Question Re: using hdbsql in shell script and query database in Technology Q&A

using hdbsql in shell script and query database

qwertie — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 06:47:08 GMT

Hello,

i want to use hdbsql in a shell script, to run a query for checking database backups. Unfortunately i am only able to login with hdbuserstorekey in my script after that the select statement does not work (select "command not found")

SAPSTRING=$(find /usr/sap/ccms -maxdepth 2 -type d -name sapccmsr | head -n 1 | cut -c 15-17) HDBSTRING=$(/usr/bin/cat /usr/sap/"$SAPSTRING"/SYS/profile/DEFAULT.PFL | grep dbs/hdb/dbname | awk {' print$3'}) echo "HDB System ID ----------> " $HDBSTRING declare -l HDBSIDADM HDBSIDADM=$HDBSTRING'adm' HDBBACKUPTEST=$(sudo su - "$HDBSIDADM" -c 'hdbsql -c ";" "\c -U HDBUSERSTOREKEY ";" select * from "SYS"."M_BACKUP_CATALOG" " ' )

this results in

-bash: select * from SYS.M_BACKUP_CATALOG : command not found

seems like that after the successful connect with hdbuserstorekey, it closes the connection and so the select command is not known.

any ideas?

thanks in advance

Re: using hdbsql in shell script and query database

Dan_Cummins — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 02:54:43 GMT

Hello,

Re: using hdbsql in shell script and query database

Dan_Cummins — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 02:59:54 GMT

Hello,
I was able to reproduce the issue on a local test system.
I got around it by simplifying the hdbsql command as follows:

HDBBACKUPTEST=$(sudo su - "$HDBSIDADM" -c 'hdbsql -U HDBUSERSTOREKEY " select * from "SYS"."M_BACKUP_CATALOG" " ' )

In the example above I took out the ";" which I assumed was causing the command to get broken. I see that the original command was trying to use \c and ; for multiline mode, but I'm not sure that you need that.

If you need to embed a more complex hdbsql command, I'd suggest embedding the command into its own environment variable using a heredoc, similar to this:

HDBSQL_CMD=$(cat <<'EOSQL'
hdbsql -U HDBUSERSTOREKEY "select \* from \"SYS\".\"M_BACKUP_CATALOG\""
EOSQL
)

That may help you avoid issues with the quoting later on.

I hope this helps,
Kind regards,
Dan

Re: using hdbsql in shell script and query database

CharlesFeng — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 03:05:10 GMT

Hi @qwertie ,

In the past, I encountered similar errors. I resolved them by placing the hdbsql commands in a file and then calling it from the shell script.
I suggest you try this approach.

Best regards,
Charles

Re: using hdbsql in shell script and query database

qwertie — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 11:48:46 GMT

Hello Dan,

thank you very much for clarification. It did the trick and script is working now 🙂

Best regards

qwertie