---
title: Provision a Database and Import a SQL File for initialization
---

This tutorial will talk about how to provision a relational database with SQL file imported, and bootstrap an
application which depends on the database.

[Favorite Links](https://github.com/kubevela-contrib/nodejs-mysql-links) is an interesting project which can store all
your favorite web links in one application. It is using Node.js and MySQL. It has been built into a container image
`oamdev/nodejs-mysql-links:v0.0.1`. Let's bootstrap the application and see how to provision a database, and import a SQL
file (which means to create tables, and insert data into them if needed).

> Currently, it only works on Alibaba Cloud
> ComponentDefinition [alibaba-rds-preview](https://github.com/kubevela/catalog/blob/master/addons/terraform-alibaba/definitions/terraform-alibaba-rds-preview.yaml) is the feature preview for Alibaba Cloud RDS, and will be merged into alibaba-rds later.

### How it works

> Feel free to skip this section if you are not interested.

Alibaba Cloud RDS Preview supports importing SQL file when create an RDS instance with these properties:

| Name                | Description                                                     | Type   | Required | Default |
|---------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|--------|----------|---------|
| sql_file            | The name of SQL file in the bucket, like `db.sql`               | string | false    |         |
| sql_bucket_name     | The bucket name of the SQL file. like `oss://example`           | string | false    |         |
| sql_bucket_endpoint | The endpoint of the bucket. like `oss-cn-hangzhou.aliyuncs.com` | string | false    |         |

After an RDS database is created, the SQL file from OSS bucket will be imported into the database by the power of Terraform
[`local-exec` provisioner](https://github.com/kubevela-contrib/terraform-modules/blob/master/alibaba/rds-preview/main.tf#L24-L33)
which is referenced by [Alibaba Cloud RDS Preview ComponentDefinition](https://github.com/kubevela/catalog/blob/master/addons/terraform-alibaba/definitions/terraform-alibaba-rds-preview.yaml#L23-L25).

### Prerequisites

- Enable addon [terraform-alibaba](../../../reference/addons/terraform)

- Remember to store the SQL file in an [Alibaba Cloud OSS bucket](./terraform/alibaba-oss)

Let's say we have an OSS bucket `oss://favorite-links` which contains a SQL file `db.sql` in it, and the bucket endpoint
is `oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com`.

### Provision cloud resources

Use the following Application to provision a database `links`, import the SQL file `db.sql`, and bootstrap the application
Favorite Links.

```yaml
apiVersion: core.oam.dev/v1beta1
kind: Application
metadata:
  name: favorite-links
spec:
  components:
    - name: web
      type: webservice
      properties:
        image: oamdev/nodejs-mysql-links:v0.0.1
        port: 4000
      traits:
        - type: service-binding
          properties:
            envMappings:
              DATABASE_HOST:
                secret: db-conn
                key: DB_PUBLIC_HOST
              DATABASE_NAME:
                secret: db-conn
                key: DATABASE_NAME
              DATABASE_USER:
                secret: db-conn
                key: DB_USER
              DATABASE_PASSWORD:
                secret: db-conn
                key: DB_PASSWORD

    - name: db
      type: alibaba-rds
      properties:
        instance_name: favorite-links
        database_name: links
        account_name: oamtest
        password: U34rfwefwefffaked
        security_ips: [ "0.0.0.0/0" ]
        privilege: ReadWrite
        sql_file: db.sql
        sql_bucket_endpoint: oss-cn-hongkong.aliyuncs.com
        sql_bucket_name: oss://favorite-links
        writeConnectionSecretToRef:
          name: db-conn

```

After the application is successfully deployed, you can access the web application by the following URL:

```shell
$ vela ls
APP           	COMPONENT	TYPE               	TRAITS         	PHASE  	HEALTHY	STATUS                                       	CREATED-TIME
favorite-links	web      	webservice         	service-binding	running	healthy	Ready:1/1                                    	2022-02-21 14:15:45 +0800 CST
└─            	db       	alibaba-rds-preview	               	running	healthy	Cloud resources are deployed and ready to use	2022-02-21 14:15:45 +0800 CST

```

```shell
$ vela port-forward favorite-links 4000:4000
Forwarding from 127.0.0.1:4000 -> 4000
Forwarding from [::1]:4000 -> 4000

Forward successfully! Opening browser ...
Handling connection for 4000
Handling connection for 4000
```

![](https://kubevela-assets.oss-cn-beijing.aliyuncs.com/gifs/db-import-sql-sample-favorite-links.gif)

## Next

- [Secure your Database Connection](./secure-your-database-connection)
- [Provision an RDS instance with more than one database](./provision-an-RDS-instance-with-more-than-one-database)