External database enrolment

You may use a external database (of nearly any kind) to control your enrolments. It is assumed your external database contains a field containing a course ID, a field containing a user ID, and optionally a field containing a role. These are compared against fields that you choose in the local course, user tables, and role tables.

Supported data sources

• access
• ado
• mssql
• borland_ibase
• csv
• db2
• fbsql
• firebird
• ibase
• informix72
• informix
• mysql
• mysqlt
• oci805
• oci8
• oci8po
• odbc
• odbc_mssql
• odbc_oracle
• oracle
• postgres64
• postgres7
• postgres
• proxy
• sqlanywhere
• sybase
• vfp

External database enrolment happens at the moment when a user logs into Moodle. An easy way of checking how it's working is to try logging in as a student. External database enrolment also manages unenrolment.

You may synchronize all enrolments by executing the enrol_database_sync.php script. This assumes that you have already synchronized all users from your authorization plugin.

Field Mapping Example:

Choose your fields from the Moodle database:

• enrol_localcoursefield: A course identifier from mdl_course, e.g. "idnumber"
• enrol_localuserfield: A user identifier from mdl_user, e.g. "idnumber"
• enrol_localrolefield: (optional) A role identifier from mdl_role, e.g. "shortname"

Create a view in your external database which matches the chosen field values from Moodle:

• enrol_remotecoursefield: A matching course identifier from your external database table, e.g. "course_number"
• enrol_remoteuserfield: A matching user identifier from your external database table, e.g. "userid"
• enrol_remoterolefield: (optional) A matching role identifier from your external database table, e.g. "role_name"

See also

• Using Moodle MySQL enrolment plugin doesn't seem to work forum discussion
• Using Moodle Someone explain external database enrolment, please?? forum discussion