Re: How to access MS SQL Server 2019 from IBM i running v7r4

date: Tue, 11 May 2021 17:56:00 +0200
from: Patrik Schindler <poc@xxxxxxxxxx>
subject: Re: How to access MS SQL Server 2019 from IBM i running v7r4

Hello Maria,

Am 11.05.2021 um 15:43 schrieb Maria Lucia Stoppa <mlstoppa@xxxxxxxxx>:

A linked server is already in place on the SQL server, so I know I can

access DB2 from the SQL server.

As I understand, this is the wrong direction.

What I need now is to write some ILE programs where executing SQL

statements to connect to the SQL server and perform DML statements.

So far, I find difficult to figure out what's needed behind the scene.

Is a new RDBE enough and if yes how should it be set?

No. MSSQL does not provide the DRDA protocol.

Does the SQL server be equipped with further software like SSHI to allow

DRDA services to load and if yes what's needed on IBM i side?

You could install a JDBC driver on the IBM i, so you can make Java
applications connect via ODBC to MSSQL. But since you mentioned ILE, this
isn't what you need.

Are there other solutions based on some open software?

AFAIK: No.

The solution Danilo pointed out part of MS Host Integration Server) might
be of partial use. To me, it seems seriously crippled, because you're
mostly bound to static SQL queries mapped to stored procedures on the MSSQL
side. And "limited dynamic data manipulation language commands", whatever
that means. Maybe this could help, but I guess Microsoft charges serious
amounts of money for HIS.

I currently work around similar situations with the addition of some Linux
Installation (a small LPAR suffices), installing unixodbc and the IBM i
client for Linux ODBC driver (available on the same page as iACS), and the
Microsoft SQL server ODBC driver, available from Microsoft. (I did not
check if the MS driver is Intel-Only, or also available as PPC binary!)
With these two connections, I copy and replicate data back and forth with
more or less simple perl scripts and the DBI interface. It's sometimes
cumbersome, but basically works for me.

:wq! PoC