SQuirrel SQL For IBM Connections

With the latest version Db2 (version 10.X) the native SQL client db2cc has been removed so you now need a separate SQL client for your admin work, this is a real ball ache, but something that us developers have been putting up with for ages, so I thought I would do a quick guide to install a nice SQL client for connections.

My recommendation for this is http://squirrel-sql.sourceforge.net/

why?

  • Been around for ages so well respected (even die hardened DBAs will acknowledge that your choice is not terrible)
  • FREE
  • Small footprint (just needs Java and you will already have that if you are doing connections dev/admin)
  • hellishly powerful
  • Uses IBM’s own jar files.
  • works on Win / Mac / Linux

There are tons of other options of course most, developers will be familiar with Eclipse SQL as that is the most common plug in for eclipse, where as some admins prefer Toad or IBM Data Studio

Once you have downloaded and run the install Jar you will only find one option worth mentioning, and that is to install the IBM DB2 option (just a tick box)

 

 

Everything else is just either next or picking the install directory

When you first open it you will get a screen like this

 

 

Click on the big “Drivers” button on the left hand side, and scroll down till you see “IBM DB2 App Driver” entry, you will see that like nearly all the other entries, it has a red X by it,

 

 

Now Double Click on the entry and in the pop up box, move to the “Extra Class Path” Tab

 

 

Next click on the “Add” button and go hunting for the driver Jar files, these are best to get of the DB2 server, they are:

db2jcc.jar

db2jcc_licence_cu.jar

and you will tend to find them in the directory

X:Program FilesIBMSQLLIBjava

where ever you have installed the db2 server

Once you have added them, change the “Class Name” drop down to

com.ibm.db2.jcc.DB2Driver

 

 

That’s you driver sorted, now make some connections

Click on the “Aliases” button then the “+” button to add a new Aliases

 

 

Select the driver you just setup, from the drop down field

Then in the URL field put the connection string for the database you want to get to in the format

jdbc:db2://XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX:50000/XXXX (port 50000 is the default port for db2)

for example

jdbc:db2://localdb2.ldc.com:50000/BLOGS

will get me the blogs database on my local server

for extra info here is the list of all the databases for the different connections Apps

Connections App: Files, DataBase: FILES

Connections App: Activities, DataBase: OPNACT

Connections App: Blogs, DataBase: BLOGS

Connections App: Communities, DataBase: SNCOMM

Connections App: Community Events, DataBase: SNCOMM

Connections App: BookMarks, DataBase: DOGEAR

Connections App: Forums, DataBase: FORUM

Connections App: HomePage , News, Search, DataBase: HOMEPAGE

Connections App: Metrics, DataBase: METRICS

Connections App: Mobile, DataBase: MOBILE

Connections App: Profiles, DataBase: PEOPLEDB

Connections App: Wiki, DataBase: WIKIS

Then just use enter the username and password (hint, you will NEVER get the lsuser account off your admin)

and click “OK”

 

 

You now have an alias that you can double click to connect to the specified database, you are going to have to create one for each of the Connections databases 🙁 , but you can make things easier by right clicking on a alias and copying it so you only have to make changes rather than start again.

 

 

But it does seem a a pain to make everybody do this full setup, you can cheat even more by copying the SQLAliases23.xml file (it’s normally in a hidden directory in the users home drive but varies according to the operating system) and using it to replace the one on your target PC, all the aliases will then appear already setup.

Finally before this turns into a Squirrel sql manual, you can double click each of the aliases and not only see the database tree and gain access to the tables, but run SQL queries via the SQL tab at the top of the screen just under the normal menus.

 

 

Have Fun!!

NOTE: I’m not a proper Connections / Web Sphere admin, If you want proper Web Sphere and Connections admin you want the Turtle Partnership

New Anime Series: Black Bullet

First Episode(s) Review for: Black Bullet
Summary:

After a terrible infestation / invasion from really nasty infecting monsters, mankind has retreated behind huge monoliths that keep the beasties at bay, any of them that get past are hunted down by red eyed young girls and their controllers, this is the story of one such pair.

Animation:

A lot of the early 2014 seasons seems to be filled with the slightly washed out cell style of animation, I have no complaints as it is one of the most distinctive things about anime, the only down side of this series is they seem to have done the cars in CGI which does not match quite right.

Plot Potential:

In the first 15 mins I did not think I would be going to pay more that cursory attention to the whole series as it seemed very much a stamped out of a template job, then they added a serious and deeper angle when it turns out that the very girls that are keeping humanity alive are treated like cattle and ostracised at every point (hell they even live in the sewers when they are not being used)

Music:

Opening is what other members of the household call “Aweseome”, not quite MP3 player quality as it needs a lot of context but still very rousing

Reminds me of:

Another one that is a lot like Aria the Scarlet Ammo but in a company setting a lot like Heat Guy J and monsters more like the D Gray-man

Overall:

I was initially unimpressed with this series particularly because it was using very young girls in quite an adult (violence wise) situation, but they have really stuck the knife in on the refugee and discrimination angle, this has given this series a lot more that its basic “remnants of humanity against the insect hordes” setting would indicate. a somewhat grim thumbs up.

 

 

 

Disclaimer: These are mini reviews of anime’s that are fresh out in Japan and are not licensed in the UK, buy them once they have been licensed or at the very least buy the merchandise, remember if the anime makers make a loss, THEY WILL STOP MAKING ANIME!!

Living Document: Connections Db Schema Versions

This page is just a living reference for thoese of us using the connections databases directly who want to make sure our code works by checking the db schemas before performing actions, you can see how to get these values in a previous post

If IBM would like to document this themselves (I know they wont as they dont want us near the dbs directly and want us to go via the APIs) I would be happy to bow out and point to their site 🙂

Connections App: Files

BD: FILES

Table: PRODUCT

Connections v4.0 BASE: 79

Connections v4.0 CR1: 79

Connections v4.0 CR2: 79

Connections v4.0 CR3: 79

Connections v4.0 CR4: 79

Connections v4.5 BASE: 82

Connections v4.5 CR1: 82

Connections v4.5 CR2: 82

Connections v4.5 CR3: 89

Connections v4.5 CR4: 89


Connections App: Activities

BD: OPNACT

Table: OA_SCHEMA

Connections v4.0 BASE: 53

Connections v4.0 CR1: 53

Connections v4.0 CR2: 53

Connections v4.0 CR3: 53

Connections v4.0 CR4: 53

Connections v4.5 BASE: 56

Connections v4.5 CR1: 56

Connections v4.5 CR2: 56

Connections v4.5 CR3: 56

Connections v4.5 CR4: 56


Connections App: Blogs

BD: BLOGS

Table: ROLLER_PROPERTIES

Connections v4.0 BASE: 43

Connections v4.0 CR1: 43

Connections v4.0 CR2: 43

Connections v4.0 CR3: 43

Connections v4.0 CR4: 43

Connections v4.5 BASE: 51

Connections v4.5 CR1: 51

Connections v4.5 CR2: 51

Connections v4.5 CR3: 51

Connections v4.5 CR4: 51


Connections App: Communities

BD: SNCOMM

Table: SNCOMM_SCHEMA

Connections v4.0 BASE: 76

Connections v4.0 CR1: 76

Connections v4.0 CR2: 76

Connections v4.0 CR3: 76

Connections v4.0 CR4: 76

Connections v4.5 BASE: 77

Connections v4.5 CR1: 77

Connections v4.5 CR2: 77

Connections v4.5 CR3: 77

Connections v4.5 CR4: 77


Connections App: Community Events

BD: SNCOMM

Table: CA_SCHEMA

Connections v4.0 BASE: 10

Connections v4.0 CR1: 10

Connections v4.0 CR2: 10

Connections v4.0 CR3: 10

Connections v4.0 CR4: 10

Connections v4.5 BASE: 15

Connections v4.5 CR1: 15

Connections v4.5 CR2: 15

Connections v4.5 CR3: 15

Connections v4.5 CR4: 15


Connections App: BookMarks

BD: DOGEAR

Table: DOGEAR_SCHEMA

Connections v4.0 BASE: 14

Connections v4.0 CR1: 14

Connections v4.0 CR2: 14

Connections v4.0 CR3: 14

Connections v4.0 CR4: 14

Connections v4.5 BASE: 15

Connections v4.5 CR1: 15

Connections v4.5 CR2: 15

Connections v4.5 CR3: 15

Connections v4.5 CR4: 15


Connections App: Forums

BD: FORUM

Table: DF_SCHEMA

Connections v4.0 BASE: 21

Connections v4.0 CR1: 21

Connections v4.0 CR2: 21

Connections v4.0 CR3: 21

Connections v4.0 CR4: 21

Connections v4.5 BASE: 27

Connections v4.5 CR1: 27

Connections v4.5 CR2: 27

Connections v4.5 CR3: 27

Connections v4.5 CR4: 27


Connections App: HomePage , News, Search

BD: HOMEPAGE

Table: HOMEPAGE_SCHEMA

Connections v4.0 BASE : 110

Connections v4.0 CR1 : 110

Connections v4.0 CR2 : 132

Connections v4.0 CR3 : 132

Connections v4.0 CR4 : 132

Connections v4.5 BASE: 210

Connections v4.5 CR1 : 210

Connections v4.5 CR2 : 210

Connections v4.5 CR3 : 211

Connections v4.5 CR4 : 213


Connections App: Metrics

BD: METRICS

Table: PRODUCT

Connections v4.0 CR2: 29

Connections v4.0 CR1: 29

Connections v4.0 CR2: 29

Connections v4.0 CR3: 30

Connections v4.0 CR4: 30

Connections v4.5 BASE: 34

Connections v4.5 CR1: 34

Connections v4.5 CR2: 37

Connections v4.5 CR3: 37

Connections v4.5 CR4: 37


Connections App: Mobile

BD: MOBILE

Table: ROLLER_PROPERTIES

Connections v4.0 BASE: 1

Connections v4.0 CR1: 1

Connections v4.0 CR2: 1

Connections v4.0 CR3: 1

Connections v4.0 CR4: 1

Connections v4.5 BASE: 1

Connections v4.5 CR1: 1

Connections v4.5 CR2: 1

Connections v4.5 CR3: 1

Connections v4.5 CR4: 2


Connections App: Profiles

BD: PEOPLEDB

Table: SNPROF_SCHEMA

Connections v4.0 BASE: 33

Connections v4.0 CR1: 33

Connections v4.0 CR2: 33

Connections v4.0 CR3: 33

Connections v4.0 CR4: 33

Connections v4.5 BASE: 36

Connections v4.5 CR1: 36

Connections v4.5 CR2: 36

Connections v4.5 CR3: 36

Connections v4.5 CR4: 36


Connections App: Wiki

BD: WIKIS

Table: PRODUCT

Connections v4.0 BASE: 79

Connections v4.0 CR1: 79

Connections v4.0 CR2: 79

Connections v4.0 CR3: 79

Connections v4.0 CR4: 79

Connections v4.5 BASE: 82

Connections v4.5 CR1: 89

Connections v4.5 CR2: 89

Connections v4.5 CR3: 89

Connections v4.5 CR4: 89


 

NOTE: All these tips are not officaliy sanctioned by IBM as they do not release DB schema info to the public, so you use them at your own risk, Also if IBM are reading this and I either have somthing wrong or you have documented this for the public, then please tell me and I will correct 🙂

NOTE: I’m not a proper Connections / Web Sphere admin, If you want proper Web Sphere and Connections admin you want the Turtle Partnership

New Anime Series: Akuma no riddle

First Episode(s) Review for: Akuma no Riddle
Summary:

A gifted and stone cold young female assassin is sent to a new class at school filled with other killers and one as yet unknown but seemingly obvious victim, all the killers imediatly start to size each other up, but the victom takes a shine to our little stone cold killer 🙂

Animation:

Clear cell animation with a slight hazy over tone, Very good human movements, lots of nice details and subtleties including blinking at times when it not needed, which added a lot of depth to the visualisation.

Plot Potential:

Well I don’t know, on the surface this seems to be a dead simple plot with the hardened heroine falling for the Innocent girl with the hard history, but there are so many lead characters and so many plot twist hints that I have no idea whats going to happen next for example Haru’s “dusty smell”: is that a “sunny smell” as one characters thinks or is the the smells of crypts and things brought back to life

Music:

Hard Rock for both beginning and end, good tunes, the opening will I suspect be listened to about 4 times before I start to skip, the ending maybe twice.

Reminds me of:

Aria the Scarlet Ammo with characters from Deadman Wonderland

Overall:

Riveting if slightly dark watching trying to figure out where this is going as well as the shear enjoyment of them trying to pack so many primary characters in to one anime, it is a bit overwhelming in places and I had a couple of WTF! moments and had to flip back the timeline and watch again, but it has the making of a fun anime, let us hope it lives up to its promise.

 

 

 

Disclaimer: These are mini reviews of anime’s that are fresh out in Japan and are not licensed in the UK, buy them once they have been licensed or at the very least buy the merchandise, remember if the anime makers make a loss, THEY WILL STOP MAKING ANIME!!