Pervasive

Good afternoon everyone,

 We have a client who is trying to connect to a database using Btrieve and a .DDF file using Crystal Reports but we can't seem to get it to connect. Another user has it setup on his machine but it was put on there years ago and no one documented how it was done. We are currently using Pervasive SQL 7 and am at wits end as to where to start to figure this out. When we go to Crystal Reports and bring up a new database, we can see the .DDF file we want to connect to but it just won't let us. Any help would be greatly appeciated.

 Thanks,

Andre

 What error do you get?

Are you running PSQL7 Server for Windows, Server for NetWare, or Workstation Engine? 

Are you trying to connect from the server, or from a client to the server?

We are running PSQL7 Workstation Engine and we are trying to connect from the client to the server, my apologies for not adding that earlier.

We are getting a Crystal Reports Failed to load database information. Details: The database connector 'crdb_p2bbtrv.dll' could not be loaded.

I can't even register the file but I can see it in the folder.

If you are not running the PSQL7 server engine on the server, then you'll need to use the Client-side ODBC driver.  This is not the BEST solution, but it will work, as long as you are the ONLY user in the database when you are trying to use it.  If you are using the PSQL7 WSE with multiple users, then something is clearly not right in the core configuration, and this could be causing the problems.

If you ARE the only user, then you should be able to set it up with these steps:

1. Go to the ODBC Data Source Administrator, select the System DSN tab, and Click Add.
2. Select the "Pervasive Software ODBC-32" Driver and click Finish.
3. Give the data source a unique name, and optional description.
4. Use the BROWSE button on the right to find the DDF's that you want to access.  Select FILE.DDF (or any DDF) in the dialog, and it should populate both the DDF and Database Directories.
5. If you need username security, provide that in the blanks provided.
6. Verify that Scalable SQL 4 Mode is CHECKED in the lower left.  If you intend to access from MSAccess, then check the Access/Jet box, too.
7. Close the window, and then attempt to connect from ODBC. 
   

You may wish to use Microsoft's ODBCTest tool to verify that ODBC is working.  If ODBC works, then your problem is within Crystal, and not within the database and/or ODBC configuration.

 

BtrieveBill,

 I will try your instructions but I know of 1 person who is using the database and he was the 1 I mentioned who had it earlier but I will be setting this up for at least 3 more people. Thank you for all your help on this.

That was a critical point that I was trying to make.  The PSQL7 Workstation Engine is PURELY a single-user solution ONLY.  It does NOT support multiple simultaneous users in any way, shape, or form.  (This is one reason why its sales were almost NIL.)

If you have multiple users with PSQL7, then there MUST be a server engine installed, and it MUST be on the machine that houses the data.  If this is a Windows Server, look for two services called "Btrieve..." and "Scalable SQL..." -- these indicate the installation of the Client/Server Engine on the server, and will change the way you configure this stuff on the clients.  If you have a NetWare server, try "MODULES SS*" and "MODULES NWMK*" to see if you have Scalable SQL and/or the NWMKDE module, or try looking for BTRIEVE.NLM (via "MODULES BTR*" on the server) to see if perhaps you have an older Btrieve 6.15 engine installed there.  I'm betting that you'll find another engine out there...