Getting Started With Sybase

- Installation

- RPM-based Installations
  - Debian Linux
  - Slackware Linux
  - RPM-based Linux
- Non RPM-based Installations
- Creating a Database
- Accessing a Database
- Accessing a Database With SQL Relay

Installation

I've successfully installed and used Sybase Adaptive Server Enterprise versions 15.5, 15.0.2, 12.5.2, 12.5.1, 11.9.2 and 11.0.3.3 on Linux.

You can download Sybase ASE from the downloads section of the Sybase site.

RPM-based Installations

Versions 12.5, 11.9.2 and 11.0.3.3 come as a set of RPM's for Linux.

Debian Linux

The best way to install RPM-based versions of Sybase ASE on Debian Linux is to install alien and then use it to convert the Sybase RPM's to DEB files and install them with dpkg. On newer Debian releases, if you have configured apt as illustrated in the APT-HOWTO, run apt-get install alien. If your distribution came with alien, you may be prompted to enter a CD. If not, it will be downloaded from the internet. Once alien is installed, log in as root and use alien to convert the RPM's to DEB's and subsequently install the DEB's as follows:

For version 12.5:

> alien --to-deb sybase-openclient-12.5.0.1ESD-1.i386.rpm
> alien --to-deb sybase-common-12.5.0.1DE-1.i386.rpm
> alien --to-deb sybase-ase-12.5.0.1ESD-1.i386.rpm
> dpkg -i sybase-openclient-12.5.0.1ESD-1.i386.deb
> dpkg -i sybase-common-12.5.0.1DE-1.i386.deb
> dpkg -i sybase-ase-12.5.0.1ESD-1.i386.deb

For version 11.9.2:

> alien --to-deb sybase-openclient-11.1.1-3.i386.rpm
> alien --to-deb sybase-common-11.9.2-3.i386.rpm
> alien --to-deb sybase-ase-11.9.2-3.i386.rpm
> dpkg -i sybase-openclient-11.1.1-3.i386.deb
> dpkg -i sybase-common-11.9.2-3.i386.deb
> dpkg -i sybase-ase-11.9.2-3.i386.deb

For version 11.0.3.3:

> alien --to-deb sybase-ase-11_0_3_3-6_i386.rpm
> alien --to-deb sybase-ocsd-11_0_3_3-6_i386.rpm
> alien --to-deb sybase-doc-11_0_4-6_i386.rpm
> dpkg -i sybase-ase-11_0_3_3-6_i386.deb
> dpkg -i sybase-ocsd-11_0_3_3-6_i386.deb
> dpkg -i sybase-doc-11_0_4-6_i386.deb

Slackware Linux

The easiest way to install RPM-based versions Sybase ASE on Slackware Linux is to install RPM and then use it to install the RPM's. The RPM package is available from ftp.slackware.com. You can install it using installpkg. Once RPM is installed, log in as root and run rpm --initdb as root. Then, you can follow the directions below for installing on RPM Based Linux. The only difference is that you must use rpm -i --nodeps instead of rpm -i to install the RPM's.

RPM-based Linux

Versions 11.9.2 and 11.0.3.3 of Sybase ASE for Linux require glibc version 2.1.2 or greater. I was able to install them both on RedHat 6.2, 7.3 and 9. I was not able to install them on Redhat 5.2.

Version 11.9.2

To install version 11.9.2 on RPM Based Linux, you should download the following RPMS (at minimum) and install them using rpm -i. Note that while it is possible to have RPMS for versions 11.9.2 and 12.5 installed simultaneously, it will cause problems for both versions. Install one or the other, but not both.

> sybase-openclient-11.1.1-3
> sybase-common-11.9.2-3
> sybase-ase-11.9.2-3

The other RPMS provide documentation and localization support for several languages.

During RPM installation, a sybase user will be created. You should give this user a password.

Version 11.0.3.3

To install version 11.0.3.3 on RPM Based Linux, you should download the following RPMS (at minimum) and install them using rpm -i.

> sybase-ase-11.0.3.3-6
> sybase-ocsd-11.0.3.3-6

The other RPMS provide documentation and localization support for several languages.

Version 11.0.3.3 does not create a sybase user when the RPMS are installed. After installation, you must run the following commands as root.

> export SYBASE=/opt/sybase
> /opt/sybase/install/sybinstall.sh

Answer Yes or y to all questions. The script will create a sybase user and prompt you for a password.

Non RPM-based Installations

Sybase provides tarballs for versions 15.5, 15.0.2, 12.5.2 and 12.5.1 for Linux. In versions 12.5.2 and 12.5.1, installation and database creation are done in a single step. For instructions for installing versions 12.5.2 and 12.5.1, see the instructions below for creating a database.

Creating a Database

Some newer Linux Distributions set the LANG environment variable to a value that is not supported by Sybase ASE prior to 15.0.2. For example, LANG=en_US.iso885915 on Redhat 7.3. Check the value of the LANG environment variable, and if necessary, set it to something that is defined in the locales.dat file (/opt/sybase-11.9.2/locales/locales.dat for sybase-11.9.2) such as en_US for US-english.

The instructions for initializing each version are very different.

See Initializing a 15.5 server, Initializing a 15.0.2 server, Initializing a 12.5.2 server, Initializing a 12.5.1 server, Initializing a 12.5 server, Initializing an 11.9.2 server and Initializing an 11.0.3.3 server.

Once you have initialized the server, you should start the server. From this point on, the database creation process is the same for all versions.

At this point, you should set up your environment. The Sybase client is called isql. Note that unixODBC and Interbase/Firebird have a client called isql as well which could be installed in /usr/bin, /usr/local/bin or some other path. If you have unixODBC or Interbase/Firebird installed, you'll have to decide which client you want the isql command to run. If you want it to run the Sybase client, follow the instructions below. Otherwise, you'll have to run the Sybase isql client by its full pathname which could be /opt/sybase/OCS-15_0/bin/isql, /opt/sybase/OCS/bin/isql, /opt/sybase-12.5/OCS/bin/isql, /opt/sybase-11.9.2/bin/isql or some other path.

In the configuration script for your shell, add the path to the Sybase isql client to your PATH environment variable as follows. In these examples, /opt/sybase-11.9.2/bin is used, but your Sybase isql client may be installed elsewhere.

For Bourne shells:

>     PATH=$PATH:/opt/sybase/OCS/bin
>     export PATH

For C-shells:

>     setenv PATH ${PATH}:/opt/sybase/OCS/bin

Now log out and log back in and you can access the database using the isql client.

The initialization process should have created a server named LOCALHOST (or localhost for version 11.9.2 or earlier) with an administrative user named sa which has no password.

To set the administrative user's password, log into the database with the following command. When it prompts you for a password, just press return.

> For Sybase 12.5 or later:

> > isql -U sa -S LOCALHOST

> For Sybase 11.9.2 or earlier:

> > isql -U sa -S localhost

At the prompt, run the following stored procedure to give sa the password sapassword.

>     sp_password null,"sapassword","sa"
>     go

Now logout.

> quit

Log back in using the following command. When it promts you for a password, type sapassword.

> For Sybase 12.5 or later:

> > isql -U sa -S LOCALHOST

> For Sybase 11.9.2 or earlier:

> > isql -U sa -S localhost

Though you could create your own tables using the sa user and the system database, it's not a good idea. You should create a user database. The following commands create a database named testdb.

>     create database testdb
>     go
>     quit

Now log into the database you just created with the following command.

> For Sybase 12.5 or later:

> > isql -U sa -S LOCALHOST -D testdb

> For Sybase 11.9.2 or earlier:

> > isql -U sa -S localhost -D testdb

Creating a user is a 2 step process. First a universal login must be created, then it must be added as a user to a particular database. Execute the following stored procedures and queries to create a login named testuser with password testpassword, add it as a user of testdb and give it all permissions.

>     sp_addlogin "testuser","testpassword"
>     go
>     sp_adduser "testuser"
>     go
>     grant all to testuser
>     go
>     quit

Now you can log in as testuser using the following command. When promted for a password, enter testpassword.

> For Sybase 12.5 or later:

> > isql -U testuser -S LOCALHOST -D testdb

> For Sybase 11.9.2 or earlier:

> > isql -U testuser -S localhost -D testdb

A common problem when using Sybase ASE in this minimal configuration is running out of log space. If you run out of log space, queries will hang until space is freed up. You might get an error like this:

> The transaction log in database testdb is almost full. Your transaction is
> being suspended until space is made available in the log.

To dump the log, log into the testdb database as the sa user as follows. When it promts you for a password, type sapassword.

> For Sybase 12.5 or later:

> > isql -U sa -S LOCALHOST -D testdb

> For Sybase 11.9.2 or earlier:

> > isql -U sa -S localhost -D testdb

Once logged in, execute the following series of commands.

>     dump tran testdb with no_log
>     go

A longer term solution is to configure the database to truncate its log at each checkpoint. To configure this, log into the master database as the sa user as follows. When it promts you for a password, type sapassword.

> For Sybase 12.5 or later:

> > isql -U sa -S LOCALHOST -D master

> For Sybase 11.9.2 or earlier:

> > isql -U sa -S localhost -D master

> Once logged in, execute the following series of commands.

> >     sp_dboption testdb, 'trunc log on chkpt', true
> >     go

> This is not something you should do in production. Without the transaction log, there is no way to recover from certain failure conditions. It is only safe to do in development or test environments where data could be reconstructed or recovered some other way.

> This should be enough to get you started. To set up more complex configurations, consult the Sybase ASE documentation.

> Accessing a Database

> Some newer Linux Distributions set the LANG environment variable to a value that is not supported by Sybase ASE. For example, LANG=en_US.iso885915 on Redhat 7.3. If isql fails to start, and complains about the LANG environment variable, set it to something that is defined in the locales.dat file (/opt/sybase-11.9.2/locales/locales.dat for sybase-11.9.2) such as en_US for US-english.

> The first step in accessing a Sybase ASE database is setting up your environment. The Sybase client is called isql. Note that unixODBC and Interbase both have clients called isql as well which could be installed in /usr/bin, /usr/local/bin or /opt/interbase/bin. If you have unixODBC or Interbase installed, you'll have to decide which client you want the isql command to run. If you want it to run the Sybase client, follow the instructions below. Otherwise, you'll have to run the Sybase isql client by its full pathname.

> In the configuration script for whatever shell you use, create an environment variable called SYBASE containing the directory you intalled Sybase ASE in. Then add $SYBASE/bin to your PATH environment variable.

> For Bourne shells:

> >     SYBASE=/opt/sybase-11.9.2
> >     PATH=$PATH:$SYBASE/bin
> >     export SYBASE PATH

> For C-shells:

> >     setenv SYBASE /opt/sybase-11.9.2
> >     setenv PATH ${PATH}:${SYBASE}/bin

> Now, if you log out and log back in, you can access the database using the isql client.

> isql requires a username, server and database name to access a database. The server parameter does not refer to the hostname of the machine you want to connect to, but rather to an entry in the $SYBASE/interfaces file. When a database is created, the process puts an entry in the $SYBASE/interfaces file on the machine the database was created on. This entry can then be copied into the $SYBASE/interfaces file on other machines to provide them remote access to the database. Below is a sample entry for a server named REMOTEHOST which refers to an instance of Sybase ASE running on testhost.testdomain.com, on port 4100, accessible over tcp on ethernet and a similar entry for a server named LOCALHOST which is running on localhost.

> >     REMOTEHOST
> >     	master tcp ether testhost.testdomain.com 4100
> >     	query tcp ether testhost.testdomain.com 4100

> >     LOCALHOST
> >     	master tcp ether localhost 4100
> >     	query tcp ether localhost 4100

> Similar entries can be made to access servers running on other hosts.

> To access the database testdb on the server LOCALHOST as the user testuser, run the following command.

> > isql -U testuser -S LOCALHOST -D testdb

> Once you're connected to the database, the isql client prompts you to enter a query. Queries may be split across multiple lines. To run a query, type go on a line by itself. To exit, type quit on a line by itself.

> A sample isqlsession follows.

> >     [user@localhost user]$ /opt/sybase/OCS/bin/isql -U testuser -S LOCALHOST -D testdb
> >     Password:
> >     1> create table testtable (
> >     2> col1 char(40),
> >     3> col2 integer
> >     4> )
> >     5> go
> >     1> select name from sysobjects where type='U'
> >     2> go
> >      name
> >      ------------------------------
> >      testtable

> >     (1 row affected)
> >     1> sp_help testtable
> >     2> go
> >      Name                           Owner
> >              Type
> >      ------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------------------
> >      testtable                      testuser                      user table

> >     (1 row affected)
> >      Data_located_on_segment        When_created
> >      ------------------------------ --------------------------
> >      default                               Jan 14 2002 12:24PM
> >      Column_name     Type            Length Prec Scale Nulls Default_name
> >              Rule_name       Identity
> >      --------------- --------------- ------ ---- ----- ----- --------------- --------------- --------
> >      col1            char                40 NULL  NULL     0 NULL           NULL                   0
> >      col2            int                  4 NULL  NULL     0 NULL           NULL                   0
> >     Object does not have any indexes.
> >     No defined keys for this object.
> >     Object is not partitioned.
> >     Lock scheme Allpages
> >     The attribute 'exp_row_size' is not applicable to tables with allpages lock scheme.

> >      exp_row_size reservepagegap fillfactor max_rows_per_page
> >      ------------ -------------- ---------- -----------------
> >                 1              0          0                 0
> >     (return status = 0)
> >     1> insert into testtable values ('hello',50)
> >     2> go
> >     (1 row affected)
> >     1> insert into testtable values ('hi',60)
> >     2> go
> >     (1 row affected)
> >     1> insert into testtable values ('bye',70)
> >     2> go
> >     (1 row affected)
> >     1> select * from testtable
> >     2> go
> >      col1                                     col2
> >      ---------------------------------------- -----------
> >      hello                                             50
> >      hi                                                60
> >      bye                                               70

> >     (3 rows affected)
> >     1> update testtable set col2=0 where col1='hi'
> >     2> go
> >     (1 row affected)
> >     1> select * from testtable
> >     2> go
> >      col1                                     col2
> >      ---------------------------------------- -----------
> >      hello                                             50
> >      hi                                                 0
> >      bye                                               70

> >     (3 rows affected)
> >     1> delete from testtable where col2=50
> >     2> go
> >     (1 row affected)
> >     1> select * from testtable
> >     2> go
> >      col1                                     col2
> >      ---------------------------------------- -----------
> >      hi                                                 0
> >      bye                                               70

> >     (2 rows affected)
> >     1> drop table testtable
> >     2> go
> >     1> quit

> Accessing a Database With SQL Relay

> Accessing Sybase from SQL Relay requires an instance entry in your sqlrelay.conf file for the database that you want to access. Here is an example sqlrelay.conf which defines an SQL Relay instance called sybasetest. This instance connects to the testdb database on the server LOCALHOST as the user testuser with password testpassword.

>     <?xml version="1.0"?>
>     <!DOCTYPE instances SYSTEM "sqlrelay.dtd">
>     <instances>

>             <instance id="sybasetest" port="9000" socket="/tmp/sybasetest.socket" dbase="sybase" connections="3" maxconnections="5" maxqueuelength="0" growby="1" ttl="60" endofsession="commit" sessiontimeout="600" runasuser="nobody" runasgroup="nobody" cursors="5" authtier="listener" handoff="pass">
>                     <users>
>                             <user user="sybasetest" password="sybasetest"/>
>                     </users>
>                     <connections>
>                             <connection connectionid="sybasetest" string="server=LOCALHOST;db=testdb;user=testuser;password=testpassword;" metric="1"/>
>                     </connections>
>             </instance>

>     </instances>

> Now you can start up this instance with the following command.

> > sqlr-start -id sybasetest

> Note that there are a couple of common problems people have with the Sybase connection. See the FAQ and the common problems section of the document on running SQL Relay for more info.

> To connect to the instance and run queries, use the following command.

> > sqlrsh -id sybasetest

> The following command shuts down the SQL Relay instance.

> > sqlr-stop sybasetest