Connection Issues from Python to SAP SQLAnywhere Using ODBC Driver

[Oksana_Odoo]

I am experiencing connection issues when trying to connect to my SAP SQLAnywhere 17 database from Python using the sqlanydb package (version 1.0.11) and the ODBC driver (libdbodbc17_r.so). The connection works in some contexts but fails in others. Here are the details:

1. System Information:

   • Operating System: Ubuntu 24

   • Python Version: 3.10

   • SAP SQLAnywhere Version: 17

   • ODBC Driver Version: unixODBC 2.3.12

   • sqlanydb Library Version: 1.0.11

2. Error Details:

   • When attempting to initialize the connection, the application encounters an error at sqlany_init_ex, indicating a possible issue with the DB API context initialization.

   • ValueError: NULL pointer access is displayed in the debug logs when initializing dbcapi.

3. Environment Configuration:

   • ODBCINI=/etc/odbc.ini

   • ODBCSYSINI=/etc

   • SQLANY17=/opt/sqlanywhere17

   • LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/opt/sqlanywhere17/lib64:/opt/sqlanywhere17/lib32:/opt/sqlanywhere17/bin64/jre180/lib/amd64/client:/opt/sqlanywhere17/bin64/jre180/lib/amd64/server:/opt/sqlanywhere17/bin64/jre180/lib/amd64:/opt/sqlanywhere17/bin64/jre180/lib/amd64/native_threads:/opt/sqlanywhere17/lib64:/opt/sqlanywhere17/lib32:/opt/sqlanywhere17/bin64/jre180/lib/amd64/client:/opt/sqlanywhere17/bin64/jre180/lib/amd64/server:/opt/sqlanywhere17/bin64/jre180/lib/amd64:/opt/sqlanywhere17/bin64/jre180/lib/amd64/native_threads:

Relevant paths in /etc/odbcinst.ini and /etc/odbc.ini:

[SQL Anywhere 17]

Description=SAP SQL Anywhere 17 ODBC Driver

Driver=/opt/sqlanywhere17/lib64/libdbodbc17_r.so

Setup=/opt/sqlanywhere17/lib64/libdbodbc17_r.so

[SQLRemote]

Driver=/opt/sqlanywhere17/lib64/libdbodbc17_r.so

ServerName=XXX

DatabaseName=xxxxxx

CommLinks=tcpip(host=xx.xxx.xxx.xxx;port=18163)

UID=xxxxx

PWD=xxxxx

Tried switching between libdbodbc17_r.so and libdbcapi_r.so, but the issue persists.

1. Additional Observations:

Successful Terminal Connection: I can successfully connect to the database from the terminal using isql after sourcing the sa_config.sh file:
root@computer:/# source /opt/sqlanywhere17/bin64/sa_config.sh

root@computer:/# strace -t -f -o trace_out.txt isql -v SQLRemote xxxxxx xxxxxx

• This terminal connection returns a successful connection message, indicating that the database configuration and credentials are correct. The issue appears specific to the Python environment or interaction with sqlanydb.

Requested Assistance:

• Could you help identify any potential configuration issues that might cause sqlanydb to fail while isql connects successfully?

• Are there known compatibility issues with SQLAnywhere 17, sqlanydb 1.0.11, and unixODBC 2.3.12?

• Are additional debugging steps or logs I should review to help identify the issue?

[chris_keating]

In the same context that you execute python, I would run ldd on both libdbcapi_r.so and libdbcapi.so to ensure that all libraries are resolved. I would also compare the working and non-working environments for completeness.

[Oksana_Odoo · Accepted solution]

Dear Chris_Keating,

Thank you for your prompt response and guidance regarding my issue. I took your advice into account and examined the environment variables and configurations between the working and non-working setups.

This comparison allowed me to identify discrepancies and properly adjust the non-working environment. However, despite these changes, I still faced connection issues and continued to encounter errors when using sqlanydb. To troubleshoot further, I attempted to connect using an alternative library, pyodbc, and successfully established a connection.

Thank you again for your assistance!