diff --git a/dev/install/DatabaseConfigurationHelper.php b/dev/install/DatabaseConfigurationHelper.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..70f7029ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dev/install/DatabaseConfigurationHelper.php
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Interface for database helper classes.
+ * @package sapphire
+ */
+interface DatabaseConfigurationHelper {
+
+	/**
+	 * Ensure that the database function for connectivity is available.
+	 * If it is, we assume the PHP module for this database has been setup correctly.
+	 * 
+	 * @param array $databaseConfig Associative array of db configuration, e.g. "server", "username" etc
+	 * @return boolean
+	 */
+	public function requireDatabaseFunctions($databaseConfig);
+
+	/**
+	 * Ensure that the database server exists.
+	 * @param array $databaseConfig Associative array of db configuration, e.g. "server", "username" etc
+	 * @return array Result - e.g. array('okay' => true, 'error' => 'details of error')
+	 */
+	public function requireDatabaseServer($databaseConfig);
+
+	/**
+	 * Ensure a database connection is possible using credentials provided.
+	 * The established connection resource is returned with the results as well.
+	 * 
+	 * @param array $databaseConfig Associative array of db configuration, e.g. "server", "username" etc
+	 * @return array Result - e.g. array('okay' => true, 'connection' => mysql link, 'error' => 'details of error')
+	 */
+	public function requireDatabaseConnection($databaseConfig);
+
+	/**
+	 * Ensure that the database connection is able to use an existing database,
+	 * or be able to create one if it doesn't exist.
+	 * 
+	 * @param array $databaseConfig Associative array of db configuration, e.g. "server", "username" etc
+	 * @return array Result - e.g. array('okay' => true, 'existsAlready' => 'true')
+	 */
+	public function requireDatabaseOrCreatePermissions($databaseConfig);
+
+}
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diff --git a/dev/install/MySQLDatabaseConfigurationHelper.php b/dev/install/MySQLDatabaseConfigurationHelper.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4a4bea65a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dev/install/MySQLDatabaseConfigurationHelper.php
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * This is a helper class for the SS installer.
+ * 
+ * It does all the specific checking for MySQLDatabase
+ * to ensure that the configuration is setup correctly.
+ * 
+ * @package mssql
+ */
+class MySQLDatabaseConfigurationHelper implements DatabaseConfigurationHelper {
+
+	/**
+	 * Ensure that the database function for connectivity is available.
+	 * If it is, we assume the PHP module for this database has been setup correctly.
+	 * 
+	 * @param array $databaseConfig Associative array of db configuration, e.g. "server", "username" etc
+	 * @return boolean
+	 */
+	public function requireDatabaseFunctions($databaseConfig) {
+		return (function_exists('mysql_connect')) ? true : false;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Ensure that the database server exists.
+	 * @param array $databaseConfig Associative array of db configuration, e.g. "server", "username" etc
+	 * @return array Result - e.g. array('okay' => true, 'error' => 'details of error')
+	 */
+	public function requireDatabaseServer($databaseConfig) {
+		$okay = false;
+		$conn = @mysql_connect($databaseConfig['server'], null, null);
+		if($conn || mysql_errno() < 2000) {
+			$okay = true;
+		} else {
+			$okay = false;
+			$error = mysql_error();
+		}
+		return array(
+			'okay' => $okay,
+			'error' => $error
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Ensure a database connection is possible using credentials provided.
+	 * The established connection resource is returned with the results as well.
+	 * 
+	 * @param array $databaseConfig Associative array of db configuration, e.g. "server", "username" etc
+	 * @return array Result - e.g. array('okay' => true, 'connection' => mysql link, 'error' => 'details of error')
+	 */
+	public function requireDatabaseConnection($databaseConfig) {
+		$okay = false;
+		$conn = @mysql_connect($databaseConfig['server'], $databaseConfig['username'], $databaseConfig['password']);
+		if($conn) {
+			$okay = true;
+		} else {
+			$okay = false;
+			$error = mysql_error();
+		}
+		return array(
+			'okay' => $okay,
+			'connection' => $conn,
+			'error' => $error
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Ensure that the database connection is able to use an existing database,
+	 * or be able to create one if it doesn't exist.
+	 * 
+	 * @param array $databaseConfig Associative array of db configuration, e.g. "server", "username" etc
+	 * @return array Result - e.g. array('okay' => true, 'existsAlready' => 'true')
+	 */
+	public function requireDatabaseOrCreatePermissions($databaseConfig) {
+		$okay = false;
+		$existsAlready = false;
+		$conn = @mysql_connect($databaseConfig['server'], $databaseConfig['username'], $databaseConfig['password']);
+		if(@mysql_select_db($databaseConfig['database'], $conn)) {
+			$okay = true;
+			$existsAlready = true;
+		} else {
+			if(@mysql_query("CREATE DATABASE testing123", $conn)) {
+				mysql_query("DROP DATABASE testing123", $conn);
+				$okay = true;
+				$existsAlready = false;
+			}
+		}
+		return array(
+			'okay' => $okay,
+			'existsAlready' => $existsAlready
+		);
+	}
+
+}
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