizations in the VMware Data Services Manager installation. Every database template that the Provider Administrator publishes is available to every registered Organization. Similarly, every action that the Provider Administrator performs on a database template affects each Organization's use of the template in the same manner.

An Agent copies a database template from the Provider Repo to the agent's Template Storage the first time that the template is used to provision a database in its Onboarded Cluster. The Agent then acquires the template locally for any subsequently-provisioned databases that use the template.

Downloading and Using Database Templates for MySQL and PostgreSQL

VMware Data Services Manager makes a database template available for the supported versions of PostgreSQL and MySQL database VMs. VMware tests and certifies database templates before making them available to VMware Data Services Manager installations. New VMware Data Services Manager templates and template software updates are released to Tanzu Network.

VMware Data Services Manager automatically checks for new database templates and template software updates if both the Tanzu Net Token and Provider Repo Storage Settings are configured. When both are configured, VMware Data Services Manager checks Tanzu Network every 24 hours, and automatically downloads any new database templates and template software updates available at the time of the check.

Note: Downloading database templates and updates can take some time, and is dependent on the network latency between the Provider VM and Tanzu network.

VMware Data Services Manager saves a local copy of each database template and template software update that it downloads from Tanzu Network to the Provider Repo.

If VMware Data Services Manager is deployed in an air-gapped environment (an environment with no internet connectivity), the Provider Administrator is required to periodically check Tanzu Network or VMware Customer Connect for updates available for MySQL and PostgreSQL database templates. If any new database templates or updates are available in Tanzu Network or VMware Customer Connect, the Provider Administrator must download the updated database template and populate the Provider Repo manually, preserving the existing directory structure.

Downloading and Using Database Templates for Microsoft SQL Server

For Microsoft SQL Server, the Provider Administrator need to create database templates for the editions and versions that are supported by VMware Data Services Manager.

VMware Data Services Manager supports Standard, Developer and Enterprise edition of Microsoft SQL Server 2019. These database template files can be downloaded from the Microsoft SQL Server website. VMware Data Services Manager enables you to upload these database templates in the Provider repository. The database template files (.tar file or .tar.gz file) can range between 50 MB to 1 GB.

Downloading Database Templates

Perform the following steps to download a Microsoft SQL Server database template:

  1. Navigate to the Microsoft website (https://mcr.microsoft.com/v2/mssql/server/tags/list) and identify the image of the template that you require.

  2. Pull the image of the template to your local directory by using the following docker command:

    docker pull mcr.microsoft.com/mssql/server:<tag-id>

  3. Save the pulled image of the template in your local directory by using the following docker command:

    docker save mcr.microsoft.com/mssql/server:<tag-id> | gzip > <name of the tar>.tar.gz

Creating Database Templates

As a Provider Administrator, you can create database templates that are used to provision Microsoft SQL Server databases.

Perform the following steps to create a Microsoft SQL Server database template:

  1. Navigate to the Database Templates pane, and then click CREATE TEMPLATE in the top right side of the Templates view.

    The Create New Template dialog box appears.

  2. Configure the following properties for the template:

    Property Name Description
    Engine Select the database engine, the core component of the database template, from the drop-down. For example, SQL Server - 2019.0.0.
    Version Name Enter the name of the database template's version. For example, 2019-CU14-20.04.
    Editions Select the edition of the database template from the drop-down menu. For example, Standard.
    Select resource Click Choose File to upload the resource file of the database template file, as required. For example, abc.tar or abc.tar.gz.

    Note: You can select more than one edition to create database templates of the same engine with different versions. However, you cannot create multiple database templates of the same edition and version.

  3. Click CREATE.

    The database template is created and marked Available in the table of the Templates view.

  4. (Optional) To make the database template available for provisioning databases, click the three vertical dots in the Action column of the template in the Database Templates view, and then click Publish from the pop-up menu.

  5. (Optional) In the Publish Template dialog box, click CONFIRM.

Updating Versions of Database Templates

As a Provider Administrator, you can update versions of database templates that are used to provision Microsoft SQL Server databases.

Perform the following steps to update the version of a Microsoft SQL Server database template:

  1. In the Database Templates view of the Database Templates pane, click the three vertical dots in the Action column of the template that you want to update, and then select Version Update from the pop-up menu.

  2. In the Update Template dialog box, enter the Version Name, click Choose in the Select resource field to upload the file of the updated template version, and then click UPDATE.

    The existing database template is modified with the updated version of the engine and listed in the table of the Database Templates view.

Updating Resource File of Database Templates

When a database template file gets corrupted, as a Provider Administrator, you can upload the resource file of that existing database template to rectify the issue.

Perform the following steps to upload the resource file of an existing Microsoft SQL Server database template:

  1. In the Database Templates view of the Database Templates pane, click the three vertical dots in the Action column of the template whose resource file you want to update, and then select Upload Resource Again from the pop-up menu.

  2. In the Upload Resource Again dialog box, click Choose in the Select resource field to upload the file of the database template resource, and then click CREATE.

    The corrupted database template is replaced with the updated resource of the template and is listed in the Database Templates view.

Changing Properties of Resource File of Database Templates

VMware Data Services Manager enables you to change the properties of resource file of Microsoft SQL Server database templates, as required.

Perform the following steps to change the properties of resource file of Microsoft SQL Server database template:

  1. SSH into the Provider VM and update the following properties of the YAML file, /opt/vmware/tdm-provider/providerservice/config/application.yml, as required:

    Property Description Default
    provider.template.supported.docker.image.extensions You can specify the file extension permitted for the uploaded resource file, for example provider.template.supported.docker.image.extensions: tar, gz. tar, gz
    provider.template.supported.docker.image.content.types You can specify the content type permitted for the uploaded resource file, for example provider.template.supported.docker.image.content.types: application/x-tar, application/gzip, application/x-gzip. application/x-tar, application/gzip, application/x-gzip
    provider.template.min.docker.image.size.MB You can specify the file size in MB permitted for the uploaded resource file, for example provider.template.min.docker.image.size.MB: 50. 50
    spring.servlet.multipart.max-file-size You can specify the maximum file size permitted for the uploaded resource file, for example, spring.servlet.multipart.max-file-size: 1GB. 1GB
    spring.servlet.multipart.max-request-size You can specify the maximum file size permitted for multipart or form-data requests for the uploaded resource file, spring.servlet.multipart.max-request-size: 10MB. 1GB

  2. Restart the Provider services to apply the changes that you have made to the properties of the resource file.

Updating Microsoft SQL Server Template Editions of Databases

After you create a database using a particular edition of a Microsoft SQL Server, you can use VMware Data Services Manager to update the edition of the database and use the features of the advanced editions:

  • From a Developer edition to a Standard or an Enterprise edition
  • From a Standard edition to an Enterprise edition
Note: You can update the edition of a database only if the edition to which you are updating to is in the **Published** status.

Perform the following steps to update the edition of the Microsoft SQL Server database:

  1. In the Databases view of the Databases pane, click the database that requires update of edition.

    The Details tab of the database appears.

  2. In the Server Information section of the Details tab, click the DATABASE ACTIONS drop-down menu, and then select Update Edition.

    The Update Database Edition dialog box appears.

  3. In the Update Database Edition dialog box, select the edition to which you want to update, and then click UPDATE.

  4. Click the refresh icon in the top right of the UI to display the update to the edition.

After you update the edition of a database, the latest version of database engine of the updated edition is available.

Actions on Database Template Status

The actions that the Provider Administrator can perform on a database template depend on its current status:

Status Description Actions Permitted
NOT AVAILABLE The database template is in the process of being downloaded from Tanzu Network; it will remain in this state until the download completes. None
AVAILABLE The database template is newly downloaded from Tanzu Network. Publish
PUBLISHED The database template is accessible to users, and can be used to provision a database. Unpublish
UNPUBLISHED The database template is registered with the provider. databases deployed using the database template will continue to receive updates. New databases cannot be provisioned from the database template. Publish, Retire
RETIRED The database template is no longer accessible to users, and can never again be used in VMware Data Services Manager. Databases deployed using the database template will not receive updates. New databases cannot be provisioned from the database template.
Note: Retiring a database template is an irreversible action.
None
IN PROGRESS An operation on the database template is in progress. None
UPLOAD REQUIRED The database template is corrupted and the resource file of the template needs to be uploaded again. None
UPLOADING The resource file of the database template is being uploaded. None

Updating Database Template Software

VMware Data Services Manager automatically updates databases provisioned from any non-retired database templates. If an update requires a reboot of the database VM or a restart of the service, VMware Data Services Manager applies the update during the maintenance window configured for the database.

If you have updated the resource file of a Microsoft SQL Server database template and want the databases created with that template to be updated on-demand, navigate to the Databases view of the Databases pane, click the database that you want to update, and Update Now in the Available Upgrades section of the Maintenance tab.

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