Serverless Grids

This tutorial explains how to set up a grid composed of several simulators, possibly running on different machines, by stitching standalones together, and without running extra servers (URM or others). The only other server you need besides OpenSim.exe (the simulator) is either a MySQL or MSSQL server -- the DB.

This hybrid architecture can be setup independent of whether you have Hypergrid enabled or not; however, for simplicity sake, the explanation here uses the pre-packaged configuration StandaloneHypergrid, because it already has all the right connectors enabled. For configurations of non-HG standalones, please ask on the IRC.

Step One: Install a DB server

This tutorial does not explain how to do this, but you need a database server running in one of your machines. Please see elsewhere on this wiki, or search on the Web how to do that. You can either use MySQL or MSSQL; this tutorial assumes MySQL, but for MSQL it's in all identical.

After installing a MySQL server, create an account called "opensim", and give all permissions to that account. For a grid spawning multiple machines, you need to set up this account so that it can access the DB server from other machines. Again, search elsewhere for how to do this, if you don't know.

Before you go any further, make sure this account is properly setup by logging to the DB server from all the machines where you plan to run simulators. If you can't login with the mysql client from those machines, using the opensim account you just created, OpenSim also won't be able to. So don't even attempt at proceeding to step two if this doesn't work.

Step Two: Configuration of OpenSim

As usual, copy OpenSim.ini.example to your own copy of OpenSim.ini and edit it. Make whatever changes you usually make to work in HG standalone. You can use your prior copy of OpenSim.ini. Then make the following changes:

1. Search for "userDatabase_plugin". Set it to
   userDatabase_plugin = "OpenSim.Data.MySQL.dll"
2. Search for "user_source". Set it to
   user_source = "Data Source=XXX;Database=opensim;User ID=opensim;Password=YYY;"
   where
   XXX = localhost or the name of the machine where you have your MySQL server, if different from the local machine
   YYY = the password of the opensim account you have created