[R] connecting [logging] RMySQL to an external server - SOLVED

[Adrian Dusa]

On Saturday 15 December 2007, Gabor Grothendieck wrote:
> Use ssh forwarding to forward local port 3307 to remote port 3306
> specifying the remote account and password.  Then if you use local port
> 3306 you can access your local version of MySQL and if you
> use port 3307 you can access the remote version.   There is some
> info on the MySQL site.  First test it out by running the mysql command
> line program accessing the remote data base via port 3307 and once
> that works you know its ok and you can try RMySQL or RODBC packages.

For those interested in using R with a remote MySQL database, here's the most 
simple and straightforward solution (thanks to Gabor):

On the console, forward local port 3307 to remote port 3306
ssh -L 3307:xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:3306 myuser at xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

(where xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx is the IP of the remote server and myuser is the login 
name). After entering the password, keep that console open.

In R:

library(RMySQL)
drv <- dbDriver("MySQL")
dbConnect(drv, user="mysqluser", password="mysqlpassword", 
dbname="anydatabase", host="127.0.0.1", port="3307")

(where mysqluser and mysqlpassword are the remote machine's MySQL username and 
password).

Another possible solution is suggested by Prof. Ripley, using stunnel to 
create a secure tunnel between the local and the remote machines, but I 
haven't explored that in detail.


Best wishes,
Adrian

-- 
Adrian Dusa
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