Thomas -- thanks very much for the procedure and the vote of confidence. I
assume you suffered no ill effects from the conversion?

The ONE problem we may have is that we use 'first' as a column name. So,
unless, I'm missing something, we can't just replace the database without
patching software to use something other than 'first'. Is that correct?

Kevin

> Message: 22
> Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2003 19:09:13 +0100
> From: "Thomas Steinmaurer" <ts@...>
> Subject: RE: Simple to convert from BDE on Interbase 6.0.1 to BDE on Firebird
> 1.0.3
>
> Hi Kevin,
>
> > Our commercial, medical application is D5 / BDE 5.1.1 running on
> > Interbase 6.0.1 It is running at more than 20 sites. We are at wits
> > end with Interbase 6.0.1's slow connect time on a particular client's
> > Windows 2003 install. I have tried many suggestions to alleviate it
> > to no avail.
> >
> > Also, I am aware of the prudence of ditching BDE. This is planned,
> > just not in time for this client to be happy.
> >
> > Interestingly, when installing Firebird 1.0.3 on the same machine,
> > the connect time (measured using BDE control panel applet) is
> > negligible.
> >
> > ...So, unless some one has better advice,
> >
> > I want to uninstall Interbase and Install Firebird 1.0.3 on the
> > server and update to the Firebird 1.0.3 GDS32.dll on the client
> > machines.
> >
> > Will this work within reason? My definition of reasonable is that if
> > the BDE/Interbase connection had problems before, having the same
> > problems in Firebird are reasonable. If the this introduces other
> > problems, than I'll need to consider what those may be.
> >
> > Of course I intend to
> > Backup in Interbase
> > Restore in Firebird
> > Maintain dialect 1
> > update gds32.dll
> > anything else?
>
> I've done something similar one year ago, and it really was
> painless. Firebird 1.0.x works with the InterBase SQL Links
> driver, though as you have pointed out, you have to stay
> with dialect 1, but you can rely on *many* bugfixes went
> into the Firebird release compared to InterBase 6.0.1.
>
> What I've done.
>
> 1) Backup your database with InterBase
> 2) Backup your security database isc4.gdb (don't forget that)
> with InterBase
> 3) Copy eventually used UDF libraries to a safe place
> 4) Deinstall InterBase completely. Double check that the
> InterBase installation directory was deleted, that the
> Registry entry was removed, AND that the InterBase gds32.dll
> version removed as well.
> 5) Install Firebird
> 6) Restore you backed up security database with SYSDBA/masterkey
> 7) Stop the Firebird Server
> 8) Copy the restored security database over the default one
> 9) Copy the UDF libraries into the \udf subdirectory
> 10) Start the Firebird Server. You should have the old users now.
> 11) Restore every database with Firebird by using the "original"
> database owner.
> 12) Deinstall the InterBase client on each client, again, double
> check any non-deleted InterBase stuff.
> 13) Install the Firebird client on each client.
>
>
> Well, these were the steps if I remember correctly.
>
> Sure, be aware that the BDE is deprecated and there isn't a
> Firebird SQL Link driver, so you really should think to move
> to IBObjects or FIBPlus.
>
>
> Best Regards,
> Thomas Steinmaurer

=====
Kevin Herrmann