Add Database Manager - Native

The 'Add Database Manager (Native)' dialog helps you to define a new database manager to an existing server based repository. It is the simplest way, and the recommended method, to set up a connection to repositories in:

• Firebird
• MariaDB
• Microsoft SQLServer
• MySQL
• Oracle
• PostgreSQL
• SQLite

Using a native connection, in most cases you do not need to install any additional drivers or perform any additional steps outside of Enterprise Architect.

When the Add Database Manager (Native) screen is first opened its lower section is mostly empty:

However this area will be populated with field(s) based on the selected DBMS.  In the case of local Firebird and SQLite databases the only field required is the filename, while the others typically need a Server name, Database name and user credentials. For example, the images here show a sample of the sorts of field displayed:

You will need to fill in all required fields (as denoted by the '*' character next to their label), and in most cases click on the Test button before the OK button is enabled; this is to ensure that only valid connection details are saved.

The 'Alias'

The one setting that all Database Managers have is: 'Alias'.  Its purpose is to uniquely identify a database by a single value. When clients request to connect to a database they specify the 'Alias' (note that in Enterprise Architect this value is referred to as 'Model Name').

When adding a new Database Manager, the 'Alias' can be specified manually or, if left empty, the Pro Cloud Server will assign an automatic value based on these rules:

• Firebird definitions, the 'Alias' is the filename minus the extension
• SQLite definitions, the 'Alias' is the filename minus the extension
• All other DBMSs, the 'Alias' is a the combination of server and database name (with special characters removed)

Therefore, take care when defining database connections, to ensure that you do not create duplicate database 'Aliases'. In more recent versions of the Pro Cloud Server, additional checks have been put in place to stop duplicate 'Aliases' being defined; however, older versions did not impose these limits.  If two or more database definitions do share the same 'Alias', then all Enterprise Architect clients will connect to the first database found with the requested 'Alias'.

Notes

• For compatibility reasons the original method of defining ODBC and OLE/DB database connections on the Microsoft 'Data Link Properties' dialog is still available and discussed in their own topics ( Add Database Manager (OLEDB/ODBC) ), however with the introduction of a 64 bit version of the Pro Cloud Server, additional ODBC/OLE DB drivers (and/or ODBC DSNs) will most likely be required in order for the Pro Cloud Server to connect to such databases, therefore Sparx Systems recommend Native connection due to their simplicity.