Customize the database connection

Use the Database Connection screen to customize your database connection settings and backup schedule.

When you install and run Web Help Desk for the first time, the application automatically selects the embedded PostgreSQL database and will not prompt you for a database connection or license key. If you decide to use an external database, update your database connection settings on this screen. When you are finished, click Save and restart Web Help Desk to enable your new settings.

If required, you can restore the PostgreSQL database using the administrator console and pgAdmin4.

1. Log in to Web Help Desk as an administrator.

2. Click Setup > General > Database.

3. From the Vendor drop-down, select the database type for your Web Help Desk installation.

   If you select PostgreSQL as your primary database, select the Use Embedded Database checkbox to use the embedded PostgreSQL database included with Web Help Desk.

   When you deselect Use Embedded Database, the Host and Port fields are displayed.

4. In the Host field, enter the IP address or DNS name of the server hosting the Web Help Desk database.

5. In the Port field, enter the port number for the database connection.

   The default ports include:

   • 3306 (MySQL)
   • 1433 (Microsoft SQL Server)
   • 5432 (PostgreSQL)

6. (Non-embedded database only) Enter the name of your Web Help Desk database in the Database box.

7. Enter the user name and password for your Web Help Desk database connection.

8. In the Backup Schedule section, select the days of the week and time of day when Web Help Desk automatically backs up the database. If you do not select any days of the week, Web Help Desk does not back up the database.

   If you are using the embedded PostgreSQL database, backups are written by default to the following directory:

   <WebHelpDesk>pgsql3/Backups

9. (Non-embedded database only) Configure a path to the executable file containing the backup command (such as .bat, .sh, and so on) using a JVM argument. This file is executed based on the backup schedule.

   Changes to this setting are applied to your existing database. If you select a new database, restart Web Help Desk to enable changes to the new database.

   Use the following JVM argument:

   -DWHDdatabaseBackupCommand

   For example:

   -DWHDdatabaseBackupCommand=<path_to_the_executable_file>

   This command is executed as a child process with the same user permissions displayed in the Operating System field at Setup > General > System Information. Web Help Desk does not wait for the process to complete.

   See JVM arguments for details about creating JVM arguments in Web Help Desk.

10. (Embedded database only) In the Number of backups section, select the total number of backups to store in your database backup file.

    Web Help Desk uses first-in, first-out database storage logic. For example, if you choose to save five backup files and in time save a sixth backup file, the first backup in the series is deleted.

11. Click Backup Now to back up your new Web Help Desk database file to your backup folder.

    If a Backup command returned exit code 1 error is displayed, see this KB article for details.

12. Click Save.

13. Click Restart Web Help Desk to restart the application and the Apache Tomcat web server. This process enables your new database connection settings.