At 06:45 AM 3/01/2009, you wrote:

>Hi,
>
>I downloaded the Firebird 2.1 server and am running it as a service.
>I am trying to connect to an existing database and keep on getting a
>command error:
>
>
>Ive tried
>sql: connect '\\simpleshare\NetFolder\Movie Label Databases\my
>database.fdb' "user SYSDBA password masterkey";
>
>I get command error. What am I doing wrong. I pinged the network
>drive and it was fine.
>
>HELP!!

Two things are wrong here:

1. The double-quotes around the connection parameters are causing the command error. What are you using as a syntax reference?

2. You cannot access a database via a Windows network share. The database *must* be on the same physical machine as the Firebird Server and the connection path must be the pure, clean path as seen locally by the server. If the syntax was correct (which it is not) you would get a different error.

Firebird is NOT a file-served database. A Firebird client accesses the Firebird server via a network protocol (NOT a file-sharing protocol) and the *server* then accesses a database on behalf of the client.

If your machine is not the host machine of the Firebird server and the databases then you are accessing the server as a *remote client*. The same is true if you are accessing the server from a locally resident Remote Desktop client shell. An UNC-like connection protocol is available on Windows (known as WNET) but it is not recommended because of undue noise. TCP/IP protocol is recommended.

Don't make the database's location shareable *at all*. The filesystem sees a database as a file, which makes it vulnerable to damage and destruction or theft by anyone on your Windows network who can access it.

Try reading the Quick Start Guide that is in the \doc directory of your Firebird installation.

./heLen