PmaControl
Frequently asked
Everything you need to know about PmaControl, from installation to support, including security and pricing.
General
Why the name PmaControl?
PmaControl was born as a phpMyAdmin sub-project! It all started at the Trophées du Libre 2006, organised by CETRIL in Soissons, France — where our founder was working at the time. That is where he met Marc Delisle, a long-time phpMyAdmin developer based in Sherbrooke, Quebec (MySQL Community Member of the Year 2009), who had just won the Silver Trophy in the PHP category with phpMyAdmin. From that encounter a collaboration was born, and PmaControl started as a phpMyAdmin plugin. The Pma comes directly from there — and no, it has nothing to do with Procréation Médicalement Assistée, which came along much later in everyday language! In 2014-2015, the project took such a different direction — monitoring, replication, failover, AI agents — that it became a fully independent product. But the name stuck, as a nod to that great story. Every time someone asks, we smile.
What is PmaControl?
PmaControl is an observability and operations platform for MariaDB, MySQL, ProxySQL and Galera Cluster. It centralises monitoring, backup management, query analysis, replication topology, and failover into a single interface.
Which databases are supported?
MariaDB, MySQL, Percona Server, ProxySQL, Galera Cluster, and MySQL Group Replication. The Listener automatically detects the server type upon addition.
What is the difference between Cloud and On-Premise?
In Cloud (SaaS) mode, PmaControl is hosted in audited EU datacenters — you have nothing to install. In On-Premise mode, the entire platform runs inside your infrastructure; your data never leaves your network.
Is PmaControl open source?
Yes, the Community plan is open source and free. Cloud, On-Premise, and Premium plans add advanced features (AI agents, 24×7 support, etc.).
Installation & configuration
How do I install PmaControl?
Clone the repository, run the installation script and configure the database connection. The Listener then handles automatic server discovery.
How do I add a server to monitor?
Through the web interface: Servers > Add. Enter the host, port and credentials. PmaControl establishes the connection, detects the version and starts collecting metrics immediately.
How do I regenerate configuration/db.config.ini.php?
Use the CLI command: pmacontrol mysql refreshConfig. It regenerates the database connection configuration file.
How does the Listener work?
The Listener executes post-processing when new data is ingested. It compares last-collection dates and triggers associated business methods: database refresh, variables, DNS aliases, performance metrics.
Monitoring & features
How does topology visualisation (Dot3) work?
Dot3 generates an interactive map of your architecture: servers, master-slave replication, Galera clusters (with wsrep quorum status), proxies, and VIP servers. Arrows show the current destination and failover history.
What is the Galera Nodes available monitoring?
PmaControl calculates the nodes truly usable in the quorum: the node must be Primary (wsrep_cluster_status=Primary) and Synced (or Donor with wsrep_desync=OFF). Non-Primary, Disconnected, or Inconsistent nodes are excluded.
How are VIP servers managed?
A VIP server represents an entry IP/DNS that redirects to a real server or proxy. PmaControl resolves the actual destination, retains history (previous destination + date), and displays both in the topology.
Does PmaControl have a REST API?
Yes. The API covers core resources: tags, clients, environments, aliases, storage-areas, servers, ssh-keys. Supported verbs: GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE. An OpenAPI export is available.
Backups & recovery
How do you handle backups?
PmaControl orchestrates backups (mysqldump, mariabackup, xtrabackup), schedules automatic restore tests, and generates compliance reports with actual vs target RPO calculation.
How does schema export work?
Schemas are exported per server in a structured tree: CREATE TABLE, views, procedures, functions, and triggers. The structure enables Git versioning and multi-environment comparison.
Can data be recovered from a datadir without a backup?
Yes. Our support team can extract the maximum recoverable data from your raw files (.ibd files, ibdata, redo logs). This is emergency case #7 of our 24×7 support.
Security & data
Where is data hosted?
In SaaS mode, inside audited EU datacenters, GDPR compliant. On-Premise, everything stays inside your infrastructure — no data leaves your perimeter.
Do AI agents have access to my data?
AI agents run on an LLM hosted inside your own infrastructure (On-Premise and Premium only). No data is sent to an external cloud service. The AI analyses metrics locally.
How does PmaControl handle access control?
Built-in authentication system with role and permission management. Optional LDAP support. Every action is audited and traceable.
Pricing & plans
How much does PmaControl cost?
Community is free and open source. Cloud starts at €15/server/month. On-Premise starts from €10,000/year (unlimited servers). Premium is on a quote basis with 24×7 support and guaranteed SLA.
Can we test before buying?
Yes. Request a personalised demo: we deploy a test environment with your own data under real conditions.
What happens if we stop the service?
Full export of all metrics, playbook and configuration handover, assisted uninstall. Your data belongs to you.
Support & collaboration
Can you work with our internal teams?
Yes: pair workshops, co-piloting migrations, architecture reviews, and skill transfer. We integrate into your organisation.
How does 24×7 support work?
Available on On-Premise and Premium plans. Call, send an email, or use the emergency form — an expert responds in under 30 minutes, 24/7.
How does a migration work?
Our agent Joséphine prepares a detailed plan (inventory, impact analysis, tests, rollback). We first run a dry-run then production, with real-time monitoring.
Can't find the answer?
Contact our team — we answer all questions about MariaDB, MySQL, and PmaControl.