FreeTDS Development Group

["Lowden, James K" <LowdenJK AT bernstein.com>]

> From: Michael Peppler [mailto:mpeppler AT peppler.org]
> Sent: May 22, 2002 11:34 AM
> 
> DBD::Sybase w/ FreeTDS works with MS-SQL 2k.
> 
> DBD::Sybase w/Sybase CTlib does not work (afaik).
> 
> I don't have any MS-SQl servers that I can connect to to test 
> it out, so
> I don't know for sure if something can be done to make the Sybase libs
> work with MS-SQL 2k...

Michael, 

Thanks.  That's clear.  I was just given an account on a 2000 box, and can
add a few things.


Sqsh+FreeTDS works with 4.2 and 7.0.  The 2000 server does not respond to a
5.0 connect attempt.  Our 7.0 servers have Microsoft's patch installed,
allowing connections from TDS 5.0 clients, but there's no equivalent for
2000.  I'm sure that's because of an insurmountable technical problem, not a
mere marketing decision.  (What's the sarcasm emoticon?)  

As sqsh uses the ct-lib API, it appears the server is rejecting TDS 5.0,
rather than examining the client library marker.  

Idea.  A really cheezy solution would be to write a TDS proxy server that
represents itself as a 4.2 server.  Sybase clients would connect to it and
downshift to 4.2.  The proxy server would just have to pass the data.  

Sybperl does bcp, right?  But not when linked to FreeTDS, because of missing
host variable support (if you'll excuse the term)?  Brian's application of
Bill's patch is meant to remedy that.  


To anyone reading who cares:  the project suffers from a lack of readily
available Microsoft servers to test with.  If anyone is in a postion to make
a SQL Server 2000 server available over the 'net, it would be a great boon
to people trying to implement/debug TDS 7 and 8.  If you could do that but
are concerned about security, let's talk about what can be done.  

Regards, 
--jkl