Databases can be used as the backing-store for web-based applications such as weblogs and wikis, discussion boards, accounting systems, or custom applications. Birdhouse offers the MySQL database server, integrated with the Apache web server. Your account is entitled to use the number of databases specified by your service plan. You can monitor the number of databases currently in use by looking at the status area in cPanel.

When installing weblogs etc. from the Scripts Library or Fantastico via cPanel, databases will be created for you automatically. To create a database manually:

1. Log in to cPanel
2. Click on MySQL Databases
3. In the Users section, enter a username such as “weblog.” You can use any name you like here, but note that the system will preface your login name to the username. So if your Birdhouse login is “joe,” the username created will be called “joe_weblog.” Enter a password and click Add User.
4. Create a database by entering a name for it in the “Add DB” section. Again, your username will be prefaced to the database name. So if you create a database called “mt” (for Movable Type), the database created will be called “joe_mt.”
5. Give the username permission to access the database. Select a db username from the picklist on the left and a database name from the picklist on the right and click “Add user to db.”
6. You’ll now be able to configure your web application to have “joe_weblog” access the database “joe_mt.” One db username can be given permission to access multiple databases, but you might want to create separate users for each weblog for security reasons.
7. To manage your database graphically, find the phpMyAdmin link in cPanel.

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