Connect Hue to PostgreSQL

If you have an external database installed, review PostgresSQL Troubleshooting before creating a database for Hue.

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Install and Configure PostgreSQL Server

Refer to the PostgreSQL documentation for more help on how to install a PostgreSQL database.

Continue reading:

PostgresSQL Troubleshooting

Pay close attention to these areas and revisit when troubleshooting:

  • Python: Some Linux distributions need python-psycopg2 (for PostgreSQL). See the community thread.
  • Security: Delete anonymous users because they are able to log on without a password.
  • Remote connections: The listen address should be set to 0.0.0.0 so it can listen to multiple hosts.
  • Authentication: Configure pg_hba.conf as follows (and change database/user as appropriate): 
    # TYPE  DATABASE    USER        CIDR-ADDRESS          METHOD
local   all         all                               trust     # Remote access
host    all         all         127.0.0.1/32          password  # IPv4
host    all         all         ::1/128               password  # IPv6
host hue_d hue_u 0.0.0.0/0 md5
  • Schemas: For private schemas, configure Django with the schema owner to DROP objects.

Install PostgreSQL Server

  1. Install and initialize the PostgreSQL server. The table lists the max version of each supported distribution for this CDH release, and corresponding default database versions.
Install Commands
OS OS Ver DB Ver Command
CentOS / RHEL 7.3 9.2 
sudo yum install postgresql-server
sudo postgresql-setup initdb
6.8 8.4 
sudo yum install postgresql-server
sudo service postgresql initdb
SLES 12 SP2/SP3 9.6 
zypper install postgresql postgresql-server
systemctl start postgresql
11.4 8.4 
# Refresh repo for python-psycopg2 
zypper addrepo http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/server:database:postgresql/SLE_11_SP4/server:database:postgresql.repo
zypper refresh
---
zypper install postgresql postgresql-server
rcpostgresql start
Ubuntu 18.04 10.x 
sudo apt-get install postgresql
16.04 9.5 
sudo apt-get install postgresql
14.04 9.3 
sudo apt-get install postgresql
12.04 9.1 
sudo apt-get install postgresql
Debian 9 9.6 
sudo apt-get install postgresql
8.4 9.4 
sudo apt-get install postgresql
7.8 9.1 
sudo apt-get install postgresql

Configure PostgreSQL Server

  1. Configure pg_hba.conf to set authentication methods: 
    # TYPE  DATABASE    USER        CIDR-ADDRESS          METHOD
local   all         all                               trust     # Remote access
host    all         all         127.0.0.1/32          password  # IPv4
host    all         all         ::1/128               password  # IPv6
host hue_d hue_u 0.0.0.0/0 md5
    • CentOS/RHEL/SLES : /var/lib/pgsql/data/pg_hba.conf: 
      vi /var/lib/pgsql/data/pg_hba.conf
    • Ubuntu/Debian: /etc/postgresql/<pgres version>/main/pg_hba.conf: 
      vi /etc/postgresql/`ls -l /etc/postgresql  | tail -1 | awk '{print $9}'`/main/pg_hba.conf
  2. Configure postgresql.conf to listen to all available addresses: 
    listen_addresses = '0.0.0.0'
    • CentOS/RHEL/SLES: /var/lib/pgsql/data/postgresql.conf 
      vi /var/lib/pgsql/data/postgresql.conf
    • Ubuntu/Debian: /etc/postgresql/<version>/main/postgresql.conf: 
      vi /etc/postgresql/`ls -l /etc/postgresql  | tail -1 | awk '{print $9}'`/main/postgresql.conf
  3. Start (or restart) the database and enable automatic start on boot if necessary.
    Restart Commands
    OS OS Ver Command
    CentOS / RHEL 7.3 
    sudo systemctl restart postgresql
sudo systemctl enable postgresql
    6.8 
    sudo service postgresql restart
sudo chkconfig postgresql on
sudo chkconfig postgresql --list
    SLES 12 SP2/SP3 
    systemctl restart postgresql
    11.4 
    rcpostgresql restart
    Ubuntu 12.04, 14.04, 16.04, 18.04 
    sudo /etc/init.d/postgresql restart
    Debian 7.8, 8.4, 9 
    sudo /etc/init.d/postgresql restart

Create Hue Database

  1. Create the hue_d database and grant privileges to the hue_u user: 
    sudo -u postgres psql
postgres=# create database hue_d with lc_collate='en_US.UTF-8';
CREATE DATABASE
postgres=# create user hue_u with password 'huepassword';
CREATE ROLE
postgres=# grant all privileges on database hue_d to hue_u;
GRANT
  2. Verify the connection to the hue_d database. 
    psql -h localhost -U hue_u -d hue_d
Password for user hue_u:
hue=> \q

Connect Hue Service to PostgreSQL

  1. Stop Hue Service
    1. In Cloudera Manager, navigate to Cluster > Hue.
    2. Select Actions > Stop.
  2. [migration only] Dump Current Database
    1. Select Actions > Dump Database.
    2. Click Dump Database. The file is written to /tmp/hue_database_dump.json on the host of the Hue server.
    3. Log on to the host of the Hue server in a command-line terminal.
    4. Edit /tmp/hue_database_dump.json by removing all objects with useradmin.userprofile in the model field. For example: 
      # Count number of objects
grep -c useradmin.userprofile /tmp/hue_database_dump.json
      vi /tmp/hue_database_dump.json
      {
  "pk": 1,
  "model": "useradmin.userprofile",
  "fields": {
    "last_activity": "2016-10-03T10:06:13",
    "creation_method": "HUE",
    "first_login": false,
    "user": 1,
    "home_directory": "/user/admin"
  }
},
{
  "pk": 2,
  "model": "useradmin.userprofile",
  "fields": {
    "last_activity": "2016-10-03T10:27:10",
    "creation_method": "HUE",
    "first_login": false,
    "user": 2,
    "home_directory": "/user/alice"
  }
},
  3. Connect to New Database
    1. Go to Hue > Configuration.
    2. Filter by category, Database.
    3. Set the following database parameters : 
      DB Hostname  = <fqdn of host with postgres server>:5432
DB Type      = <PostgreSQL>
DB Name      = hue_d
Username     = hue_u
Password     = <hue database password set when granting hue permissions>
    4. Click Save Changes.
  4. [migration only] Synchronize New Database
    1. Select Actions > Synchronize Database
    2. Click Synchronize Database.
  5. [migration only] Load Data from Old Database
    1. Log on to the host of the PostgreSQL server in a command-line terminal. 
      psql -h localhost -U hue_u -d hue_d
Password for user hue_u: <hue user password>
    2. Drop the foreign key constraint from the auth_permission table in the hue database. 
      hue=# \d auth_permission;
hue=# ALTER TABLE auth_permission DROP CONSTRAINT content_type_id_refs_id_id value;
    3. Clean the table, django_content_type. 
      hue=# TRUNCATE django_content_type CASCADE;


    4. In Cloudera Manager, load the JSON file: select Actions > Load Database and click Load Database.
    5. Add the foreign key back (still logged on to the Hue database): 
      ALTER TABLE auth_permission ADD FOREIGN KEY (content_type_id) REFERENCES django_content_type (id);
  6. Start Hue service
    1. Navigate to Cluster > Hue, if not already there.
    2. Select Actions > Start.
    3. Click Start.
    4. Click Hue Web UI to log on to Hue with a custom PostgreSQL database.