At 08:20 PM 10/09/2003 +0000, you wrote:

>I used the Firebird-1.5.0.3744-RC4-Win32.exe install. I don't remember
>a choice. Was there one?

Yes. At about the third page of the installer, there is a drop-down box
where you choose what kind of install you want. The client-only option is
"Minimum client install - no tools".

>So my application connects to the Firebird client software which then
>connects to the Firebird Server software, which then connects to the data?

That's exactly right. Your client application has to know where on the
server the database file is located, and pass that information to the
client. So, if you don't have DHCP running, you need an entry in the HOSTS
file of the client, so that it can find the host server.

A simple example: I have Firebird Classic server running on my notebook,
under Linux. The IP address of the notebook is 10.12.13.5 and its
broadcast name is "mini". So, in the HOSTS file on the client, I include
this entry:

10.12.13.5 mini #Firebird Classic Linux server

I have a lot of database files on the server, in a filesystem named "data",
including one called ffoundation.fdb. My application can connect to this
database by passing this connection string to the client:

mini:/data/ffoundation.fdb

I also have a Firebird server running on another machine in Win2k. Its
network name is duck and its IP address is 10.12.13.2. In my HOSTS file, I
have an entry for it:
10.12.13.2 duck # Firebird SS Win2K server

My databases are on drive D, in a folder named data. To connect to a
database there named documentation.fdb, as a TCP/IP client, I can use this
connection string:

duck:D:\data\documentation.fdb

That's fine - but in 1.5 I can use database aliases, which has a lot of
benefits. In particular, it means I can soft-code the database path into
my application without knowing where the database file actually lives.

In aliases.conf, on the servers, I have these entries:

On the Linux server:
ff = /data/ffoundation.fdb

On the Win2K server:
doc = D:\data\documentation.fdb

Now, this means that my applications, tools, etc. just connect to the
alias, without being concerned whether the database file is on the Linux or
the Win2K server. With 1.5, my connection strings actually look like this:

mini:ff
duck:doc

Now, if I decide to move ffoundation.fdb onto the win2k server and
documentation.fdb onto the Linux server, I do that and alter the
aliases.conf files accordingly:

On the Linux server:
doc = /data/documentation.fdb

On the Windows server:
ff = D:\data\ffoundation.fdb

My applications don't have to change anything.

More than you asked for, I know - but it might save us from six more
questions to get your client connected. <g>

Helen