ASA Database Administration Guide
  Working with Database Files

Using the utility database

The utility database is a phantom database with no physical representation. The utility database has no database file, and therefore it cannot contain data.

The utility database feature allows you to execute database file administration statements such as CREATE DATABASE, or ALTER WRITEFILE without first connecting to an existing physical database.

For example, executing the following statement after having connected to the utility database creates a database named new.db in the directory C:\temp.

CREATE DATABASE 'C:\\temp\\new.db'

For more information on the syntax of these statements, see CREATE DATABASE statement.

You can also retrieve values of connection properties and database properties using the utility database.

For example, executing the following statement against the utility database returns the default collation sequence, which will be used when creating database:

SELECT property( 'DefaultCollation' )

For a list of database properties and connection properties, see Database properties.

Allowed statements for the utility database 

The following statements are the only ones allowed when connected to the utility database:

• CREATE DATABASE

• CREATE WRITEFILE

• ALTER WRITEFILE

• CREATE COMPRESSED DATABASE

• CREATE EXPANDED DATABASE

• CREATE DECRYPTED FILE

• DROP DATABASE

• RESTORE DATABASE

• START DATABASE

• STOP DATABASE

• STOP ENGINE

• SELECT (with no FROM or WHERE clauses)

Connecting to the utility database
Utility database server security