Connecting to Self-Hosted Odoo

This guide covers connecting Pricelist Heaven to self-hosted (on-premise) Odoo installations.

Prerequisites

• Self-hosted Odoo installation (17.0 or 18.0)
• Administrator or API user access
• Server URL accessible from the internet
• Firewall configured to allow API access

Network Requirements

Your self-hosted Odoo must be accessible from the internet for Pricelist Heaven to connect. The following URLs must be reachable:

• /web/session/authenticate - For authentication
• /jsonrpc - For API calls

Step 1: Prepare Your Odoo Instance

Enable External API Access

1. Log in to Odoo as administrator
2. Go to Settings → Technical → System Parameters
3. Add or verify these parameters:

Create an API User (Recommended)

Instead of using your admin account, create a dedicated API user:

1. Go to Settings → Users & Companies → Users
2. Click "Create"
3. Fill in:
   • Name: "Pricelist Heaven API"
   • Email: A valid email (e.g., api@yourcompany.com)
   • Access Rights: Administrator
4. Save
5. Generate API Key:
   • Open the user's form
   • Go to "API Keys" tab
   • Click "New API Key"
   • Copy the generated key

Step 2: Configure Firewall

Ensure your firewall allows HTTPS connections from Pricelist Heaven's servers:

• Port: 443 (HTTPS) or your custom port
• Protocol: HTTPS (required for security)
• Source: Allow from any IP (or contact support for specific IP ranges)

Step 3: Enter Connection Details in Pricelist Heaven

1. Log in to Pricelist Heaven
2. Go to Dashboard → Settings → Odoo Configuration

Fill in the Form

Odoo URL

https://erp.yourcompany.com

or

https://yourserver.com:8069

Database Name

The exact name of your Odoo database:

production

Odoo Version

Select your Odoo version:

• Odoo 17.0
• Odoo 18.0

Username

For password authentication:

admin

For API key authentication:

api@yourcompany.com

Password or API Key

• If using password: enter the user's password
• If using API key: paste the generated API key

Step 4: Test Connection

1. Click "Test Connection"
2. Wait for the result (may take 10-15 seconds for self-hosted)

Success Indicators

• ✓ Green checkmark
• "Connection successful" message
• Available languages listed

Common Errors

"Cannot reach server"

• Verify the URL is correct and accessible from your browser
• Check firewall settings
• Ensure HTTPS is properly configured

"SSL Certificate Error"

• Install a valid SSL certificate (Let's Encrypt is free)
• Self-signed certificates are not supported

"Authentication failed"

• Check username and password/API key
• Verify the user has administrator access
• For API keys, ensure the key hasn't expired

"Database not found"

• Check the database name spelling
• For multi-database setups, use the exact database name

Step 5: Sync Odoo References

After successful connection:

1. Go to Dashboard → Odoo
2. Click "Sync References"
3. Wait for completion

This syncs:

• Product categories
• Units of measure
• Taxes
• Stock routes (if inventory module is installed)
• E-commerce categories (if website module is installed)

Performance Optimization

For optimal performance with self-hosted installations:

1. Server Resources

Ensure your Odoo server has adequate resources:

• CPU: 2+ cores for API handling
• RAM: 4GB+ available
• Network: Low latency connection

2. Odoo Workers

Configure multiple Odoo workers in odoo.conf:

workers = 4
limit_request = 8192
limit_time_cpu = 600
limit_time_real = 1200

3. Reverse Proxy

Use Nginx or Apache as a reverse proxy:

• Handles SSL termination
• Caching of static resources
• Load balancing (if using multiple Odoo instances)

Example Nginx configuration:

server {
    listen 443 ssl;
    server_name erp.yourcompany.com;

    ssl_certificate /path/to/cert.pem;
    ssl_certificate_key /path/to/key.pem;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:8069;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
    }
}

Security Best Practices

1. Use HTTPS: Never expose Odoo over HTTP
2. Use API Keys: Prefer API keys over passwords
3. Limit Access: Create a dedicated API user with only necessary permissions
4. Monitor Logs: Regularly check Odoo logs for suspicious API activity
5. Update Regularly: Keep Odoo updated to the latest patch version

Troubleshooting

Issue: Slow API Responses

• Check server resources (CPU/RAM usage)
• Increase Odoo worker count
• Verify database performance (run VACUUM on PostgreSQL)

Issue: Intermittent Failures

• Check network stability between your server and Pricelist Heaven
• Review Odoo server logs for errors
• Verify PostgreSQL connection pool settings

Issue: Permission Denied Errors

Ensure the API user has these access rights:

• Product: Create, Read, Write
• Product Supplier Info: Create, Read, Write
• Product Category: Read
• Unit of Measure: Read
• Taxes: Read

Next Steps

Your self-hosted Odoo is now connected! You can:

• Create suppliers
• Import products
• Export pricelists