• About This Documentation
  • Who Should Read This Documentation
• Zen Databases
  • Named Database
  • Metadata
  • Identifiers and Object Names
    • Regular Identifiers
    • Delimited Identifiers
    • Identifier Restrictions
    • Unique Scope
  • The Default Database and the Current Database
  • File Structure
    • File Size
      • File Version 13.0
      • File Version 9.5
      • File Versions 9.0 or Older
      • File Segmentation
      • Automatic Upgrade of File Version
  • Access Methods
  • Client-Server Communications
  • Database Code Page
  • ODBC DSN Creation Options
  • Using the idshosts File
    • Format of idshosts Entries
• Concepts of Database Maintenance
  • Configurations
  • Database Security
  • Data Archival and Restoration
  • Troubleshooting
  • Helpful Utilities
• The Zen Component Architecture
  • Zen Database Management System
    • Common Address Space
    • Row Level Locking
    • MicroKernel Engine
      • Asynchronous I/O
    • Relational Engine
  • Relational Architectural Overview
    • Zen Relational Architecture for Servers and Workgroups
  • Error Codes
  • Auto Reconnect
    • Remarks
• Configuration Reference
  • Configuration Overview
    • Ensuring Configuration Changes Take Effect
    • Connecting to Different Machines
  • Configuration Using ZenCC
  • Configuration Using Bcfg
    • Command Syntax
      • Options
    • Example Scenario: Configuring a Single Setting from a Command Prompt
    • Editing an Input File
    • Restarting the Engines After Applying a New Setting
    • Troubleshooting
  • Service Configuration Properties
  • Server Configuration Properties on All Platforms
    • Access
      • Accept Remote Request
      • Allow Cache Engine Connections
      • Allow Client-Stored Credentials
        • Summary Chart of Login Behavior
      • Authentication (Linux-Based Engines Only)
        • Samba and Authentication Using PVPIPE$ (Linux Only)
      • Configuration File (Linux, macOS, and Raspbian Engines Only)
      • Prompt for Client Credentials
      • Storage Server
      • Wire Encryption
      • Wire Encryption Level
    • Communication Protocols
      • Auto Reconnect Timeout
      • Enable Auto Reconnect (Windows only)
      • Listen IP Address
      • Supported Protocols
        • Linux, macOS, and Raspbian
      • TCP/IP Multihomed
      • TCP/IP Port
    • Compatibility
      • Limit File Size
      • Create File Version
      • System Data
    • Data Integrity
      • Archival Logging Selected Files
      • Initiation Time Limit
      • Operation Bundle Limit
      • Transaction Durability
        • Related Settings
      • Transaction Logging
        • Related Settings
      • Wait Lock Timeout
        • Wait Lock Timeout Benefits
        • When Wait Lock Timeouts Apply
        • Handling of Page Locks
    • Debugging
      • Number of Bytes from Data Buffer
      • Number of Bytes from Key Buffer
      • Select Operations
      • Trace File Location
      • Trace Operation
    • Directories
      • Temporary File Location
      • Transaction Log Directory
      • Working Directory
      • DBNames Configuration Location
      • TEMPDB Directory (Client Reporting Engine only)
    • Information
    • Memory Usage
      • Allocate Resources at Startup
      • Back to Minimal State if Inactive
      • Minimal State Delay
      • Sort Buffer Size
      • System Cache
    • Performance Tuning
      • Automatic Defragmentation
      • Cache Allocation Size
        • Setting for a Server Engine
        • Setting for Workgroup, Client Cache, and Client Reporting Engines
        • Using Cache Allocation Size to Optimize Performance
      • Communications Threads
      • File Close Delay
      • File Growth Factor
      • Index Balancing
      • Limit Segment Size to 2 GB
      • Transaction Log Buffer Size
      • Max MicroKernel Memory Usage
      • Number of Input/Output Threads
      • Transaction Log Size
  • Windows Client Configuration Properties
    • Access
      • Gateway Durability
      • Number of Load Retries
      • Use IDS
      • Use Local MicroKernel Engine
      • Use Remote MicroKernel Engine
      • Wire Encryption
      • Wire Encryption Level
    • Application Characteristics
      • Embedded Spaces
      • Splash Screen
      • Verify Key Length
    • Cache Engine
      • Allocate Resources at Startup
      • Back to Minimal State if Inactive
      • Cache Allocation Size
      • Max MicroKernel Memory Usage
      • Minimal State Delay
    • Cache Engine Debugging
    • Communication Protocols
      • Enable Auto Reconnect
      • Supported Protocols
        • Linux, macOS, and Raspbian
      • Connection Timeout
    • Performance Tuning
      • Use Cache Engine
    • Security
      • Runtime Server Support
  • Linux, macOS, and Raspbian Client Configuration Properties
    • Case of Configuration Values
    • Client Performance Affected by Local Setting
    • File Names with Embedded Spaces
    • Configuration Reference
    • Access
      • Use Local MicroKernel Engine
      • Use Remote MicroKernel Engine
        • Remote Engine and UNC Paths
      • Use IDS
      • Wire Encryption
      • Wire Encryption Level
    • Communication Protocols
      • Enable Auto Reconnect
    • Application Characteristics
      • Embedded Spaces
      • Verify Key Length
  • Reporting Engine Configuration Properties
• Performance
  • Analyzing Performance
  • Tuning Performance
    • Spotting Performance Bottlenecks
      • Monitor Displays and Configuration Properties
      • Interpreting the Displays and Taking Action
    • Before You Modify Configuration Properties
    • Minimizing Initial Connection Time
      • Client Properties
      • Server Properties
    • Maximizing Runtime Throughput
      • Fast Disk versus Fast CPU
      • Ensuring Adequate Physical Memory and Database Cache
      • Minimizing Disk I/O
      • Ensuring Adequate Resource Allocation
    • Large System Cache
  • Performance on Hypervisor Products
• Database Globalization
  • Overview
  • Concepts and Definitions
    • Character Sets
      • Legacy Character Sets
      • The Unicode Character Set
    • Encoding
      • Legacy Encodings
      • Unicode Encodings
    • Declaring Encodings
    • Collation and Sorting
  • Choosing a Character Set and Encoding
  • Multilingual Database Support with Unicode UTF-8
    • When to Use Unicode UTF-8
    • Unicode UTF-8 Support in Zen
      • Collation and Sorting
    • Access Methods for Unicode UTF-8 Support
    • Migrating an Existing Database to Unicode UTF-8
  • Multilingual Database Support with Unicode UCS-2
    • When to Use Unicode UCS-2
    • Unicode UCS-2 Support in Zen
      • Collation and Sorting with Unicode UCS-2
    • Access Methods for Unicode UCS-2 Support
    • Migrating an Existing Database to Unicode UCS-2
  • Multilingual Database Support with Legacy and OEM Encodings
    • When to Use a Legacy Code Page
    • Legacy Code Page Support in Zen
    • Collation and Sorting with Legacy Code Pages
    • Access Methods for Legacy Code Pages
    • Migrating an Existing Database to a Different Legacy Code Page
  • Database Code Page and Client Encoding
    • Database Code Page
      • Supported Code Pages
    • Client Encoding
    • Encoding Support in ZenCC
    • Encoding Support in Btrieve API
    • Encoding Support in DTI
    • Encoding Support in ADO.NET
    • Encoding Support in JDBC
    • Encoding Support in ODBC
      • Legacy Conversion Methods for OEM-to-ANSI Data
        • Connecting a Linux EUC-JP Client to a Win32 SHIFT-JIS Server
        • Connecting a Linux UTF-8 Client to a Win32 SHIFT-JIS Server
        • Connecting a Linux EUC-JP Client to a Linux EUC-JP Server
        • Connecting a Linux UTF-8 Client to a Linux UTF-8 Server
        • Connecting a Linux UTF-8 Client to a Linux EUC-JP Server
        • Connecting a Linux EUC-JP Client to a Linux EUC-JP Server, with SHIFT-JIS Encoding Used to Store Data on the Server
    • Encoding Support for Wide ODBC Driver
      • ODBC Driver for Applications with Wide Character Data
      • Default for DSN Encoding Translation
  • Unicode Support in Zen Utilities
    • Unicode Support in Zen Control Center
      • Dialogs for Opening and Saving Files
    • Bulk Data Utility (BDU)
  • Support for Collation and Sorting
    • What Is Collation and Sorting?
    • Sort Order with No Collation Sequence Specified
    • Collation Support in Wide Character Columns
    • Collation Support Using an Alternate Collating Sequence (ACS)
    • Collation Support Using an International Sort Rule (ISR)
    • Collation Support Using an ICU Unicode Collation
  • Locale Support
• Setting Up Referential Integrity
  • Concepts of Referential Integrity
    • Definitions
      • Rule
        • Example A
        • Example B
      • Primary key
      • Foreign key
      • Cascade Rule
      • Restrict Rule
    • Understanding Keys and Rules
      • Update Restrict
      • Delete Restrict
      • Delete Cascade
  • Setting up Primary Keys
    • Creating a Primary Key During Table Creation
    • Adding a Primary Key to an Existing Table
  • Setting up Foreign Keys
    • Creating a Foreign Key During Table Creation
    • Adding a Foreign Key to an Existing Table
  • Interactions Between Btrieve and Relational Constraints
    • Bound Database versus Integrity Enforced
      • Bound Databases
      • See Also
• Zen Security
  • Security Models for the Relational Engine
    • Master User
    • The PUBLIC Special Group
    • Users and Groups
    • SQL and Zen Security
    • Accessing Data in More Than One Database
  • Security Models for the MicroKernel Engine
    • Classic Btrieve Security
      • Setting Up Classic Btrieve Security
    • Mixed Btrieve Security
    • Notes on Classic and Mixed Btrieve Security
    • Database Security for Btrieve Files
    • Notes on Mixed and Database Btrieve Security
    • Setting Up Mixed or Database Btrieve Security
    • Owner Names
      • Choosing and Setting an Owner Name
      • Owner Names and SQL Access
      • Owner Names and Encryption
      • Owner Name Examples
  • Planning Security for the MicroKernel Engine
    • Available Options
    • Choosing Your Policy
      • Reasons to Choose Classic
      • Reasons to Choose Mixed
      • Reasons to Choose Database
    • Preparing to Set Up Security
      • How Do Your Btrieve Applications Access Data?
      • How Many Databases?
      • Where Are the Data Files?
      • What Are the User Names?
      • What Security Policy?
    • Process Overview
      • Summary of Tasks for MicroKernel Engine Security
  • MicroKernel Engine Security Quick Start
  • Data Encryption Over Networks
    • Configuration Properties for Wire Encryption
    • Wire Encryption Notes
      • Backward Compatibility
    • Setting Up Encryption
      • No Encryption
      • Encryption to/from Specific Clients
      • Encryption to/from Specific Servers
      • All Communications Encrypted
      • Choosing an Encryption Level
        • Low (40-bit) Encryption
        • Medium (56-bit) Encryption
        • High (128-bit) Encryption
    • Effects of Encryption
    • Encryption of Files on Disk
• Logging, Backup, and Restore
  • Transaction Logging and Durability
    • Using These Features
    • Feature Comparison
    • Which Feature Should I Use?
      • Transaction Logging
      • Transaction Durability
    • How Logging Works
      • See Also
  • Understanding Archival Logging and Continuous Operations
    • Difference Between Archival Logging and Transaction Logging
    • What if a File Restore is Needed
  • Using Archival Logging
    • General Procedures
    • Setting up Archival Logging
      • Examples
    • Roll Forward Command
  • Using Continuous Operations
    • Starting and Ending Continuous Operations
    • Backing Up a Database with Butil
      • Startbu
        • Format
        • File Considerations
        • Examples for Windows Server
      • Endbu
        • Format
        • Example for Windows Server
    • Restoring Data Files when Using Continuous Operations
  • Data Backup with Backup Agent and VSS Writer
    • Backup Agent
    • Zen VSS Writer
      • Overview
      • VSS Writer Details
• High Availability Support
  • Overview of Technologies
    • High Availability
      • Failover Clustering
      • Migration
    • Fault Tolerance
    • Disaster Recovery
    • Hardware Requirements
  • Failover Clustering
    • Microsoft Failover Cluster for Windows Server
      • General Steps
      • Installing and Configuring Zen in a Windows Failover Cluster
    • Linux Heartbeat
      • Preliminary Requirements
      • Installing and Configuring Zen in a Linux Heartbeat Failover Cluster
    • Managing Zen in a Cluster Environment
      • Zen Licensing and Node Maintenance
      • Zen Failure Behavior
      • Stopping or Restarting the Actian Zen Engine Service
      • Zen Configuration Changes
      • Software Patches
  • Migration
  • Fault Tolerance
  • Disaster Recovery
• Zen and Hypervisor Products
  • Hypervisor Product Installation
  • Usage Topics for Zen
    • Physical Machine To VM Migration
    • Configuration
    • VM Resource Pools and Templates
      • Resource Pools
      • Templates
    • Failover Cluster Support
    • Performance
    • Data Backup
• Workgroup Engine in Depth
  • Networking
  • Technical Differences Between Server and Workgroup
    • Platforms
    • User Interface
    • Authentication and Btrieve Security Policies
    • Gateway Support
    • Asynchronous I/O
    • Default Configurations
    • License Model
  • Troubleshooting Workgroup Issues
    • Time delay on first connection
      • If possible, make sure an engine running on the system where the data resides
      • If you are running a gateway topology
    • Status Code 116
  • Redirecting Locator Files
    • Redirecting Locator File Requirements
    • Creating Redirecting Locator Files
    • Example
• Monitoring
  • Monitoring Database State
    • Monitor Overview
      • Graphical Interface Monitor
      • Using GUI Monitor
        • GUI Features
        • Setting Monitor Preferences
        • Setting Refresh Options
        • Tab Functionality
      • Monitoring Active Files
      • Monitoring MicroKernel Sessions
      • Monitoring Resource Usage
      • Monitoring MicroKernel Communication Statistics
        • Communications Statistics
        • Resource Usage Information
      • Monitoring SQL Active Sessions
    • Command Line Interface Monitor
      • Accessing Bmon
      • Configuration File Settings
      • Bmon Output
        • Command Syntax
        • Options
        • Running Bmon Without the Runonce Parameter
  • Monitoring Data File Fragmentation
    • Deciding When to Defragment
    • When Defragmenter Cannot Be Used
    • Accessing Defragmenter
    • Defragmenter GUI
      • Defragmenter Tab Views
        • Files In Use
        • Tables
        • Btrieve Files
        • Watch List
        • Details
      • Setting Defragmenter Preferences
      • Setting Automatic Refresh Interval
      • Arranging Tabs
    • Defragmenter Tasks
    • Command Line Interface Defragmenter
      • Using dbdefrag
  • Monitoring Performance Counters
    • Registration During Installation
    • Data Collector Sets
      • Zen MicroKernel Btrieve Operations
      • Zen MicroKernel Cache
      • Zen MicroKernel I/O
      • Zen MicroKernel Locks and Waits
      • Zen MicroKernel Transactions
      • Zen Page Server Activity
      • Zen Cache Engine Activity
    • Using Windows Performance Monitor
  • Monitoring License Usage
    • Capacity Usage Viewer
      • Capacity Usage Viewer GUI
        • Statistical Indicators
      • Zooming
    • License Administrator
  • Monitoring Database Access
  • Reviewing Message Logs
    • Licensing Messages
      • Change in State of Key
      • Logging Frequency
    • Notification Viewer
      • Command Line Options
      • System Tray Icons Interface
        • Popup Menu
        • Tray Icons
      • Graphical User Interface
        • Toolbar and Panels
    • Operating System Event Log
      • Windows Platform Event Logs
        • Viewing Event Logs
      • Linux, macOS, and Raspbian Distribution Event Logs
        • Event.log File and Bti.ini
    • Zen Event Log (zen.log)
      • Zen.log Fields
      • Zen.log Example Entry
  • Receiving Email Notification of Messages
    • Products That Provide Email Notification of Monitored Events
    • Event Log Content to Monitor for License Event Messages
      • Windows Platforms
      • Examples
      • Linux, macOS, and Raspbian Distributions
• Testing Btrieve Operations
  • Function Executor Concepts
    • Overview
    • What Function Executor Can Do
    • Function Executor Features
      • Editor Status Bar
      • Statistics
      • Get and GetExt
      • Transaction Toolbar
      • Login Dialog
      • History Log
      • Viewing as Any Data Type
    • Automatic Mode in Function Executor
    • Where to Learn More
  • Function Executor Graphical User Interface
    • Application Window
    • Main Window
    • Login and Logout
      • Login Dialog
      • Logout Dialog
    • Open File Dialog
    • Create a Btrieve File
    • Create New Btrieve File Dialog
    • Transactions Toolbar
    • File Statistics
    • History
  • Function Executor Tasks
    • Starting Function Executor Tasks
    • Performing Operations Tasks
      • General Operations-Related Tasks
    • Opening a File Tasks
      • Other Ways to Open a File with Function Executor
    • Creating a Btrieve File Tasks
      • Method 1: Using a current file as a template
      • Method 2: Creating a new file from scratch
    • History Tasks
• Manipulating Btrieve Data Files with the Maintenance Tool
  • Maintenance Utilities Overview
  • Btrieve Interactive Maintenance Tool
    • Extended File Support
    • Long File Names and Embedded Spaces Support
    • Record and Page Compression
      • Record Compression
      • Page Compression
      • Deciding When To Use Compression
    • The Btrieve Maintenance Tool Interface
      • Menu Options
      • Getting Help
  • File Information Editor
    • File Information Editor Dialog Elements
      • Data File Info
      • File Specification
      • Key
      • Key List and Segment List
      • Key Segment
    • Methods for Handling Duplicate Keys
      • Linked Duplicates
      • Repeating Duplicates
      • Method Comparisons
        • Ordering
        • Storage
        • Performance
        • Concurrency
    • Information Editor Tasks
      • Loading Information from an Existing Data File
      • Creating a New File
      • Adding Comments to a Description File
      • Compacting Btrieve Data Files
      • Specifying a Alternate Collating Sequence for a Key
  • Managing Owner Names
    • Setting or Clearing an Owner Name
  • Statistics Report
    • Statistics Report Tasks
  • Indexes
    • Index Tasks
      • Creating Indexes
      • Dropping Indexes
  • Data
    • Importing and Exporting ASCII File Format
    • Data Tasks
      • Importing Records From an ASCII File
      • Exporting Records to an ASCII File
      • Copying Records Between Data Files
      • Recovering (Roll Forward) Changes to a Data File
  • Btrieve Command Line Maintenance Tool (Butil)
    • Return Codes
    • Commands
    • Viewing Command Usage Syntax
    • Command Format
    • Command Files
      • Rules for Command Files
      • Command File Example
    • Description Files
    • Extended File Support
    • Owner Names
    • Redirecting Error Messages
    • ASCII File Format
    • Rules for Specifying File Names on Different Platforms
  • Importing and Exporting Data
    • Copy
      • Format
      • Examples
    • Load
      • Format
      • Example
    • Recover
      • Format
      • Example
    • Save
      • Format
      • Examples
  • Creating and Modifying Data Files
    • Clone
      • Format
      • Remarks
      • Example
    • Close
      • Format
    • Clrowner
      • Format
      • Example
    • Create
      • Format
      • Example
      • Sample Description File for the Create Command
    • Drop
      • Format
      • Examples
    • Index
      • Format
      • Remarks
      • Sample Description File for the INDEX Command
      • Example
    • Setowner
      • Format
      • Examples
    • Sindex
      • Format
      • Examples
    • Compacting Btrieve Data Files
  • Managing the Page Cache for Files
    • Notes
    • Cache
      • Format
    • Purge
      • Format
  • Viewing Data File Statistics
    • Stat
      • Format
      • File Statistics and Error Message Formats
        • File Statistics as Text
        • File Statistics as JSON
        • Error Messages as Text
        • Error Messages as JSON
      • System Data v2
      • File Version Notes
  • Displaying MicroKernel Engine Version
    • Ver
      • Format
      • Remarks
  • Unloading the MicroKernel Engine and Requester (DOS only)
    • Stop
      • Format
  • Performing Continuous Operations
  • Performing Archival Logging
    • Using the GUI
    • Using the Command Line
    • Examples
• Converting Data Files
  • Rebuild Tool Concepts
    • Platforms Supported
      • Linux, macOS, and Raspbian CLI Rebuild
      • Windows CLI Rebuild
    • File Formats
    • Temporary Files
    • Optimizing the Rebuild Process
      • CPU Speed and Disk Speed
      • Amount of Memory
        • Formulas For Estimating Memory Requirements
      • Sort Buffer Size
      • Max MicroKernel Memory Usage
      • Cache Allocation Size
      • Index Page Size
      • Number of Indexes
    • Log File
  • Rebuild Tool GUI Reference
    • File Options Screen
    • Rebuild Options Screen
  • Using the Rebuild Tool
    • GUI Rebuild Tasks
    • CLI Rebuild Tasks
      • Command Line Parameters
        • Example Usage
        • Example Usage
• Description Files
  • Rules for Description Files
  • Description File Examples
  • Description File Elements

About This Documentation

Description Files