When starting and running, Sybase IQ must find and access several types of files. Understanding how Sybase IQ finds these files is important, to ensure that the correct files are used. Several directories or files with identical names may reside on a system. Sybase IQ uses both Adaptive Server Enterprise and Adaptive Server Anywhere libraries. (If either of these products have already been installed on your system, you should know the directory where they are installed, to avoid confusion.)
The types of files include but are not limited to:
Libraries – might include product libraries, system libraries, or Adaptive Server Enterprise libraries. File name extensions include .so.nnn or .so on UNIX (.sl.nnn or .sl on HP), or .dll or .lib on Windows. These files are required to run Sybase IQ. If an incorrect DLL is located, for example, there is the possibility of version mismatch errors. For example, library files might be found in $ASDIR/lib or $SYBASE/$SYBASE_OCS/lib on UNIX, or %ASDIR%\win32 or %SYBASE\%SYBASE_OCS\dll on Windows. An empty directory, $ASDIR/usrlib, lets you supersede default libraries with custom libraries and patches, because start_asiq includes usrlib before regular library directories.
Interface files – required to run Sybase IQ. For example, .odbc.ini and utility_db.ini on UNIX, and util_db.ini on Windows. For more information about these files, see Chapter 4, “Configuring Sybase IQ” in the Sybase IQ Installation and Configuration Guide.
Configuration files – used to specify connection parameters. Examples include default.cfg on Windows or asiqdemo.cfg.
Database files – store the data and metadata. For example: asiqdemo.db, asiqdemo.iq, asiqdemo.iqmsg, asiqdemo.iqtmp.
Log files – store information about the current session on the server and connected database. For example, a server log might be named ASIQ-12_7/logfiles/janed_asiqdemo.006.srvlog. The database log (for example, ASIQ-12_7/demo/asiqdemo.log) is created when you connect to the database and stored in the directory where the server is started. For more information about these files, see the Sybase IQ Installation and Configuration Guide.
Product scripts – are sample files that show how to create, populate, and upgrade databases.
User files – include flat files used with the LOAD command and SQL scripts used with tools such as Interactive SQL.
Temporary files – created by Sybase IQ to store temporary information for operations like performing sorts for queries.
Some file names are specified in SQL statements and must be located at runtime. Examples of SQL statements that use file names include the following:
INSTALL statement – the name of the file that holds Java classes.
LOAD TABLE statement – the name of the file from which data should be loaded.
CREATE DATABASE statement – A file name is needed for this statement and similar statements that can create files.
In some cases, Sybase IQ uses a simple algorithm to locate files. In other cases, a more extensive search is carried out.
