VPN and private database reads
The optional VPN/database service lets an admitted channel user request bounded reads from a private MySQL database. The operator provisions a dedicated VPN and extractor for the conversation. It does not give the assistant’s normal container a VPN route or general access to the private network.
Provisioning comes first
Section titled “Provisioning comes first”An operator must configure the protected OpenVPN profile, exact database IPv4 address/port, service image, and supervision. Adding an .ovpn attachment and passwords in chat is not enough.
Add the selected channel’s VPN_USERNAME, VPN_PASSWORD, MYSQL_USERNAME, and MYSQL_PASSWORD through its Variables/Secrets controls. Prefer a provider-issued read-only database user. Provisioning is a host operation; the operator VPN reference documents the supported profile and commands.
The service requires channel network permission. Missing credentials or network off prevent startup. Its current contract uses database TCP inside the encrypted VPN; provider-required database TLS needs a separate supported configuration extension.
Start and inspect
Section titled “Start and inspect”After setup, a channel manager or organization admin can ask:
Turn VPN on and check its status.In Slack, Settings → General Settings includes a VPN row with Turn on, Turn off, and Refresh. The admin website also shows VPN beside Network for a prepared channel.
Starting does not mean Connected. Connected requires the service pair, working tunnel, and database route. Turning off removes the owned running pair and disables its automatic startup; it preserves configuration and secrets. Network off also stops an active pair.
Ask for bounded reads
Section titled “Ask for bounded reads”List the databases, then describe the customers table in the selected database.Count active customers and show their id and name, 20 at a time.Supported operations list databases/tables, describe a table, count matching rows, and select named columns with structured filters and deterministic pagination. Each page is limited to 100 rows, with bounded output and a finite timeout.
Arbitrary SQL, expressions, writes, stored procedures, connection URLs, and credential parameters are not accepted. Queries run read-only; database grants provide an additional restriction. The dedicated extractor can reach only its configured database through the tunnel. The assistant gets no shell inside that service.