Connecting to external MySQL DB from a web server not running MySQL

Databases
1

While I’ve been working with MySQL for years, this is the first time I’ve run across this very newbie-esq issue. Due to a client demand, I must host their website files (PHP) on a IIS server that is not running MySQL (instead, they are running MSSQL). However, I have developed the site using a MySQL database which is located on an external host (Rackspace Cloud). Obviously, my mysql_connect function is now bombing because MySQL is not running on localhost.

Question: Is it even possible to hit an external MySQL database if localhost is not running MySQL?

Apologies for the rookie question, and many thanks in advance.

2
  • To clarify, I know how to connect to a remote MySQL server, but it is the fact that my IIS web server is not running ANY form of MySQL (neither server nor client) that is giving me trouble. Put another way, phpinfo() does not return anything about MySQL. Additionally, I do not have access to that IIS web server other than FTP *
3

  1. you can specify the host as an external site (instead of localhost). I’m not quite sure what the security implications would be since I very much down the queries/responses are encrypted. Speed would probably also be a concern since the database wouldn’t be on the same server.

  2. Would you be able to request that MySQL be installed?

  3. If #2 isn’t possible, could you go with another host or hosting plan?