Installing FairCom DB Standalone SQL Service is a simple process. The set-up program will copy several files to your system, install FairCom DB Standalone SQL Service to run as a service, and start the service.
FairCom DB Standalone SQL Service can be installed on any node of your system as long as it can connect to the data files used by your FairCom Multi-User Standalone (FPUTFGET) database. For best performance, it is recommended to install FairCom DB Standalone SQL Service on the same node as the data files used by the Multi-User Standalone database.
How to Install FairCom DB Standalone SQL Service on Windows
To install FairCom DB Standalone SQL Service on the Windows platform, follow these steps:
- Copy the file named FairCom-DB-StandAloneSQL*.msi to the computer where you want this service to run.
- Double-click the file to begin the installation process.
If Windows pops up a dialog box with a title similar to "Open File - Security Warning," make sure you are executing the file you received directly from FairCom and click Run.
- The FairCom DB Standalone SQL Service setup wizard will appear. Click Next to begin the installation and answer any questions on the subsequent pages. You can accept the default path (recommended) or select a different drive and directory.
- On the final page, click Install to begin the installation. A status bar will show your progress. When it is done, click Finish.
How to Install FairCom DB Standalone SQL Service on Unix
FairCom DB Standalone SQL Service for Unix is typically distributed as a zipped tar file containing the executable, faircom_sql_service, and utility programs discussed throughout this guide.
On Unix, FairCom DB Standalone SQL Service can be installed in any directory location as long as ownership and permissions permit access to the installed programs and data.
- Change to the directory where you want to install the FairCom DB Standalone SQL Service.
- Copy the FairCom-DB-StandAloneSQL* package into the local directory.
- Expand the .tgz file
gzip -d FairCom-DB-StandAloneSQL*.tgz
tar -xvf FairCom-DB-StandAloneSQL*.tar
- faircom_sql_service can be started like any other Unix program. It can also be started when the operating system loads.
Installing the Drivers
FairCom DB Standalone SQL Service can support several relational APIs (ODBC, JDBC, ADO.NET, etc.). Each API has its own requirements for drivers. The next step is to install the FairCom DB driver(s) of interest by following these procedures:
- Copy the desired driver file (for example, FairCom-DB-ODBC*.msi) to any computer(s) where you have applications that need to access your FairCom DB data using that driver.
- Double-click the file to begin the installation process. Follow the same process described in steps 2 through 4 above.
- Details for each supported API are available in the API specific books available on the FairCom Web Site in the Documentation section.
The next sections detail some files to be aware of. The next chapter, Driver Setup, explains how to configure the drivers.
The Configuration File
FairCom DB Standalone SQL Service requires a configuration file called ctsrvr.cfg (located in the config folder). This file allows you to override selected settings for controlling FairCom DB Standalone SQL Service. We recommend only changing these keywords with the advice of a trained FairCom DB Database Administrator. Explanations for the keywords used in this file are available in the FairCom DB Server Administrator’s Guide.
The ctcfgset File
FairCom DB Standalone SQL Service includes an optional file called ctsrvr.set, which contains the FairCom recommended configuration settings. The ctsrvr.set file cannot be altered once created. The purpose is to allow developers to define their preferred settings, which cannot be modified in the field. This file is loaded before ctsrvr.cfg and takes precedence over any duplicate keywords.
If you desire to utilize a ctsrvr.set file, create your own configuration file (called ctsrvr.cfg.set in the example below) with the keywords you don't want to be editable in the field, and use the included ctcfgset.exe utility as follows:
ctcfgset.exe ctsrvr.cfg.set
This will produce a tamper-resistant ctsrvr.set file, which should then be placed in the same directory with faircom_sql_service.exe.
Note: Do not distribute ctsrvr.cfg.set to your end users.
License Authorization File
License Object
The License Authorization File is a binary file containing unique licensing information assigned by FairCom. This licensing information permits the FairCom Server technology to operate on a specified operating system, to support specific features, to support a fixed number of concurrent users and/or connections to the FairCom DB Standalone SQL Service technology, and to utilize a fixed number of CPUs on the host machine.
The license file is named ctsrvr-<SN>.lic where <SN> is the unique Serial Number assigned to your FairCom DB Standalone SQL Service instance and provided by FairCom. This file will need to be properly placed in the same directory where the FairCom DB Standalone SQL Service binary is located, typically a "sql_service" folder.
An example developer license is shown below:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="us-ascii"?>
<ctlicense version="2">
<version>11</version>
<serial>39000010</serial>
<OEM>1</OEM>
<lictype>Development</lictype>
<cpus>2</cpus>
<servtype>ALL (Standard - SQL)</servtype>
<users>32</users>
<private>EDE . . . QGP</private>
<checksum>LE47LG9DNM06IA30CGAFFO00NMCEJL59</checksum>
</ctlicense>
Note that you can read the most relevant sections of this XML file in plain text regarding serial numbers, connection and CPU counts. If this licensing file isn’t present, you'll receive a 960 error in your faircom_sql_service.exe status log (a text-based file called CTSTATUS.FCS) upon startup:
"LICENSE ERROR: License initialization failed: Missing license file."
Excel Example
As an example, FairCom DB Standalone SQL Service can be used to connect an Excel spreadsheet to your FairCom DB database. After installing FairCom DB Standalone SQL Service as described in this chapter, follow these steps to connect your ODBC data source to your spreadsheet:
- Be sure your FairCom DB Standalone SQL Service process is up and running. You will be connecting your ODBC driver to it via a client connection. Be sure any relevant tables have already been imported to FairCom DB Standalone SQL Service.
- Be sure your FairCom DB SQL ODBC Driver is installed on the box with your Excel application.
Remember: Use 64-bit ODBC for 64-bit versions of Excel and use 32-bit ODBC for 32-bit versions. An architecture mismatch is not allowed for loading the ODBC Driver DLLs.
- Configure your ODBC driver parameters to point to the FairCom DB Standalone SQL Service data source in the ODBC Administrator. (Again, use the appropriate "bit-ness" for the ODBC installed.) You will need your FairCom DB Standalone SQL Service machine name, and other relevant information:
- In Excel, choose Data. From the ribbon menu, pick either From Other Sources > MS Query or New Query.
You should be able to see the tables and columns once you have successfully connected to the FairCom DB Standalone SQL Service.