Server Ports and position

Server Ports and position

by J B -
Number of replies: 6
Hello all,
Please forgive my first post here being rather heavy with questions; we are looking at using Moodle here, but our OSS-wary network manager will want to lock it right down, so I need answers to some security-related questions.
  • Are people positioning their servers inside or outside their DMZ?
  • Can we run it from a MS SQL Server instead of MySQL or PostgreSQL?
  • What ports need to be enabled through a firewall?
  • How easy/successful/possible is integrating logon with Novell Directory Services or MS Active Directory?
Thanks,
James
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In reply to J B

Re: Server Ports and position

by Martin Dougiamas -
Picture of Core developers Picture of Documentation writers Picture of Moodle HQ Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Plugin developers Picture of Testers
1. depends on where your users are.
2. No.
3. web server only (eg 80 or 443 if you are using https)
4. Easy, lots of people here do that.   A GUI is built into Moodle for this.
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In reply to Martin Dougiamas

Re: Server Ports and position

by J B -
Thanks Martin,

2 - 4 are very definite, and what I had expected.

1 - The users are going to be able to access the VLE from anywhere as part of a "blended learning" approach, but the various databases will be inside it. I am not a network (or a database) expert, but I suspect his thinking was along the lines of whether it would be better (i.e. less risky) to let moodle through the firewall to access the database, or tunnel user requests through it to moodle.


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In reply to J B

Re: Server Ports and position

by Howard Miller -
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Re. mysql.

The easiest and safest thing is to run MySql on the same machine as the Moodle server. It's possible to set MySql up without TCP/IP which will make it completely inaccessible over the network - which is probably a good thing if you machine is out on a DMZ. Failing that just firewall MySql's port (3306). Accessing MySql through a firewall is much *more* risky as it's another hole in the firewall that you don't need.

See MySql as just part of the Moodle distribution, not like a separate proper database.
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In reply to J B

Re: Server Ports and position

by Wayne Gaish -

Hi - We are very local to you and would be happy to discuss etc our setup. We have implemented campus wide both for FE and He provision. I will also be attending the Jisc Conference on Tuesday 12th at Truro so we may be able to catch up then.

Wayne

North Devon College

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In reply to Wayne Gaish

Re: Server Ports and position

by J B -
Wayne,

Thanks for your response, I will be at the Jisc conference at Truro and look forward to meeting you there. I look forward to some network/database-knowledgeable support to help make a technical case for adopting the most promising VLE I have looked at so far.
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In reply to J B

Re: Server Ports and position

by Wayne Gaish -

No probs - look forward to meeting you - We have adopted Moodle here and apart from some organisational issues its going very well. If you do want to talk earlier then please ring the college and ask for me.

regards

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