Preparing the environment for database configuration

During an initial installation of Siebel CRM server software on Linux or UNIX-based operating systems, we must verify that database connectivity can be established via ODBC before we are able to continue the installation. This includes the following tasks:

• Creating the dbenv.sh script
• Modifying the dbenv.sh script
• Executing the dbenv.sh script
• Verifying ODBC settings using odbcsql

Creating the dbenv.sh script

Similar to setting environment variables before launching the Siebel Enterprise configuration, we have to execute a script that prepares the environment for running the database configuration. This script is generated by another script named CreateDbSrvrEnvScript. The script is situated in the Siebel Server's directory tree in the install_script/install folder. The following command line shows how to execute the script:

./CreateDbSrvrEnvScript /u01/app/siebel ENU Oracle

This creates the dbenv.sh script in the /u01/app/siebel/siebsrvr folder with American English (ENU) as the language for installing on the Oracle database platform.

Modifying the dbenv.sh script

A recommended and often times necessary modification to the newly created dbenv.sh script is to add the full path to the /lib or /lib32 (if applicable) directory of the Oracle client or database product installation to the LD_LIBRARY_PATH environment variable.

Using a text editor of our choice, we add code at the end of the dbenv.sh file that sets the LD_LIBRARY_PATH environment variable to be similar to the following:

LD_LIBRARY_PATH=${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}:/u01/app/oracle/product/11.2.0/db_home1/lib; export LD_LIBRARY_PATH

The path /u01/app/oracle/product/11.2.0/db_home1/lib serves as an example for the location of the Oracle lib folder.

Also, we should ensure that the ORACLE_SID environment variable is correctly set and exported by adding a line similar to the following to the dbenv.sh file.

ORACLE_SID=orcl; export ORACLE_SID

This line sets the ORACLE_SID environment variable to a value of orcl, where orcl is a valid service name in the TNS entries of the Oracle database or client product.

The following screenshot shows the dbenv.sh script after the modifications described in this section:

Tip

When you encounter problems with the database connectivity or Gateway Name Server authentication, you should always verify the settings of LD_LIBRARY_PATH and ORACLE_SID in environment scripts such as cfgenv.sh, dbenv.sh, or siebenv.sh.

Executing the dbenv.sh script

We can now navigate to the Siebel Server's installation folder and execute the dbenv.sh script as follows:

. ./dbenv.sh

The dbenv.sh script now prepares the necessary environment variables for executing the Siebel configuration wizard.

Verifying ODBC settings using odbcsql

Before we launch the Siebel configuration wizard, we should test the ODBC settings using a command line utility named odbcsql. This command line utility is used by the Siebel Upgrade Wizard itself during the database installation and the following command can be executed to create a test connection.

Navigate to the Siebel server's bin directory and enter a command similar to the following:

odbcsql /s SIEBELEVAL_DSN /u SADMIN /p TJay357D

In this command, the /s switch specifies the name of the ODBC data source that must exist in the .odbc.ini file. The /u and /p switches provide a valid database username and password combination.

The output of the utility should indicate that the login to the data source as the user SADMIN has been successfully executed. The utility now displays an ODBC> prompt.

To exit the utility, enter exit at the prompt.

We must emphasize at this point that the ODBC connection is only used by the programs and utilities invoked by the Siebel Upgrade Wizard. To establish connections to the database at runtime, the Siebel Application Object Manager always uses native database connectivity techniques such as SQL*NET for Oracle databases.