BusinessObjects Enterprise Administrator's Guide

ODBC drivers

If you design reports off ODBC data sources (on Windows), you must set up the corresponding data sources on the Job Server and Page Server machines. In addition, you must ensure that each server is set up properly for ODBC. During the installation, BusinessObjects Enterprise installs ODBC drivers for UNIX, creates configuration files and templates related to ODBC reporting, and sets up the required ODBC environment variables. This section discusses the installed environment, along with the information that you need to edit.

Note:    

ODBC environment variables

The environment variables related to ODBC reporting are: the library path that corresponds to your operating system (LD_LIBRARY_PATH on Sun Solaris, LIBPATH on IBM AIX, and so on), ODBC_HOME, and ODBCINI    . The BusinessObjects Enterprise installation includes a file called env.csh that is sourced automatically every time you start the BusinessObjects Enterprise servers with the CCM. Thus, the environment for the Job Server and Page Server is set up automatically:

Modify the environment variables in the env.csh script only if you have customized your configuration of ODBC. The main ODBC configuration file that you need to modify is the system information file.

Working with the ODBC system information file

The system information file (.odbc.ini) is created in the HOME directory of the user account under which you installed BusinessObjects Enterprise (typically the crystal user account). In this file, you define each of the ODBC data sources (DSNs) that the Job Server and Page Server need in order to process your reports. The BusinessObjects Enterprise installation completes most of the required information—such as the location of the ODBC directory and the name and location of each installed ODBC driver—and shows where you need to provide additional information.

Tip:    A template of the system information file is installed to INSTALL_ROOT/bobje/defaultodbc.ini

The following example shows the contents of a system information file that defines a single ODBC DSN for servers running on UNIX. This DSN allows the Job Server and Page Server to process reports based on a System DSN (on Windows) called CRDB2:

[ODBC Data Sources]

CRDB2=MERANT 3.70 DB2 ODBC Driver

[CRDB2]

Driver=/opt/bobje/enterprise115/platform/odbc/lib/crdb216.so

Description=MERANT 3.70 DB2 ODBC Driver

Database=myDB2server

LogonID=username

[ODBC]

Trace=0

TraceFile=odbctrace.out

TraceDll=/opt/bobje/enterprise115/platform/odbc/lib/odbctrac.so

InstallDir=/opt/bobje/enterprise115/platform/odbc

As shown in the example above, the system information file is structured in three major sections:

When the installation creates the system information file, it completes some fields and sets up a number of default DSNs—one for each of the installed ODBC drivers. The standard options that are commonly required for each driver are included in the file (Database=, LogonID=, and so on). Edit the file and provide the corresponding values that are specific to your reporting environment.

This example shows the entire contents of a system information file created when BusinessObjects Enterprise was installed to the /usr/local directory.

[ODBC Data Sources]

CRDB2=MERANT 3.70 DB2 ODBC Driver

CRINF_CL=MERANT 3.70 Informix Dynamic Server ODBC Driver

CROR8=MERANT 3.70 Oracle8 ODBC Driver

CRSS=MERANT 3.70 SQL Server ODBC Driver

CRSYB=MERANT 3.70 Sybase ASE ODBC Driver

CRTXT=MERANT 3.70 Text ODBC Driver

[CRDB2]

Driver=/usr/local/bobje/enterprise115/platform/odbc/lib/crdb216.so

Description=MERANT 3.70 DB2 ODBC Driver

Database=

LogonID=

[CRINF_CL]

Driver=/usr/local/bobje/enterprise115/platform/odbc/lib/crifcl16.so

Description=MERANT 3.70 Informix Dynamic Server ODBC Driver

ServerName=

HostName=

PortNumber=

Database=

LogonID=

[CROR8]

Driver=/usr/local/bobje/enterprise115/platform/odbc/lib/cror816.so

Description=MERANT 3.70 Oracle8 ODBC Driver

ServerName=

ProcedureRetResults=1

LogonID=

[CRSS]

Driver=/usr/local/bobje/enterprise115/platform/odbc/lib/crmsss16.so

Description=MERANT 3.70 SQL Server ODBC Driver

Address=

Database=

QuotedId=Yes

LogonID=

[CRSYB]

Driver=/usr/local/bobje/enterprise115/platform/odbc/lib/crase16.so

Description=MERANT 3.70 Sybase ASE ODBC Driver

NetworkAddress=

Database=

LogonID=

[CRTXT]

Driver=/usr/local/bobje/enterprise115/platform/odbc/lib/crtxt16.so

Description=MERANT 3.70 Text ODBC Driver

Database=

[ODBC]

Trace=0

TraceFile=odbctrace.out

TraceDll=/usr/local/bobje/enterprise115/platform/odbc/lib/odbctrac.so

InstallDir=/usr/local/bobje/enterprise115/platform/odbc

Adding a DSN to the default ODBC system information file

When you need to add a new DSN to the installed system information file (.odbc.ini) file, first add the new DSN to the bottom of the [ODBC Data Sources] list. Then add the corresponding [dsn] definition just before the [ODBC] section.

For example, suppose that you have a Crystal report that uses ODBC drivers to report off your Oracle8 database. The report is based off a System DSN (on Windows) called SalesDB. To create the corresponding DSN, first append this line to the [ODBC Data Sources] section of the system information file:

SalesDB=MERANT 3.70 Oracle8 ODBC Driver

Then define the new DSN by adding the following lines just before the system information file's [ODBC] section:

[SalesDB]

Driver=/usr/local/bobje/enterprise115/platform/odbc/lib/cror816.so

Description=MERANT 3.70 Oracle8 ODBC Driver

ServerName=MyServer

ProcedureRetResults=1

LogonID=MyUserName

Once you have added this information, the new DSN is available to the Job Server and Page Server, so they can process reports that are based off the SalesDB System DSN (on Windows).



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