Configuring the PCI Bridge and PCA/ODBC

SAP ASE uses Pluggable Component Interface (PCI) Bridge, which implements on-demand software dispatching, to load shared objects when it invokes a target function.

ODBC Driver Manager is typically bootstrapped from the pluggable component adapter for ODBC (PCA/OBDC), which is configured with PCI Bridge. PCA/ODBC acts as a broker, managing service requests between the SAP ASE and the ODBC Driver Manager. PCA/ODBC forwards and controls requests in both directions—from the SAP ASE to ODBC Driver Manager, and vice versa.

ODBC Driver Manager component is independent of SAP ASE. You can change or upgrade these software components at any time without upgrading or rebuilding SAP ASE.

Note: You must enable PCI Bridge for PCA/ODBC before it can use ODBC Driver Manager. SAP ASE requires the sybpcidb database when you enable PCI Bridge.  The sybpcidb contains all configuration data for PCI Bridge and its associated PCAs, such as PCA/ODBC.
  1. As system administrator, create the sybpcidb database using the srvbuild or sybconfig installation and configuration utilities, or by running the ${SYBASE}/${SYBASE_ASE}/scripts/installpcidb script (see the installation guide).
  2. Enable PCI Bridge:
    sp_configure 'enable pci', 1

    See Setting Configuration Parameters in System Administration Guide: Volume 1.

  3. Restart SAP ASE.
  4. Use sp_odbcconfig to configure these PCA/ODBC parameters:
    • pca_odbc_load_dir – (UNIX only) sets the absolute path to the location for the ODBC drivers. The pca_odbc_load_dir makes an array of multiple locations. That is, if there are multiple ODBC drivers installed on the machine, pca_odbc_load_dir creates an array of them.

      The default value for pca_odbc_load_dir is /usr/sap/hdbclient.

      1. Change to the sybpcidb database:
        use sybpcidb
      2. Set the path for pca_odbc_load_dir:
        sp_odbcconfig 'add', 'pca_odbc_load_dir', 'path_to_driver_location'
      3. Restart SAP ASE after making changes to pca_odbc_load_dir.
      To remove drivers that are no longer used:
      use sybpcidb
      go
      sp_odbcconfig 'delete', 'pca_odbc_load_dir', 'path_to_driver_location'
      
      Note: On Windows, ODBC drivers are administered and maintained by the system registry during driver component installation. See your Windows platform documentation and specific driver vendor documentation.
    • pca_odbc_root_dir – UNIX systems store the ODBC data sources in the odbc.ini file. pca_odbc_root_dir indicates the path to the directory that contains odbc.ini. The default value for pca_odbc_root_dir is $SYBASE.
      The format for an entry in odbc.ini for the HANA_DB server is:
      [HANA_DB]
      DRIVER = libodbcHDB.so
      SERVERNODE = hanaserver:1870
      Note: On Windows, use the ODBC registry to configure the ODBC data sources. See your Windows documentation.
      On UNIX systems, use sp_odbcconfig to set the value for pca_odbc_root_dir:
      1. Change to the sybpcidb database:
        use sybpcidb
      2. Enter the new path:
        sp_odbcconfig 'update', 'pca_odbc_root_dir', 'old_path', 'new_path'

        where new_path indicates a relative location to $SYBASE. Preface new_path with a forward slash to indicate an absolute location to the root directory.

        Note: You must restart SAP ASE if ODBC Driver is already loaded under control of PCA/ODBC. SAP ASE consults the DSN records stored under odbc.ini only after you enable pca_odbc_dsn_enabled.
    • pca_odbc_dsn_enabled – enables or disables the DSN mode for the PCA/ODBC subsystem. Values are:
      • 0 – disables DSN (the default). SAP ASE automatically gathers DSN information from the SAP directory control layer (DCL) from the interfaces file.
      • 1 – enables DSN. SAP ASE consults the DSN records stored under odbc.ini.
  5. (UNIX only) Add $SYBASE/DataAccess64/ODBC/dm/lib64 to the LD_LIBRARY_PATH.