Connecting to MS SQL 6.x+ via Openlink/PHP/ODBC mini-HOWTO

Connecting to MS SQL 6.x+ via Openlink/PHP/ODBC mini-HOWTO
Zili Zhang, [email protected]
3.0, 1999-07-15

How to connect to MS SQL 6.x+ database server via ODBC functions of
PHP3(3.0.1x or above) compiled with Openlink drivers under Linux.
______________________________________________________________________

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

1.1 Copyright
1.2 Disclaimer

2. Openlink

2.1 On the Client
2.2 On the Server
2.3 Configuration Before Test
2.4 Text with

3. PHP

4. Example

5. FAQ

______________________________________________________________________

1. Introduction

This document describes how to connect to MS SQL 6.x+ database server
via ODBC functions of PHP3(3.0.1x or above) compiled with Openlink
drivers under Linux.

In the Unix world, people may hate to be invoked with any M$ related
software. However, in the real world, the boss may require you to
store data in a MS SQL database on NT and run web application on
Linux. What to do? Quit the job or sit down to read this document? If
you choose latter, I will give you a detailed installation guide so
that you can keep the job for a while. It is a How-to guide, not a
Why-so guide. So don't ask me why abc instead of cba. I don't know
either.

PHP is becoming more and more popular in web programmers, mainly
because it can be configured to connect to various databases like
Oracle, MySQL, Solid and so on. But for a MS SQL server, the problem
is different. Though you can use PHP's Sybase-ct support features to
directly connect to MSSQL, many people (at least me) prefer to connect
via ODBC.

Utilizing Openlink ODBC middleware, you can use those ODBC_xxxx
functions to connect to all the database Openlink has a driver for.
You have to install Openlink Linux client and Server middleware and
re-compile PHP to support ODBC functions. In the end, I made a script
sample for reference.

1.1. Copyright

Copyright (c) 1999 by Zili Zhang

Please freely copy and distribute (sell or give away) this document in
any format. It's requested that corrections and/or comments be
forwarded to the document maintainer. You may create a derivative work
and distribute it provided that you:

� Send your derivative work (in the most suitable format such as
sgml) to the LDP (Linux Documentation Project) or the like for
posting on the Internet. If not the LDP, then let the LDP know
where it is available.

� License the derivative work with this same license or use GPL.
Include a copyright notice and at least a pointer to the license
used.

� Give due credit to previous authors and major contributors.

If you're considering making a derived work other than a translation,
it's requested that you discuss your plans with the current
maintainer.

1.2. Disclaimer

The following document is offered in good faith as comprising only
safe configuration and procedures. No responsibility is accepted by
the author for any loss or damage caused in any way to any person or
equipment, as a direct or indirect consequence of following these
instructions.

This document was derived from the plain text entry found on
http://www.silen.net/openlink-php-odbc.txt
<http://www.silen.net/openlink-php-odbc.txt>.

2. Openlink

This step is a little bit complicated. You have to done works on both
sides of your Linux client machine and NT server.

2.1. On the Client

� From ftp://www.openlinksw.com/ <ftp://www.openlinksw.com/>,
download install.sh and likoxglc.taz (for a libc6 system) or
likoxxxx.taz (for a libc5 system).

� mkdir /usr/local/openlink

� copy install.sh and likoxglc.taz into /usr/local/openlink

� cd /usr/local/openlink

� sh install.sh, the install script will ask you the owner and group
of the program. It will extract things to odbcsdk directory under
/usr/local/openlink and copy a .odbc.ini into the owner's home
directory.

2.2. On the Server

� From ftp://www.openlinksw.com/ <ftp://www.openlinksw.com/>,
download ntadm65x.zip onto your NT server.
� unzip ntadm65x.zip

� cd disk1 - directory of where you unzip the package.

� execute setup and follow the instructions to install the Openlink
middleware.

� remember to start Openlink request broker from start menu or
service control panel.

2.3. Configuration Before Test

� keep the .odbc.ini file in your home directory.

� copy the udbc.ini from the bin directory of Openlink middleware
install directory to the /etc directory of client.

� customize /etc/udbc.ini. In [dsn_sql6] section, change the host,
database, username and password entries to fit your server
settings. Here is part of my /etc/udbc.ini:

[dsn_sql6]
Host = 10.0.0.1
ServerType = sql6
;ServerOptions =
Database = pubs
;FetchBufferSize = 30
UserName = sa
Password = xxxxxxx

� add to your environment
LD_LIBRARY_PATH='/usr/local/openlink/odbcsdk/lib' and export it. In
csh shell, type: setenv LD_LIBRARY_PATH
/usr/local/openlink/odbcsdk/lib

2.4. Text with odbctest

� cd /usr/local/openlink/odbcsdk/examples

� ./odbctest

� type: dsn=dsn_sql6

� when 'sql>' appears, you can execute your sql clauses to test the
connection.

3. PHP

Now we have Openlink and can go to PHP compilation. Note for this
version, PHP 3.0.10 or above is required to make things work.

� From http://www.php.net <http://www.php.net/>, download
php-3.0.11.tar.gz

� Perform the following steps:

gzip -dc php-3.0.11.tar.gz|tar -xof -

cd php-3.0.11

./configure --with-openlink (--with-mysql --with-gd=/usr/local/gd1.3 --enable-track-vars)

NOTE: My configuration is to run PHP as CGI mode, support mysql,
as well. Your configuration may be different.

make --silent

NOTE: Don't mind if there are warning messages.

make install

These will install php executable into /usr/local/bin. Before you
execute php, copy the library files under /usr/local/open�
link/odbcsdk/lib into /usr/lib to make it easier for php to find open�
link libraries (I know there are better methods).

4. Example

Please refers to PHP manual for ODBC functions. Here is my example
code odbc.php3: (Note that odbc_num_rows() will not return anything,
so you must repeately call odbc_fetch_row() to get that number.)

<?
/* some environment variables, you can test to comment them out to see
* if things still work.
*/
putenv("LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/local/openlink/odbcsdk/lib");
putenv("UDBCINI=/etc/udbc.ini");
putenv("ODBCINI=/root/.odbc.ini");
putenv("DebugFile=/tmp/udbc.out"); // debug trace output

$dsn="DSN=dsn_main"; // note 'DSN=' is required
$user="sa";
$password="xxxxxxx";

$sql="SELECT * FROM titles";

/* directly execute mode */
if ($conn_id=odbc_connect("$dsn",$user,$password)){
echo "connected to DSN: $dsn ";
if($result_id=odbc_do($conn_id, $sql)) {
echo "executing '$sql' ";
$num_fields=odbc_num_fields($result_id);
if($num_fields>0){
echo "Number of fields:
$num_fields ";
for($i=1;$i<=$num_fields;$i++){

$field_name[$i-1]=odbc_field_name($result_id,$i);
}
$num_rows=0;
while(odbc_fetch_row($result_id)){
for($i=1;$i<=$num_fields;$i++){

$result[$num_rows][$field_name[$i-1]]=odbc_result($result_id,$i);
}
$num_rows++;
}
echo "Number of rows: $num_rows ";
}else{
echo "not a field returned. ";
}
echo "Results: ";
for($i=0;$i<sizeof($result);$i++){
while(list($key,$value)=each($result[$i])){
echo "$i:$key=$value ";
}
}
echo "freeing result ";
odbc_free_result($result_id);
}else{
echo "can not execute '$sql' ";
}
echo "closing connection $conn_id";
odbc_close($conn_id);
}else{
echo "can not connect to DSN: $dsn ";
}
?>

5. FAQ

� Does this exact procedure work for MSSQL 7.0?

Yes, Openlink will upgrade their software to 7.0, but I don't know
when.

� I followed this document step by step to install the openlink
drivers but I stopped at the "install ntadm65x.zip" step. After I
installed ntadm65x I tried to start the OpenLink Request Broker and
got the error:

unable to open the service control manager <5>
press RETURN to exit oplrqb

Could you please tell me how I can fix that problem?

This should be a problem with NT itself. try restart the computer and
then start openlink service from Control Panel/service manager.