4.1.3.1 Running Multiple Servers on Windows

You can run multiple servers on Windows by starting them manually from the command line, each with appropriate operating parameters. On Windows NT-based systems, you also have the option of installing several servers as services and running them that way. General instructions for running MySQL servers from the command line or as services are given in section 2.6.1 Windows Notes. This section describes how to make sure you start each server with different values for those startup options that must be unique per server, such as the data directory. (These options are described in section 4.1.3 Running Multiple MySQL Servers on the Same Machine.)

Starting Multiple Windows Servers at the Command Line

To start multiple servers manually from the command line, you can specify the appropriate options on the command line or in an option file. It's more convenient to place the options in an option file, but it's necessary to make sure that each server gets its own set of options. To do this, create an option file for each server and tell the server the filename with a --defaults-file option when you run it.

Suppose you want to run mysqld on port 3307 with a data directory of `C:\mydata1', and mysqld-max on port 3308 with a data directory of `C:\mydata2'. To accomplish this, create two option files. For example, create one file `C:\my-opts1.cnf' that looks like this:

[mysqld]
datadir = C:/mydata1
port = 3307

Create a second file `C:\my-opts2.cnf' that looks like this:

[mysqld]
datadir = C:/mydata2
port = 3308

Then start each server with its own option file:

shell> mysqld --defaults-file=C:\my-opts1.cnf
shell> mysqld-max --defaults-file=C:\my-opts2.cnf

(On NT, the servers will start in the foreground, so you'll need to issue those two commands in separate console windows.)

To shut down the servers, you must connect to the appropriate port number:

shell> mysqladmin --port=3307 shutdown
shell> mysqladmin --port=3308 shutdown

If you want to allow named pipe connections in addition to TCP/IP connections, use the mysqld-nt or mysqld-max-nt servers and specify options that enable the named pipe and specify its name. (Each server must have a unique pipe name.) For example, the `C:\my-opts1.cnf' file might be written like this:

[mysqld]
datadir = C:/mydata1
port = 3307
enable-named-pipe
socket = mypipe1

Then start the server this way:

shell> mysqld-nt --defaults-file=C:\my-opts1.cnf

`C:\my-opts2.cnf' would be modified similarly.

Starting Multiple Windows Servers as Services

On NT-based systems, you can install multiple servers as services. (This is possible as of MySQL 4.0.2.) In this case, you must make sure that each server uses a different service name in addition to all the other parameters that must be unique per server.

For the following instructions, assume that you want to run mysqld-nt servers from two different versions of MySQL that are installed at `C:\mysql-4.0.8' and `C:\mysql-4.0.14', respectively. (This might be the case if you're running 4.0.8 as your production server, but want to test 4.0.14 before upgrading to it.)

The following principles are relevant when installing a MySQL service with the --install (or --install-manual) option:

• If you specify no service name, the server uses the default service name of MySql and the server reads options from the [mysqld] group in the standard option files.
• If you specify a service name after the --install option, the server ignores the [mysqld] option group and instead reads options from the group that has the same name as the service.
• If you specify a --defaults-file option after the service name, the server ignores the standard option files and reads options only from the [mysqld] group of the named file.

These principles give you several ways to set up multiple services. The following instructions describe some examples. Before trying any of them, be sure you shut down and remove any existing MySQL services first.

• Specify the options for all services in one of the standard option files. To do this, use the [mysqld] group for the server that is installed under the default service name (MySql). For other servers, use a group name that is the same as the service name. Suppose you want to run the 4.0.8 mysqld-nt using the default service name and the 4.0.14 mysqld-nt using the service name mysqld2. In this case, you can use the [mysqld] group for 4.0.8 and the [mysqld2] group for 4.0.14. For example, you can set up `C:\my.cnf' like this:

  # options for default service (MySql)
  [mysqld]
  basedir = C:/mysql-4.0.8
  port = 3307
  enable-named-pipe
  socket = mypipe1
  
  # options for mysqld2 service
  [mysqld2]
  basedir = C:/mysql-4.0.14
  port = 3308
  enable-named-pipe
  socket = mypipe2
  

  Install the services like this:

  shell> C:\mysql-4.0.8\bin\mysqld-nt --install
  shell> C:\mysql-4.0.14\bin\mysqld-nt --install mysqld2
  

  To start the services, use the services manager, or use NET START with the appropriate service names:

  shell> NET START MySql
  shell> NET START mysqld2
  

  To stop the services, use the services manager, or use NET STOP with the same service names.
• Specify options for each server in separate files and use --defaults-file when you install the services to tell each server what file to use. In this case, each file should list options using a [mysqld] group. With this approach, to specify options for the 4.0.8 mysqld-nt, create a file `C:\my-opts1.cnf' that looks like this:

  [mysqld]
  basedir = C:/mysql-4.0.8
  port = 3307
  enable-named-pipe
  socket = mypipe1
  

  For the 4.0.14 mysqld-nt, create a file `C:\my-opts2.cnf' that looks like this:

  [mysqld]
  basedir = C:/mysql-4.0.14
  port = 3308
  enable-named-pipe
  socket = mypipe2
  

  Install the services as follows (enter each command on a single line):

  shell> C:\mysql-4.0.8\bin\mysqld-nt --install MySql
             --defaults-file=C:\my-opts1.cnf
  shell> C:\mysql-4.0.14\bin\mysqld-nt --install mysqld2
             --defaults-file=C:\my-opts2.cnf
  

  To use a --defaults-file option when you install a MySQL server as a service, you must precede the option with the service name. That is why the first command names the MySql service explicitly, even though that is the default service name. Start and stop the services the same way as in the preceding example.

To remove multiple services, use mysqld --remove for each one, specifying a service name following the --remove option if the service to remove has a name different than the default.

User Comments

Add your own comment.