Portable version of SA and MobiLink

[Vlad]

Hello everyone,

I assume that this question cannot be answered positively, or maybe I am the first one who asks this, but I want to know whether it is possible to get (build from the installed, for instance) the portable version of SqlAnywhere and MobiLink components?

Sometimes I change my workplace, and I do not want to install SA on Windows, because either I do not have rights, or I do not want to pollute the registry or "Program Files" with the application stuff. It is simpler for me to have everything in the USB stick, and use shell files to start the server and work with it. This also helps me to backup and recover my software quickly, if I need this.

What do you usually do in such situations? Do you always use the remote server and the Sybase Central that you somehow carry with you, or you install the server, bite off...copy binaries and remove it?

Thank you in advance for your thoughts, suggestions and the experience.
Vlad

[regdomaratzki · Accepted solution]

Point #1: Everything I say here assumes that you have proper SQL Anywhere Licenses to do what you want to do on the machine in question.

Point #2: If what I suggest doesn't work, run the SQL Anywhere install.

On my development machine, I have 11 different versions of SQL Anywhere "installed", and I have never run the SQL Anywhere install on my developement machine in the 18+ years I've been developing the product. I always simply copy binaries from our build machines, which places newly build binaries in a directory structure that is the same structure used by our installer (that's important!). When I want to run a specfic version of SQL Anywhere, I open a DOS prompt, and run a batch file to setup the environment for that specific version. They'll be nothing in the start menu, and nothing in the SYSTEM PATH, so you'll have to run everything from the DOS prompt, which IMHO is the Right Way To Do Things anyway.

What's the minimum :

• Set SQLANY17 environment varaible
• Add %SQLANY17%\\bin64 to the PATH

Optional Stuff :

• Run "regsvr32 %SQLANY17%\\bin64\\dbodbc17.dll" to register the SQL Anywhere ODBC Driver. Note that you can run regsrv32 /u to un-register the driver when you're done.

• For Sybase Central, a neat trick that most people don't know is that you can run "scjview -batch" and it will create a scjview.bat file in the current directory that shows the java command (and CLASSPATH) used to start Sybase Central. This file can easily be modified to use the SQLANY17 environment variable, renamed and placed wherever (maybe %SQLANY17%\\bin64).

• If you're using .NET Assemblies, you might need to register the assemblies you are using in the GAC with gacutil. I think gacutil is typically only installed with Visual Studio or MS SDKes, so I wouldn't assume it's on whatever system you're using. I've no idea what the licensing requirements are for moving gacutil around, and I don't know how I'd register an assembly without it from the DOS prompt. I've always used it because it's there from my MS SDK installs. Add using "gacutil /i %SQLANY17%\\assembly\\v3.5\\Sap.MobiLink.Script.dll" and remove using "gacutil /u Sap.MobiLink.Script".

• Set SQLANYSAMP17 environment variable. I think some of the samples might still rely on this environment variable. I still do this in my batch files, but it might be a holdover from v8.0.3 or something...

Hope tht helps. Please remember to ensure that you are properly licensed for whatever you do, so I enventually get paid. 🙂

Reg

[MarkCulp · Accepted solution]

I'll add that depending on the components that you need to use you may be able to use an even simpler "installation". For example, for by testing of the database server I typically just copy all of the needed files into a single directory, add the directory to my PATH, and start the server. This won't work if you are using Sybase/SQL Central or dbisql ... but does work if you use dbisqlc. If you are using ODBC you still need to register the odbc driver (Reg's first bullet above). Note however that the 'single directory' installation is not recommended so if it doesn't work for you then take Reg's advice and run the install or at least arrange the files into the appropriate directory tree hierarchy.

[VolkerBarth · Accepted solution]

... but does work if you use dbisqlc.

Glad I'm not the only one still relying on that so-called deprecated tool:)

[VolkerBarth · Accepted solution]

Thanks to both of you for sharing these inofficial "how-tos" - listen to the experts:)

I'm glad that you don't have to answer whether you want to have the SA monitor data dismissed for each and every new EBF:)

[Vlad · Accepted solution]

Thank you very much for your comments and answers. I will probably install new versions to a VM machine and copy all binaries. Regarding the license, Reg, I have it. I am not sure that my money reach you eventually, but I really hope that they do 🙂

[Vlad · Accepted solution]

Just a small comment. I have noticed that to load SCJView, I have to have a config file in the Public\\Documents directory. I have stolen it from the "c:\\Users\\Public\\Documents\\SQL Central 17.scRepository1700_64", and slightly modified paths from "c:\\Program Files\\" to "c:\\myFolder\\". The last part was to open Tools->Plugins and set the automatic load for all three plugins found by Sybase Central.

[Vlad · Accepted solution]

It is possible to extract the content of the installer as from a regular archive (I have tested on this file: SA1700_Windows_1359_EBF.exe). Then the content of the directory contains the MSI file: SQLANY64.msi, that can be extracted to any location using the solution from SO: http://superuser.com/questions/307678/how-to-extract-files-from-msi-package I used the recommended utility, it works pretty well. In the output folder, you will see four directories: CommonDocFolder (with samples), Program Files (clear), System32 and System64 (WindowsAccessBridge-xx.dll).
I think this should be helpful to everybody.

[Vlad · Accepted solution]

In addition to the ODBC driver for SA, another DLL should be also registered: regsvr32 ulodbc17.dll (I use 64-bit version). Otherwise, scjview.exe will not be able to open UltraLite files.