Hosting service and backup options for a Xojo + MySQL web application

Databases
1

Hi all,

I’m looking forward to starting the development of a web application project at work in the near future. The application is to be written in Xojo with the backend based on MySQL.

I’ve been tasked with conducting detailed research with regards to the following aspects:

Robust hosting service: I need to get an affordable good hosting service and plan backups so the app can revert back to a working state at a moments notice. I mention affordable as for example I’m very familiar with using AWS which I have utilised to host a SimpleDB database but having done research with hosting a MySQL database it seems quite expensive.

Hence my first question is it affordable to host a MySQL DB on AWS?

Which important decision making parameters/factors need to be at the forefront of my thinking when comparing AWS with another hosting service with a MySQL option?

Backup options: A big risk is that if the app goes down for some reason e.g. hosting has a problem, spam influx, corrupt data a good hosting service and plan backups need to be in place so the application can reverse to a working state at a moments notice.

I’m aware I will have to design the functioning of the app such that for example whenever a user uploads a backup of their recently uploaded data is added to the last made backup but considering we anticipate to have up to 1000 users in a calendar year (based on research from our marketing department in relation to users interested in a potential web app) that might upload data then conducting backups after a user updloads data might not be too efficient (kindly corerect me if I’m wrong).

I’m aware for example I will have to write a background thread or Asynctask like program which will constantly check “all is well with the hosting service” but if the hosting service were to fail then I kindly need advice regarding backup options for a MySQL based DB.

Any advice is really appreciated.

Thanks.

2

These are not things that are really part of Xojo’s offering. Xojo cloud presumably does backups and you could with an external DNS failover provide some kind of redundancy.

The ‘at a moments’ notice requirements along with your own backup requirements means that you will need to establish a relationship with a trustworthy provider. This would be the same for any type of web application, not just Xojo. These types of setups are generally very custom and not something easily defined in a forum post.

3

http://www.1701software.com

Never once had any failure since I have been hosted there :slight_smile:

4

I use 1701software and haven’t had any problems.

5

Sorry guys for not replying any sooner. Really appreciate the suggestion. I’ll have a closer look at 1701Software.

6

I’d be curious what you consider “affordable”. The reason I ask is that the types of things you are asking for typically don’t come in for cheap.

Fwiw, you could do this with Xojo Cloud. Our cloud servers come with daily backups and automatic updates as well as a robust security system (firewall, IDS, etc. ). More like a managed server if you’re comparing apples to apples. As for a MySQL database, you can purchase a mysql server from Rackspace in the same data center and access it directly on their private network, so it’s not exposed to the global internet. There are backup options available from Rackspace, but they are not free.

As for restoring data “at a moment’s notice”, the faster you want them, typically the more money you have to pay.