Linking to a profiles database

Direct connections

The mlstdbNet software is written with networking in mind. Client isolate databases are able to connect to a profiles database over the Internet and make a direct query. The software uses the Perl DBI module to handle its database connections, you just need to register your server IP address with the profile database administrator and enter the profiles host details in the XML configuration for your isolate database. You will need the profile host address ('localhost' if hosted on same machine), port number (usually '5432'), a username and a password. Contact the host administrator to obtain these. See the database XML description page for more details.

Local database mirrors

Rather than connect your isolate database directly to the central profiles database you may wish to run a local mirror of the profiles database. There are two ways this could be done.

• You could recreate the database from the profile and allele text files that are generated each evening. Scripts are available for this to be done automatically. These could be set to update automatically at set intervals.
• Alternatively, your site may become a mirror for PubMLST.org. You would run the databases locally and these would be synchronised once a day. Details on how to mirror PubMLST can be found here.