ASA Database Administration Guide
Connecting to a Database
In many cases, establishing a connection to a database is straightforward using the information presented in the first part of this chapter.
However, if you are having problems establishing connections to a server, you may need to understand the process by which Adaptive Server Anywhere establishes connections in order to resolve your problems. This section describes how Adaptive Server Anywhere connections work.
For more information about network-specific issues, including connections across firewalls, see Client/Server Communications.
The software follows exactly the same procedure for each of the following types of client application:
ODBC Any ODBC application using the SQLDriverConnect function, which is the common method of connection for ODBC applications. Many application development systems, such as Sybase PowerBuilder and Power++, belong to this class of application.
Embedded SQL Any client application using Embedded SQL and using the recommended function for connecting to a database (db_string_connect).
The SQL CONNECT statement is available for Embedded SQL applications and in Interactive SQL. It has two forms: CONNECT AS... and CONNECT USING. All the database administration tools, including Interactive SQL, use db_string_connect.
For more troubleshooting tips, see Troubleshooting server startup, and Troubleshooting network communications.
The steps in establishing a connection
Locating the interface library
Assembling a list of connection parameters
Locating a server
Locating the database
Starting a personal server
Server name caching for faster connections
Interactive SQL connections
Testing that a server can be found