# Database

> Setting up the Cascade CMS database on MySQL, SQL Server, or Oracle, plus backups and keeping the database from growing without bound.

URL: https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/installation-and-upgrades/database/index.html
category: Cascade Administration
article-type: concept
content-kind: article
release-availability: all
tags: installation, database
updated: 2026-10-06

A self-hosted Cascade CMS instance keeps all of its content and configuration in one relational database. These articles cover creating that database on each supported vendor, backing it up, and keeping its size under control.

## Setting up the database

Cascade CMS ships a database to import rather than a schema to create, so each of these starts from the supplied file.

- [MySQL](https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/installation-and-upgrades/database/mysql.html)
- [SQL Server](https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/installation-and-upgrades/database/sqlserver.html) — also needs its isolation level set to snapshot.
- [Oracle](https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/installation-and-upgrades/database/oracle.html)

## Maintenance

- [Creating a database backup](https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/installation-and-upgrades/database/db-backup.html) — the vendor commands, and when to take one.
- [Database size management tips](https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/installation-and-upgrades/database/db-size-manage.html) — what tends to grow (file uploads, asset versions, messages) and which settings bound it.

## Error messages

Specific errors you might hit when starting Cascade CMS, upgrading it, or running it against each vendor. Search the exact text of your error if it isn't listed here.

### Startup and upgrade

- [Could not acquire change log lock](https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/installation-and-upgrades/database/changelog-lock.html) — left behind by an ungraceful shutdown; clear the lock row.
- [Error executing SQL DELETE FROM cxml_history_item](https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/installation-and-upgrades/database/sql-delete-cxml-history-item.html) — upgrading to Cascade 8 on MySQL older than 5.7.11.

### MySQL

- [Can't create table](https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/installation-and-upgrades/database/mysql-cant-create-table.html) — the database collation is wrong.
- [Can't create/write to file](https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/installation-and-upgrades/database/mysql-cant-create-write-file.html) — usually anti-virus on-access scanning.
- [Packet for query is too large](https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/packet-too-large.html) — raise `max_allowed_packet`.
- [MySQL 8: Public Key Retrieval is not allowed](https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/public-key-retrieval.html) — after moving to MySQL 8.

### SQL Server

- [Could not establish a secure connection (PKIX path building failed)](https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/installation-and-upgrades/database/sql-server-ssl-connection.html) — the driver can't validate the server certificate.
- [Could not establish a secure connection: "Unexpected rethrowing"](https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/installation-and-upgrades/database/sql-server-ssl-unexpected-rethrowing.html) — add `sslProtocol=TLSv1.2` to the connection string.

### Oracle

- [ORA-22275: invalid LOB locator specified](https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/installation-and-upgrades/database/ora-22275-invalid-lob-locator.html) — an Oracle bug; apply the patch set update.

For the tools that run against a live database from inside the CMS, see [Database Tools](https://www.hannonhill.com/cascadecms/latest/articles/cascade-administration/database-tools/index.html).