Getting Started with SAND CDBMS: Basic Steps
2. Starting a Database Instance

Prerequisites

Before starting the database instance, make sure that you have included a [DATABASE instance-name] section in the nucleus.ini file (located in the SAND CDBMS SUPPORT directory as specified in the NUCLEUS variable): for the purposes of this exercise, instance-name will be the same as the actual database name. This section must include the DatabasePath parameter, specifying the location of the database-name.n00 file created in the previous step:

UNIX:
[DATABASE test]
DatabasePath=/usr/sand/testdb

Windows:
[DATABASE test]
DatabasePath=X:\TESTDB

Also, when starting a database instance with nserv, you must include the name of a connection. This refers to a section of the nucleus.ini file, with the header [CONNECTION connection-name], containing parameters that specify the name of the host computer on which the nserv process will run, and the number of the operating system port on which nserv will listen for connection requests from clients:

[CONNECTION test_alpha1]
Host=alpha1
Port=50501

Note that the connection name that follows the CONNECTION keyword in the header, and which is specified in the nserv invocation, can be any string up to 31 characters long, and is not case-sensitive.

For more information about the nucleus.ini file, consult the SAND CDBMS Administration Guide.

Tip:
If a non-existent database is specified in the nserv invocation, the database file will be created automatically at the location specified by the DatabasePath parameter (unless the instance is set to run in Virtual or Persistent mode; for more information about operating modes, consult the SAND CDBMS Tools Reference Guide).

Starting an Instance of the Database with nserv

To start a database instance:

1. Make the appropriate entries in the nucleus.ini file, then save the file.

2. Invoke the nserv program, specifying the connection name that corresponds to the nucleus.ini CONNECTION section containing the correct host and port specification, followed by the instance name from the DATABASE section header:

nserv connection-name instance-name

For example:

nserv test_alpha1 test

The nserv banner appears, followed by a message indicating the port on which nserv is listening:

Listening on port 50501...

If the specified database is a new one, nserv displays the following message while the internal structure of the database is being set up (this may take several minutes):

Creating new database catalog structure

When instance startup is complete, nserv displays the following message:

Accepting connections

 

Next step:
Connect to the database instance using the nisqlm utility