How to Confi gure Informix Connect and ODBC

Informix User Forum 2005
Moving Forward With Informix
How to Configure Informix
Connect and ODBC
James Edmiston
Informix DBA Consultant
Quest Information Systems, Inc.
Atlanta, Georgia
December 8-9, 2005
Top 10 things you should
never do…just because
1.
Never drop a database table with the intent of reloading the data, without
unloading the data first.
2.
Never plug one end of a phone cord into the NETWORK port of your laptop
(even though it fits) and the other end into the phone jack in your wall.
3.
Never try to move (mv) the /usr UNIX directory to another file system.
4.
Never reverse the source and target parameters for the UNIX tar command.
5.
Never print out 20,000 addressed mailers in no zip code order, when they are
supposed to be in zip code order.
6.
Never say “that’s a lot less than I expected” when your boss gives you a raise.
7.
Never try to catch a Frisbee in your mouth like a dog would do.
8.
Never try to seriously play a musical instrument in public if you are not a
musician.
9.
Never attempt to do a head stand in the family rocking chair with an aquarium
nearby.
10. Never throw a snowball at a porch light…you just might hit it...and break it.
Purpose
Identify Informix connectivity products and
explain how to configure the related
components for Microsoft Windows clients to
enable client applications to access Informix
databases through ODBC
Outline
• Overview of the latest IBM Informix Client SDK
• List available Operating System platforms
• Describe Client configuration
• Identify Informix client connectivity components
• Describe and Demonstrate configuration/testing
• Identify potential problems
• List Documentation
Client SDK 2.9 Overview
Informix Client SDK V2.9 contains a collection of APIs for
development of applications that work with Informix database
servers. Using Client SDK, developers can:
• Write applications in a number of languages including Java, C++, C, and
ESQL
• Write applications using tools that work with ODBC and/or OLE/DB. This
flexibility allows more choice in programming environments, promotes
easier and faster application development, and can reduce the cost of
training developers in new skills
• Build one application to access multiple Informix databases. This can
save maintenance and support expenses, minimize downtime, and speed
application development
Client SDK 2.9 Components
•
Informix ESQL/C V2.9
•
Informix ODBC driver V2.9
•
Informix OLEDB Provider V2.9 (Win32 only)
•
Informix Object Interface for C++ V2.9
•
Informix JDBC driver V3.0 (Type 4) and Informix Embedded
SQLJ V1.01
•
Informix Connect V2.9
•
Informix .NET Provider V2.9 (Windows only)
Client SDK 2.9 (cont)
•
High performance OLE DB
– Supports Microsoft Visual Basic
– Supports Visual C++
•
UniCode Enabled ODBC Driver
•
Robust, Feature rich ESQL/C module
•
ESQL/C interoperability with DB2 V8.2
•
Supports .NET applications via Visual Studio .NET bridge
•
Server support for IDS V10
Client SDK for Windows
•
Pentium™ 3, or higher microprocessor
•
Windows NT™ V4.0 (Service Pack 5, or later), Windows
98/ME/XP, or Windows 2000
•
64 MB RAM
•
70 MB of available hard disk space
•
TCP/IP protocol that is Windows Sockets 1.1 compliant
•
Microsoft Visual C++ Compiler V6.0
•
Install MTS 2.0 (to enable use of the MTS feature for ODBC and
OLEDB) on Windows NT and earlier versions of Windows
Client SDK Unix
• In a UNIX® workstation environment:
– 75 MB of available hard disk space
– Native TCP/IP protocol
– Native C/C++ compiler and Java™
– 32 and 64 bit
– Reference IBM/Informix web site
Client Server Architecture
INFORMIXSERVER
ODBC DSN
IBM Informix Client
SDK/Connect
ODBC Enabled
Client Application
Network
Connection
Client
Server
Client Applications
Examples of Client Applications
• Application development tools
– PowerBuilder, Visual Basic
• Third party Query and reporting tools
– BrioQuery
• Other
– Microsoft Access
Using ODBC
What is ODBC?
• Microsoft Open Database Connectivity
• Enforces standards that allow an application to
access different database vendors
• Portable across platforms - may not be seamless
because of individual features of the database
products
What Informix products need
to be installed?
IBM Informix CSDK/Connect
Components
Connectivity components of the IBM Informix (CSDK)
and Informix Connect
• ODBC driver
• Setnet32 Configuration Utility
• Testing tools
Informix Connect
• Consists of the runtime connection libraries
• Bundled with IBM Informix Client SDK
• Informix Connect allows distribution of runtime
versions with completed applications
Once Installed, know what to configure
Configure (3 Step Plan)
Client Components
– Setnet32
• Network service in services file
– ODBC data source (Data Source Name = DSN)
– Client application referencing DSN
Setnet32
• Configuration tool included in Informix products
• Sets INFORMIX environment variables on the
client machine
• Creates a server entry with server identification
and network parameters
• Setnet32 configures on the Windows client what
the UNIX SQLHOSTS file and environment
variables are to the Informix server
Setnet32 (cont)
• Records entries in the Windows registry
• Allows save/load of entries to/from a file
• Test Client/Server connection Using DBPing
(stopped after v2.81) and ILogin Demo Tool
ILogin Demo returns “select * from customer” of stores
database
Network Services file
Network ‘services’ file
• 9x - c:\windows\services
• NT/2K/XP - c:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\services
• ASCII text
– Service name
– Port number
– Protocol
• Service name corresponds to ‘Service’ value from the
Setnet32 entry
Example services file entry
Demonstration of Setnet32
and Test Connection
ODBC Data Source Name
(DSN)
• Consists of:
– Database name
– ODBC driver specification
– Database server
– Host name
– Network protocol
• Configured using the ODBC administrator
• Test database connection
Demonstration of ODBC DSN
Client Application
• Reference ODBC DSN
– MS Access demo
Potential Problems
• May need to reboot the client machine after installing
CSDK/Connect before creating the ODBC data
source
• Informix error message text may reference the UNIX
environment, while the problem really applies to the
Windows environment
• Informix error -908
Verify the listening port number defined on
the server matches the client
Potential Problems (cont)
• Informix error -931
Verify the service file entry matches the service
name in the Setnet32 ‘Server Information’ tab
• Informix error -951 or -956
Password? Client machine name or IP in /etc/hosts
• Informix error -329
Invalid Database Name
Potential Problems (cont)
• System error code 126
client environment problem
– NT/2K/XP - Using the Control Panel, System
properties, set system variables in the
‘Environment’ tab
– 95/98 - make entries in the autoexec.bat file
– Variables to set (example):
INFORMIXDIR=c:/informix
PATH=c:/informix/bin;...
Documentation
•
Embedded SQLJ User's Guide, Version 1.01 (G251-1270-00)
This manual contains information about using IBM Informix Embedded SQLJ.
IBM Informix Embedded SQLJ enables you to embed SQL statements in your
Java programs. It consists of the SQLJ translator, which translates SQLJ code
into Java code, and a set of Java classes that provide runtime support for SQLJ
programs. When you run a SQLJ program, it uses IBM Informix JDBC Driver to
connect to an IBM Informix database.
•
IBM Informix Client Products Installation Guide for UNIX, Linux, and Windows
(G251-1269-00)
This manual explains how to install IBM Informix Client Software Developer's Kit
(Client SDK), Version 2.5, and IBM Informix Connect, Version 2.9, on computers
that use UNIX, Linux, and Windows.
•
IBM Informix ESQL/C Programmer's Manual, Version 9.53 (G251-1342-00)
This manual describes the features that make up the IBM Informix
implementation of embedded SQL for C.
•
IBM Informix GLS User's Guide, Version 9.4/8.4 (G251-1241-00)
This manual describes the Global Language Support (GLS) feature, which
allows IBM Informix application-programming interfaces (APIs) and database
servers to handle different languages, cultural conventions, and code sets.
Documentation (cont)
•
IBM Informix OLE DB Provider Programmer's Guide, Version 2.90
This manual describes the software requirements for using IBM Informix OLE
DB Provider, shows how to install and configure the provider for your use, and
explains how to use IBM Informix OLE DB Provider to enable client applications,
such as ActiveX Data Object (ADO) applications and Web pages, to access data
on an IBM Informix server.
•
IBM Informix Object Interface for C++ Programmer's Guide, Version 2.90
This guide describes the architecture of the C++ object interface and provides a
complete class reference.
•
JDBC Driver Programmer's Guide, UNIX and Windows Environments, v3.0
This guide describes how to install, load, and use Informix JDBC Driver to
connect to an Informix database from within a Java application or applet. You
can also use Informix JDBC Driver for writing user-defined routines that are
executed in the server.
•
ODBC Driver Programmer's Manual, Version 2.90
This manual is a user guide and reference manual for Informix ODBC Driver,
which is the Informix implementation of the Microsoft Open Database
Connectivity (ODBC) interface, Version3.0. This manual explains how to use the
Informix ODBC Driver application programming interface (API) to access an
Informix database and interact with an Informix database server.
Summary
•
Latest IBM Informix CSDK 2.9 and Informix Connect
•
Client connection to Informix databases
•
Install Informix client connectivity products
•
Configure Setnet32, ODBC, service file
•
Test connection
•
Potential problems
•
Documentation
– For accompanying article:
http://www.questinfosys.com/CSDK_Article/CSDK_Article.htm
Informix User Forum 2005
Moving Forward With Informix
Happy Connecting!
James Edmiston
james@questinfosys.com
www.questinfosys.com
Atlanta, Georgia
December 8-9, 2005