Implementing automatic failover with ProxySQL and SQL Galera Cluster

In a high-availability MySQL environment, it is crucial to have a failover mechanism in place to ensure uninterrupted access to the database. ProxySQL, a lightweight yet powerful proxy server for MySQL, can be combined with a SQL Galera Cluster to achieve automatic failover.

What is ProxySQL?

ProxySQL is a high-performance, high-availability proxy server for MySQL. It sits between the client application and the database server(s) and acts as an intermediary, managing the connection pooling, load balancing, and traffic routing.

What is SQL Galera Cluster?

SQL Galera Cluster is a synchronous multi-master replication solution for MySQL. It enables high availability by allowing multiple nodes to form a cluster and replicate data across them in real-time. A SQL Galera Cluster ensures that data is consistent across all nodes and provides automatic node recovery in case of failure.

Implementing automatic failover with ProxySQL and SQL Galera Cluster

To set up automatic failover using ProxySQL and SQL Galera Cluster, follow these steps:

  1. Install and configure SQL Galera Cluster: Set up a SQL Galera Cluster with multiple nodes. Ensure that the cluster is configured correctly and is in a healthy state. This includes setting up the necessary replication and quorum settings.

  2. Install and configure ProxySQL: Install ProxySQL on a separate machine that is external to the SQL Galera Cluster. Configure ProxySQL to act as a proxy server between the client applications and the SQL Galera Cluster. This involves setting up the necessary database users, query rules, and server groups.

  3. Configure ProxySQL for automatic failover: Use ProxySQL’s Galera Monitor module to monitor the health of the SQL Galera Cluster nodes. The Galera Monitor module periodically checks the status of the Galera Cluster nodes and updates the ProxySQL configuration accordingly.

  4. Set up ProxySQL for automatic node reconfiguration: Configure ProxySQL to automatically update its configuration when a node in the SQL Galera Cluster becomes unavailable or goes offline. ProxySQL can detect the failed node and remove it from the list of available database servers. It can also add the node back when it becomes available again.

  5. Test the failover process: Simulate a failure by shutting down one of the nodes in the SQL Galera Cluster. Observe how ProxySQL detects the failed node and routes the traffic to the remaining available nodes. Verify that the failover process is seamless and transparent to the client applications.

Conclusion

By combining ProxySQL with SQL Galera Cluster, you can ensure automatic failover in your MySQL environment. ProxySQL acts as a proxy server and manages the traffic routing and load balancing, while SQL Galera Cluster provides the synchronous multi-master replication and automatic node recovery capabilities. Together, they create a robust and highly available MySQL infrastructure.

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