title: OpenShift webapps mysql java connection
body: <p>I have a JBoss EWS Tomcat 7 Java application on openshift, installed with the MySQL 5.5 and PhpMyAdmin 4.0 cartridges. I have copied the repository locally, and deleted the source folder. Instead, I simply have a compiled Java application, a WAR file, that has been copied into the webapps directory and git pushed to the OpenShift servers.</p>
  
  <p>If I have some database, how would I be able to access it in the webapp compiled war file. Would standard MySQL JDBC work? According to some posts I have read, OpenShift blocks the accessing of external requests to the database, and in this case, the webapp directory's war file may be making an "external request". The source for that is here: <a href="https://www.openshift.com/forums/express/external-access-to-mysql" rel="nofollow">https://www.openshift.com/forums/express/external-access-to-mysql</a> (as answered by reputable OpenShift developers).</p>
  
  <p>I actually tried JDBC in the past and it did not work, but that may have been due to incorrect code. If someone wants to write some code that shows how this would be done, I would appreciate it. And if you could test it that would be even nicer :)</p>
  
  <p>By the way, in the answer please do not include port forwarding. I know that works, I have tried it before, and port forwarding works. But it is often a little insecure, and has to be started each time from a computer.</p>