Automated Server Provisioning

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  1. Automated Server Provisioning

This article details automated server provisioning techniques for a MediaWiki 1.40 installation. Automating this process reduces errors, saves time, and ensures consistency across your MediaWiki infrastructure. It’s geared towards system administrators and DevOps engineers. We will cover different approaches, from basic scripting to more advanced configuration management tools.

Understanding the Need for Automation

Manually configuring servers for MediaWiki is a tedious and error-prone process. Each server needs the correct operating system, web server (like Apache or Nginx), PHP version, database server (MySQL, MariaDB, or PostgreSQL), and MediaWiki software installed and configured. Automation eliminates these manual steps, leading to:

  • **Consistency:** Every server is configured identically.
  • **Scalability:** Quickly provision new servers as demand increases.
  • **Reduced Errors:** Eliminates human error in configuration.
  • **Faster Deployment:** Accelerates the deployment of new MediaWiki instances.

Approaches to Automated Provisioning

Several tools and techniques can be used for automated server provisioning. These range in complexity and functionality.

1. Basic Scripting

For simple environments, shell scripts (Bash, Python, etc.) can automate basic tasks like package installation and file configuration. This is a good starting point for understanding the process, but it lacks the scalability and features of more advanced tools. A script might install packages like `apache2`, `php`, `mysql-server`, and then download and extract the MediaWiki software. Configuration files would be copied or generated using `sed` or `awk`. This approach requires careful version control of the scripts themselves.

2. Configuration Management Tools

Tools like Ansible, Chef, Puppet, and SaltStack provide a more robust and scalable solution. They use a declarative approach, defining the desired state of the server, and the tool handles the actual configuration. These tools also offer features like idempotency (running the same configuration multiple times has the same effect) and version control. We’ll focus on a simplified overview of how these might be used with MediaWiki.

3. Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

Tools like Terraform and CloudFormation allow you to define your entire infrastructure (servers, networks, storage) as code. This is particularly useful in cloud environments (like Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, or Microsoft Azure) where you can automatically create and manage your infrastructure. IaC often complements configuration management tools.

Example: Ansible for MediaWiki Provisioning

Let's consider a basic example using Ansible. Ansible uses YAML files (playbooks) to define the desired state of the servers.

Here’s a simplified example of an Ansible playbook to install Apache, PHP, and MySQL on a Debian/Ubuntu server:

```yaml --- - hosts: all 

 become: yes
 tasks:
   - name: Update apt cache
     apt:
       update_cache: yes
       cache_valid_time: 3600

   - name: Install Apache
     apt:
       name: apache2
       state: present

   - name: Install PHP and modules
     apt:
       name:
         - php
         - libapache2-mod-php
         - php-mysql
       state: present

   - name: Install MySQL server
     apt:
       name: mysql-server
       state: present

```

This playbook would be executed against a group of servers defined in Ansible's inventory file. Further playbooks would handle MediaWiki installation, database creation, and configuration.

Technical Specifications: Server Requirements

The following table outlines the minimum and recommended server specifications for a typical MediaWiki 1.40 installation. These values depend on the expected traffic and the size of the wiki.

Specification Minimum Recommended
CPU 2 Core 4+ Core
RAM 4 GB 8+ GB
Storage 20 GB SSD 100+ GB SSD
Operating System Debian 11 Ubuntu 22.04
Web Server Apache 2.4 Nginx 1.18
PHP Version PHP 7.4 PHP 8.1
Database Server MariaDB 10.5 MySQL 8.0

Database Configuration Details

Proper database configuration is critical for MediaWiki performance. The following table outlines recommended settings for a MySQL/MariaDB database. Note these values may need adjustment based on your specific workload.

Parameter Value Description
`innodb_buffer_pool_size` 512M - 2G Size of the InnoDB buffer pool. Should be 50-80% of available RAM.
`innodb_log_file_size` 256M - 1G Size of the InnoDB redo log files.
`max_connections` 150 - 500 Maximum number of concurrent database connections.
`query_cache_size` 0 (disabled) Query cache is often detrimental to performance in modern MySQL/MariaDB.
`table_open_cache` 2000+ Number of table definitions that can be cached.

MediaWiki Specific Configuration

After the core server components are installed, MediaWiki-specific configuration is needed. This includes:

  • Setting up the `LocalSettings.php` file. This file contains database connection details, site name, and other important settings.
  • Configuring the web server to serve the MediaWiki files.
  • Setting appropriate file permissions.
  • Configuring PHP extensions required by MediaWiki (e.g., `intl`, `gd`, `mbstring`).
  • Setting up a cron job for maintenance tasks like Maintenance scripts.

Monitoring and Maintenance

Once the servers are provisioned, ongoing monitoring and maintenance are essential. Tools like Nagios, Zabbix, or Prometheus can be used to monitor server health and performance. Regular backups of the database and MediaWiki files are crucial for disaster recovery. Also, plan for regular MediaWiki upgrades to benefit from security patches and new features.

Security Considerations

  • Keep your operating system and software up to date.
  • Use strong passwords for all accounts.
  • Configure a firewall to restrict access to the server.
  • Enable HTTPS to encrypt communication between the server and clients.
  • Regularly review server logs for suspicious activity.
  • Implement MediaWiki security extensions as needed.

Further Resources


Intel-Based Server Configurations

Configuration Specifications Benchmark
Core i7-6700K/7700 Server 64 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2 x 512 GB CPU Benchmark: 8046
Core i7-8700 Server 64 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2x1 TB CPU Benchmark: 13124
Core i9-9900K Server 128 GB DDR4, NVMe SSD 2 x 1 TB CPU Benchmark: 49969
Core i9-13900 Server (64GB) 64 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe SSD
Core i9-13900 Server (128GB) 128 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe SSD
Core i5-13500 Server (64GB) 64 GB RAM, 2x500 GB NVMe SSD
Core i5-13500 Server (128GB) 128 GB RAM, 2x500 GB NVMe SSD
Core i5-13500 Workstation 64 GB DDR5 RAM, 2 NVMe SSD, NVIDIA RTX 4000

AMD-Based Server Configurations

Configuration Specifications Benchmark
Ryzen 5 3600 Server 64 GB RAM, 2x480 GB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 17849
Ryzen 7 7700 Server 64 GB DDR5 RAM, 2x1 TB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 35224
Ryzen 9 5950X Server 128 GB RAM, 2x4 TB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 46045
Ryzen 9 7950X Server 128 GB DDR5 ECC, 2x2 TB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 63561
EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/1TB) 128 GB RAM, 1 TB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 48021
EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/2TB) 128 GB RAM, 2 TB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 48021
EPYC 7502P Server (128GB/4TB) 128 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 48021
EPYC 7502P Server (256GB/1TB) 256 GB RAM, 1 TB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 48021
EPYC 7502P Server (256GB/4TB) 256 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe CPU Benchmark: 48021
EPYC 9454P Server 256 GB RAM, 2x2 TB NVMe

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⚠️ *Note: All benchmark scores are approximate and may vary based on configuration. Server availability subject to stock.* ⚠️

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