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Installing jdbcKona/MSSQLServer4

This document tells you how to install jdbcKona/MSSQLServer4 (formerly called FastForward for SQL Server), WebLogic's pure-Java Type 4 JDBC driver for Microsoft SQL Server. jdbcKona/MSSQLServer4 is a 100% pure Java implementation of the Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) API, the industry standard for relational database access from Java clients. It provides Java clients, including applets, with direct access to Microsoft SQL Server. jdbcKona/MSSQLServer4 supports SQL Server versions 4.2, 6.0, 6.5, and 7.0.

It is shipped in two versions -- one that supports both versions 6.5 and 7.0, but does not support any version 7.0 specific features -- and one that only supports version 7.0 and the new SQL Server 7.0 nchar, nvarchar, and ntext datatypes. Both are available from the same download page.

Note: If you are using jdbcKona/MSSQLServer4 with WebLogic Server 4.5 or later, you must also upgrade the driver for use with WebLogic Server 4.5. You can download the driver from the BEA website.

jdbcKona, like all Type 4 JDBC drivers, is pure-Java and requires no vendor-supported client libraries. jdbcKona/MSSQLServer4 communicates directly with SQL Server through a TCP/IP network, using the SQL Server "Tabular Data Stream" protocol, so DB-Library does not have to be installed on a client computer.

Before you begin

The jdbcKona/MSSQLServer4 distribution you downloaded from WebLogic's website includes an evaluation license that allows you to test the product with 2 users for 30 days. To purchase additional licenses, contact sales@weblogic.com.

If you are a registered customer installing an upgrade to the jdbcKona/MSSQLServer4 driver, you should move your License.class file before installing:

If you are upgrading from an earlier release of jdbcKona/MSSQLServer, the License.class file is located in the weblogic/mssqlserver4relnnn/classes/connect directory. "nnn" is the release number you are upgrading from, for example "315" for jdbcKona/MSSQLServer release 3.1.5.
If you are upgrading from the FastForward product, the License.class file is located in the connect\license subdirectory in the directory where you installed FastForward.

After you have installed this release, replace the evaluation License.class file supplied with the release with your own license file. We recommend that you always install upgrades into a new directory rather than over a previous release.

If you are upgrading to jdbcKona/MSSQLServer from the FastForward driver, be sure to read the Developers Guide. In particular, notice that you will need to update your CLASSPATH environment variable and, since the name of driver class has changed, you will have to modify Connection URLs and the driver class path name in your applications after you install this new release.

Here is how to install:

Unpack the distribution.
If you haven't already, unpack the .zip file you downloaded. You must use a program such as WinZip that preserves the directory structure of the archive. The files unpack into the weblogic directory.
The instructions in this document assume that you are installing jdbcKona/MSSQLServer4 on a Windows computer and that you unpacked the archive in the root directory of your C drive. If you are installing on a different operating system or in a different location, check your system documentation for help in adjusting the commands shown in these instructions for your own environment.
Add the jdbcKona/MSSQLServer4 classes directory to your CLASSPATH variable.
To change your CLASSPATH temporarily at a Windows Command Prompt, use this command:
```
 $ set CLASSPATH=%CLASSPATH%;c:\weblogic\mssqlserver4\classes
```
To change your CLASSPATH permanently:
- Double-click the System icon in the Control Panel.
- Click the Environment tab.
- In the lower panel, select the CLASSPATH variable. If no CLASSPATH variable is defined, add it.
- Add c:\weblogic\mssqlserver4\classes to the value of the CLASSPATH variable. Use a semicolon (;) to separate the new path from the previous value of the variable, if any.
Any program you launch after you update the CLASSPATH variable in the System control panel will have access to the new value.
For more help setting your CLASSPATH, read Setting classpath. If you are using jdbcKona/MSSQLServer4 from within an IDE like Symantec Cafe or JBuilder, the procedure for adding classes to the CLASSPATH may be different.
Install jdbcKona/MSSQLServer4 for use with browser applets.
If you are planning to use jdbcKona/MSSQLServer4 to access SQL Server databases via applets in a web browser, you must install the distribution on the computer executing the webserver. Furthermore, the webserver and SQL Server must be running on the same computer. This is a security restriction enforced by most web browsers, including Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer.
The webserver must also be able to find the jdbcKona/MSSQLServer4 class files. To ensure that the webserver can find the files, install the jdbcKona/MSSQLServer4 distribution on your webserver computer and then set the CLASSPATH on that computer as described in Step 2. Be sure to restart the webserver after you change the CLASSPATH so that the webserver has access to the revised CLASSPATH value.
Install a license file.
To install a license that you purchased from WebLogic (or from Connect Software for the FastForward product), replace the License.class file in the \weblogic\mssqlserver4\classes\connect\license directory with your License.class file.
For example, if you are upgrading from a FastForward release installed in the c:\FastForward directory, copy the License.class file with these commands at the Command Prompt:
```
 $ cd \weblogic\mssqlserver4\classes\connect\license
 $ copy \FastForward\connect\license\License.class
```

To purchase a permanent license for jdbcKona/MSSQLServer4, contact sales@weblogic.com.

Be sure to save a copy of the License.class file in a safe place so that you can install it again later if you upgrade your jdbcKona/MSSQLServer4 driver.

Verifying your SQL Server installation

Verify that you are using version 6.5 or 7.0 of Microsoft SQL Server. Older versions of SQL Server do not properly support JDBC metadata functions and have limited data type support.

To connect to SQL Server, you will need the following information:

Username and password of a valid SQL Server account
Hostname or IP numberof the machine where the SQL Server is running
TCP/IP port at which the DBMS is listening for connection requests.
For Microsoft SQL Server, the default port number is 1433. Servers, however, can be configured to listen on any port number. Verify the port number from your configuration files. If you need help setting the port number, see the following section Setting a port for SQL Server connections.

Setting a port for SQL Server connections

You set the hostname and port for SQL Server connections by making an entry into the SQL Server configuration files. In the configuration files, a logical "server name" is associated with a server machine name and port number. jdbcKona/MSSQLServer4 does not use the logical server name, only the host name and the port number.

You must have administrator privileges to change your SQL Server settings. To set the port:

Run MS SQL Server Setup.
Select Change Network Support.
Select TCP/IP.
Select the port you want to use, such as "1433".

Once you have set the port, you can verify with telnet that the server is listening on that port. Here is the syntax for the telnet command:

 $ telnet hostname_or_IP_address port

For example, to test the SQL Server listening on port 1433 of the computer named "myhost", type:

 $ telnet myhost 1433

If the server is not listening on the port, telnet will display an error message. If the server is listening on the port, telnet will display nothing; eventually, the host will drop the connection.

You can use isql to test your login information. Here is the isql syntax:

 $ isql -Uusername -Ppassword -Sserver

Verifying the JDBC driver with dbping

You can use the WebLogic dbping Java application to verify that the jdbcKona/MSSQLServer driver can connect to your SQL Server. To use dbping, make sure that the c:/weblogic/mssqlserver4rel/classes is in your CLASSPATH, then type this command:

 $ java utils.dbping MSSQLSERVER4 username password [database@]host[:port]

where:

username is the database user name

password is the user's password

database (optional) is the SQL Server database to use

host is the name or IP number of the computer running SQL Server

port (optional) is the TCP/IP port the SQL Server is listening on

For example, the following command pings the SQL Server "pubs" database on the computer named "myhost", using the default TCP/IP port, and the "sa" login with a null password:

 $ java utils.dbping MSSQLSERVER4 sa "" pubs@myhost

The output from the command includes code that you can use to connect to the database in a Java program.

See Connecting to SQL Server with jdbcKona/MSSQLServer4 in Using jdbcKona/MSSQLServer4 for more information about JDBC connections.