ReadMe - FrontBase 2.x on Windows NT
1. Introduction
FrontBase is a high performance SQL 92 compliant relational database server. FrontBase has been developed in the internet age, for the internet by internet specialists.
The basic package is called E-starter, which contains a free non-expiring license. The E-starter package is a fully networked version with the only constraint being that it comes with no support. There is no connection or user limit.
2. The components of the FrontBase configuration for Windows NT
| a) | FBExec | The FBExec is a service background process that is typically started automatically when the computer is restarted. The FBExec provides status, management and access information to all client applications. | |||
| b) | FrontBase | FrontBase is the actual database server. There is a FrontBase process running for each running database. A FrontBase process is typically started by various management applications, but can also be started from the command line. | |||
| c) | sql92 | A command line tool for managing and accessing databases. sql92 will let you create/start/stop databases, connect to databases, and execute SQL statements. | |||
| d) | FBWebEnabler | A background process that services requests from the FBWebManager application. Please note that the FBWebEnabler can manage databases on all hosts in a network with a FrontBase installation. | |||
| e) | FBWebManager | A small program that is started by the Web server whenever a service request (request/response loop) is received from a client browser. The FBWebManager forwards the request to the FBWebEnabler, waits for a reply and forwards this to the Web server (e.g. Apache). | |||
| f) | FBCAccess | A C library providing the API that allows client applications to administrate and connect to FrontBase databases. | |||
| g) | FBAccess | A Cocoa framework providing the API that allows Cocoa applications to administrate and connect to FrontBase databases. | |||
| h) | EOF Adaptor | A Cocoa framework providing the functionality required by the Enterprise Objects Framework from Apple Computer, Inc. | |||
| i) | FBDatabaseManager | A Cocoa application for managing databases. The FBDatabaseManager also contains an "sql92" functionality; i.e. SQL statements can be sent to a FrontBase database for execution. Please note that the FBDatabaseManager can manage databases on all hosts in a network with a FrontBase installation. | |||
| j) | FBDatabaseEditor | A Cocoa application for managing database schema and content. Please note that the FBDatabaseEditor can manage databases on all hosts in a network with a FrontBase installation. |
3. The innards of a FrontBase installation
FrontBase is installed into a number of directories on the target computer system. The core installation directory (FrontBase home directory) is /usr/local.
The subdirectory structure of the core installation directory is as follows:
Collations Collation files (COLLATIONs are a SQL 92 concept) Databases All databases and the associated log files Library Various files used by the FrontBase server process Translations Translation files (TRANSLATIONs are a SQL 92 concept) bin The executable components include Header files for e.g. the FBCAccess library lib Client side libraries ReadMe.txt This file.
The Windows NT specific components should be installed in:
FBDatabaseManager FBDatabaseEditor <drive>:/Program Files/FrontBase Tools FBAccess FrontBaseEOAdaptor <drive>:/Apple/Library/Frameworks
4. Download and Installation
FrontBase can be downloaded from http://www.frontbase.com/download/download.html.
Once you have downloaded the .zip file, you should unzip the file using whatever tool you prefer. The unzip process should yield 3 .exe files; double-click on each of these files and install them according to the instructions provided by the installer application.
5. Post installation
Once you have installed FrontBase it is a good idea to include <drive>:/usr/FrontBase/bin in the search path of the various accounts that will use the FrontBase tools. This step is not necessary, but it can make your command line tool life easier.
If you have installed FrontBase on a drive different from C:, you need to define a system wide environment variable called FB_HOME_DRIVE which is to point to the drive with the FrontBase installation, e.g. F:. Bring up the Control Panel (Start->Settings->Control Panel), double-click on the System icon and add the FB_HOME_DRIVE system environment variable.
You then need to define the FBExec as an NT service. Bring up a shell, e.g. a Bourne or DOS shell, and enter the following command:
<drive>:/usr/FrontBase/bin/FBExec -install
Start the FBExec service using the Service Control Manager (Start->Settings->Control Panel, double.click on the Services icon). Using the service Control Manager, you can also specify that the FBExec service is to be started automatically whenever the computer is restarted.
You can verify that FBExec now is running by launching the "Windows NT Task Manager" (Ctrl-Alt-Del, click on Task Manager).
Similar steps can be taken to install the database server itself. Usually the FBManager application will do this, but if you don't use that you can install each database instance as an service. For each database do:
<drive>:/usr/FrontBase/bin/FrontBase -install <database-name>
You can then use the Services control panel on Windows NT to start and stop the databases. First time you start a database, the database files will be created (in <drive>:/usr/FrontBase/Databases).
6. sql92 - super brief introduction
sql92 is an interactive command line tool which currently isn't available on NT, but is planned made available in Q3 2000.
7. Getting started
7.1 sql92 command line tool
See Section 6. as concerns the availability of sql92 on Windows NT.
First open a terminal window and launch the sql92 tool:
<drive>:/usr/FrontBase/bin/sql92
Enter the following sql92 commands (the semicolons are important):
create database firstdb; connect to firstdb user _system; create user test; commit; disconnect current; connect to firstdb user test; values(server_name); disconnect current; connect to firstdb user _system; delete database;
Congratulations! You have just created a database, connected to it three times, created a new user, committed a transaction, and deleted a database. It is as simple as that!
7.2 FBWebManager
The FBWebManager isn't currently available on NT, but is planned made available in Q3 2000.
The FBWebManager allows you to use a normal Web browser as the interface to managing and accessing FrontBase databases in your network. Once the FBWebManager has been installed on some computer in your network, you can use a Web browser on any computer in your network to interface it.
Assuming that you have successfully installed the FBWebManager (and the FBWebEnabler), you can connect to it from a normal Web browser by using a standard URL:
http://<host name or IP address>/cgi-bin/FBWebManager
The <host name or IP address> designates the host on which the FBWebEnabler/FBWebManager combo is installed. If this is your local machine, you can use:
http://localhost/cgi-bin/FBWebManager
| 1. | Click on the "CREATE" menu item (in the left-hand side of the browser window). | ||
| 2. | On the new page, enter the hostname (on which you want to create a database), firstdb as the name of the database and click on the "Create" button. | ||
| 3. | Assuming that you entered proper host and database names, an icon is added for the new database. You may have to click "Refresh" before the icon is shown as solid green (indicating that the database is now running). | ||
| 4. | Click on the green icon so it gets a yellowish background and click on the "CONNECT" menu item (left hand side of the browser window). | ||
| 5. | Enter _SYSTEM as user name and click on the "Connect" button. | ||
| 6. | On the new page, which is titled "DATABASE: <DATABASE NAME>@<HOST NAME>", click on the "User" menu item (button). | ||
| 7. | Click on the "Add new user" button; enter test as the "New user name" and click on the "Add" button. | ||
| 8. | Go back to the overview page (click on "DATABASE MONITOR VIEW"), select the green icon denoting the firstdb database and click on the "CONNECT" menu item. | ||
| 9. | Enter the proper hostname, test as user name and click on the "Connect" button. | ||
| 10. | In the "Commands" text field enter VALUES(SERVER_NAME); and click on the "Execute" button. | ||
| 11. | One row should be returned and displayed. In the log text field, you should now see the SQL statement together with some statistics. | ||
| 12. | Go back to the overview page (click on "DATABASE MONITOR VIEW"), select the green icon denoting the firstdb database and click on the "DELETE" menu item. |
Congratulations! You have just created a database, connected to it twice, created a new user, committed a transaction, stopped and deleted a database. It is as simple as that!
7.3 FBDatabaseManager
Locate the FBDatabaseManager application (<drive>:/Program Files/FrontBase Tools) and double-click on the icon to launch it.
| 1. | Click on the main menu item "Database->Create..." enter the proper host name, click on the "Add" button, enter a database name and click on the "Select" button. You should now see an icon inserted into the "Monitored Databases" window, with the icon becoming green indicating that the database has been created and is running. | ||
| 2. | Double-click on the green icon; enter _SYSTEM as user name and click on the "Connect" button. | ||
| 3. | Click on the User tab in the management window that has appeared, click on the "Add new user..." button, enter test as the user name and hit return. | ||
| 4. | Close the management window. | ||
| 5. | Double-click on the green icon once more; enter test as the user name and click on the "Connect" button. | ||
| 6. | Click on the sql92 in the management window. | ||
| 7. | Enter the following in the scrollable text view: VALUES(SERVER_NAME);, and press the escape key. A window displaying a single row with information about the server appears. | ||
| 8. | Close the management window. | ||
| 9. | Select the green icon, i.e. it should have a white background. | ||
| 10. | Click on the main menu item "Database->Stop". The icon now ends up being gray indicating that the database is now stopped. | ||
| 11. | Click on the main menu item "Database->Delete" and confirm the action. |
Congratulations! You have just created a database, connected to it twice, created a new user, committed a transaction, stopped and deleted a database. It is as simple as that!
8. Transactions - please read
Transactions are started automatically by the server when needed. Most SQL statements need a transaction. A COMMIT or a ROLLBACK (SQL statements) ends the current transaction.
Most of the FrontBase tools use, as default transaction settings, SERIALIZABLE, WRITE, PESSIMISTIC, which has the consequence that access to referenced tables is effectively serialized.
The user may change the defaults according to the SQL 92 specification.
When you are working with the FrontBase tools, you should always remember to COMMIT or ROLLBACK transactions in order not to block the access to the database.
If you try to access a table and it seems that your application or tool doesn't do anything, it is most likely waiting for some other session to COMMIT or ROLLBACK an active transaction. Neither your application/tool nor the FrontBase server is hanging!
FrontBase 2.0 offers a feature called AUTO COMMIT, i.e. a way to tell the server that it should automatically commit each statement that is successfully executed. The sql92 command line tool uses, as default, this feature.
You can control the AUTO COMMIT feature by executing the following statements:
SET COMMIT FALSE; -- Turns off AUTO COMMIT SET COMMIT TRUE; -- Turns on AUTOCOMMIT
9. Documentation
The documentation for the FrontBase database server can be found on:
http://www.frontbase.com/docs/index.html
Please take the time to peruse this documentation, so you at least have a good feeling for what's in there.
The documentation as a whole can be downloaded as one document for offline perusal and reference.
10. Installing a license string
Once you have obtained a valid license string, it must be installed on the computer where FrontBase is installed. You can use the FBDatabaseManager to install the license or use your favorite text editor. If you want to use a text editor, the instructions are as follows:
Create a new file with a single line consisting of the 64-character license string, followed by a colon (:) and the 16-character license check, i.e. a total of 81 characters.
Save this file into:
<drive>:/usr/FrontBase/LicenseString
Once the license string has been installed, you need to restart all running FrontBase databases.
If you are in doubt as to whether the license string has been installed correctly, you can try to start FrontBase from a shell:
<drive>:/usr/FrontBase/bin/FrontBase -console <database name>
If there are problems with the license string, FrontBase will print out error messages.