Inability to connect to database from ProjectWise Managed Workspace session: _USTN_DATABASE


 Product(s):MicroStation; ProjectWise
 Version(s):10.xx.xx.xx
 Environment:N\A
 Area:Database; Managed Workspaces / Worksets
 Subarea:N\A

Problem

When MicroStation is launched from ProjectWise in the context of Managed Workspaces (Worksets) attempts to connect to a database via the MicroStation non-graphical database interface may fail.

Solution

Common expressions of the failure are, but not limited to:

Inability to Browse for Data Source from within the Connect to Database dialog:

Connect to Database dialog

An unresponsive DB= statement:

Under normal operation, when the connection type is set we should see the message:  Database: NONE

 After setting the connection type and executing a DB= command, we should likewise see Database: NONE  (if invalid), or the connection details, or the next step in the connection process (e.g. password dialog).

A failing session will likely display:

Illegal type in MS_LINKTYPE

and

Database server is not active

Key-in, Messages example

Failures expressed as above are an indicator that dbconmgr is unable to locate the requisite configuration variables.

During normal operation, definition of these variables occurs when the connection type is set.

e.g.

dbconmgr odbc      (loads values from odbc.cfg)
dbconmgr oracle   (loads values from oracle.cfg)

before database connection type is set, variables are undefined :

before setting database type

and e.g. after executing dbconmgr odbc :

after setting database connection type

In a default desktop MicroStation installation, these configuration files are defined by the variable:

  _USTN_DATABASE

Directory containing MicroStation database configuration files.  (_USTN_DATABASE)

 as

$(MSDIR)config\database\

 * To check for the variable definition within a session of MicroStation, _USTN_DISPLAYALLCFGVARS must be set to 1

If set, all configuration variables (including those of the format _USTN_xxx) will be displayed.  (_USTN_DISPLAYALLCFGVARS)

Edit Configuration Variable: _USTN_DATABASE

If your Managed Workspace session of MicroStation is missing the _USTN_DATABASE definition and failing to connect, you will need to account for the variable within your Managed Workspace:

Configuration Block definition - ProjectWise Administrator

 Original Author:Nelson Hobdell