Subject Re: [firebird-support] Cannot Connect to FireBird Database from network workstation
Author Jesse McCarty
Post date 2015-11-21T20:46:28Z
Thanks for the information Helen,

To clarify, the database lives on the host server's local drive in the same way the current Firebird 2.1 system is set up. The setup should be basically the same as the current Fedora system is (that I did not setup), except my current build is 64Bit vs. the 32Bit install of Fedora. Would it be wise to rebuild this server as 32Bit?

I originally tried to use gbak to import a backup copy of the database into the new server, but that came up with several errors and I wasn't sure if the DB would function properly as a result, hence trying to copy the database straight over. In a test environment, coping the database straight over seems to be functioning properly, just not over the network - only the locally installed database and application.

http://aucornerstone.com/GBak-Error.png (referenced GBAK errors).

I am having trouble wrapping my head around why exactly this isn't working since the underlying setup is basically the same as the current out dated system thats been running since around 2003 (Originally a Red Hat system, then rebuilt to the current Fedora system after a system failure).

Thanks again,

Jesse

On Sat, Nov 21, 2015 at 12:19 PM, Helen Borrie helebor@... [firebird-support] <firebird-support@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
 

Hello Jesse,

Sunday, November 22, 2015, 8:07:49 AM, you wrote:


Back story: We had a custom designed program created in Delphi (I believe) that runs off of a Firebird database backend. This is the backbone of our business that tracks all work/inventory etc… for the company. Currently it is running on old hardware with FirebirdCS 2.1 on an older release of Fedora. Three Windows 7 machines connect to the database through the custom program. I have built a new Ubuntu server running Firebird Classic 2.5 to be the new server and have copied over the database and am hitting a wall on getting the program to connect over the network.

Production system running Ubuntu 14.04 (64Bit) and Firebird Classic 2.5 has the database setup and also has two samba file shares setup. The Windows 7 machine can see the shares (including the location of the database) but the program test connection is always unable to connect to the database. I also cannot connect to the Database from a remote machine using FlameRobin.


Therein lies your problem.  Firebird won't connect to databases that are located on network shares.  You must locate them on physical partitions that are under the direct control of the host server.

As a note, it is *possible* to configure Firebird to connect to a share but DO NOT DO IT.

Also, although Fb 2.5 will attach clients to a database created under 2.1, it is strongly recommended that you upgrade your databases to run under the higher server, in order to make the new features available.  The On-Disk Structure (ODS) of databases changes with a major release.  V.2.1 creates dbs of ODS 11.1, V.2.5 ODS 11.2.  The way to migrate the databases is to back them up with gbak under the 2.1 server and restore the backup under the 2.5 server.  Also make sure that your client machines have the latest client library, correct for the "bitness" of the application program.

Helen