About Database Configuration Files

Contents

Introduction
Document Conventions
What is a Database Configuration File?
Location of Database Configuration Files
Types of Database Configuration Files
Creating a Database Configuration File
Contents of a Database Configuration File
Inserting External Data with the #include Statement

Introduction

This document introduces you to database configuration files. It describes what database configuration files are, the types of database configuration files, suggestions for creating database configuration files, the kind of information contained in a database configuration file, and a way to include data from an external file in a database configuration file.

A related document, Database Configuration Files - Sections and Variables, provides detailed information about the individual sections and variables in database configuration files, and the database types applicable to each section and variable.

Document Conventions

• <WebZ_root> is the location of your WebZ environment.
• 4.0.x refers to any SiteSearch 4 version prior to 4.1.0; that is, 4.0.0, 4.0.0a, 4.0.1, or 4.0.2.

What is a Database Configuration File?

A database configuration file contains the information needed by WebZ or Database Builder's Record Builder application to interact with a particular database. Each database must have a configuration file. For WebZ, a reference to the file must exist in the databases.ini file. For Record Builder, a reference to the file must exist in the databases_rb.ini file.

Location of Database Configuration Files

WebZ includes several database configuration files when you install the system. These files are located in the <WebZ_root>/ini/dbs directory of your WebZ installation. The Database Builder installation adds several more database configuration files for sample local databases to this directory as well. WebZ and Record Builder do not require you to keep database configuration files in a specific directory. Database configuration files can exist anywhere on your system provided that the databases.ini file (for WebZ) or the databases_rb.ini file (for Record Builder) contains their correct path and filename settings.

Types of Database Configuration Files

There are six types of database configuration files which you might create as you work with the WebZ system, and another type of database configuration file related to databases that you create or maintain with Record Builder. The seven types of database configuration files are:

• Remote (REM)
• Local (LOC)
• Logical (LOG)
• Group (GRP)
• Thesaurus (THS)
• Holdings (HLD)
  
• Record Builder (RBD)

The three-letter abbreviations, such as (REM) for remote database configuration files, identify each database type in the reference document, Database Configuration Files - Sections and Variables.

Remote Database Configuration File – (REM)

A remote database is one hosted on a server remote from your host system, such as the FirstSearch databases. The configuration file for a remote database contains information that allows WebZ to communicate with the remote database server. Because the database is hosted on a remote server, there must be a server configuration file that defines the server to the WebZ system. Thesaurus and holdings databases can be special cases of remote databases.

Local Database Configuration File – (LOC)

A local database is a physical database hosted on your system through the WebZ ZBase server. A local database is typically a Newton database built with OCLC SiteSearch Database Builder software or Database Builder's Record Builder application. Thesaurus and holdings databases can be special cases of local databases.

Logical Database Configuration File – (LOG)

A logical database is a local database that, because of its large size, exists as two or more separate physical databases. The configuration file for a logical database points to the configuration files for each local physical database. A logical database appears as a single database in the WebZ interface. You must have a separate database configuration file for the logical database and for each of its physical databases. These database configuration files contain much information in common. Therefore, a typical practice is to store the information unique to each of these database configuration files in its own .ini file and to create another .ini file for the information shared by each of the files. You can then use an #include statement in each individual file to reference this information. The common information generally includes everything except for the [database] section of each file.

Group Database Configuration File – (GRP)

A group database is a special type of database that WebZ uses to provide cross-database searching across a group of separate databases in a Topic Area or Quick Search Topic. Because of its unique role within the WebZ system, configuring a group database is different than configuring any other type of database.

Thesaurus Database Configuration File (beginning with SiteSearch 4.1.0) – (THS)

A thesaurus database is a remote or local database associated with a target database for purposes of vocabulary-assisted searching. The thesaurus database configuration file has its own formats, attributes, and indexes. A variable in the target database's configuration file (ThesaurusDB) associates the thesaurus database with the target database.

Holdings Database Configuration File – (HLD)

A holdings database is a remote or local database associated with a target database when the target database's full bibliographic records do not contain holdings information.

Record Builder Database Configuration File (beginning with SiteSearch 4.1.0)

Database Builder's Record Builder application, introduced with SiteSearch 4.1.0, allows staff to create, modify, and maintain local Newton databases for collections of items such as images, sound files, Web sites, and data. A Record Builder database configuration file provides information about the database for the Record Builder application, which is hosted on your system through the Record Builder ZBaseRB server. Staff responsible for adding, modifying, or deleting records access the database through the Record Builder interface. By convention, the names of Record Builder database configuration files contain "_rb", just prior to the file extension.

Creating a Database Configuration File

The recommended method for creating a database configuration file is to copy an existing file and modify it to meet your requirements. As you modify the new file, see Database Configuration Files - Sections and Variables for information on the variables contained in the file. WebZ and Database Builder include several database configuration files you can use to create your own. You can use the files in the following table as the basis of creating configuration files for different database types:

Contents of a Database Configuration File

A database configuration file is a text file comprised of sections and variables. Sections are denoted with [section labels] enclosed in square brackets. Each section contains variables that define particular aspects of the database configuration. The variables that appear in the individual sections depend on the type of database being defined, such as the database indexes available for searching, sort capability, and so on. Variables within a section can appear in any order.

See Database Configuration Files - Sections and Variables for a comprehensive reference to each section and its associated variables.

Inserting External Data with the #include Statement

You can use the #include statement to insert information from an external file into your database configuration file. In the following example, the MyTest.ini database configuration file includes only a [database] section, a [Formats] section, and an #include statement that inserts the contents of MyExternalData.ini into MyTest.ini.

# MyTest.ini [databases] . . . [Formats] . . . #include dbs/MyExternalData.ini

A logical database and the physical databases that comprise it often share common information from an external file by using #include statements in each file to reference the external file.

See Also

Database Configuration Files - Sections and Variables
Variable Values in Database Configuration Files
Index List Definitions in Database Configuration Files
Database Server Configuration Files
Database List Configuration Files