diff --git a/roles/database_server/tasks/main.yml b/roles/database_server/tasks/main.yml
new file mode 100644
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+++ b/roles/database_server/tasks/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+---
+
+- name: Install MariaDB
+  apt: name="{{ item }}" state=installed
+  with_items:
+    - mariadb-client
+    - mariadb-server
+    - python-mysqldb
+
+- name: Enable and start MariaDB
+  service: name=mysql enabled=yes state=started
+
+- name: Set password for the root database user
+  mysql_user: check_implicit_admin=yes name=root password="{{ db_root_password }}"
+
+- name: Deploy username and password for the root database user
+  template: src="root_my.cnf.j2" dest="/root/.my.cnf"
+            owner=root group=root mode=400
+
+- name: Set UTF-8 encoding as default for MariaDB
+  copy: src="utf8.cnf" dest="/etc/mysql/conf.d/utf8.cnf"
+        owner=root group=root mode=644
+  notify: Restart MariaDB