Problem: I am unable to connect to my remote server. Solution: The InterBase Windows based tool WISQL.exe has a bug in that the 'server' edit box for making remote server connections has a string length limit of 16 characters. Example: mywebserver.mydomainname.com When submitted to connect to the remote server this 'server name' will get truncated to mywebserver.mydo This will then cause the error: Statement failed, SQLCODE = -902 Unable to complete network request to host "mywebserver.mydo". -Failed to locate host machine. -The specified name was not found in the hosts file or Domain Name Services. --------------------------------------------- This bug is specific to the Windows GUI tool, it does not exist if using the command line tool 'ISQL.exe'. --------------------------------------------- There is a workaround to this problem. You will need to make an edit to the 'HOSTS' file on your Windows 95/NT systems. This file can be found in the following locations: Windows NT: winntsystem32driversetchosts Windows 95: windowshosts The hosts file is used to create a mapping between a machines 'host_name' and an IP address. Example: (InterBase HOSTS file for a CLIENT) # HOSTS file example (InterBase Server No. 1) # # This file allows an InterBase Client resolve a # Server by its 'host_name' or 'IP' address. # # Format: # # IP address hostname.domain Description 127.0.0.1 localhost #Common to all TCP 123.123.123.123 mywebserver 123.123.123.123 AnyThingIwant --------------------------------------------- Upon making an entry in the HOSTS file, save it. You should not need to reboot or restart the TCP service. Now you are set to work around the 'WISQL.exe' 16 character server name bug limit. Something to note however. At the time you make an entry into this file and use the IP or hostname, it is no longer a real IP or hostname but, rather a local mapping to one. This is why you are able to connect via an IP address with InterBase. Without the entries in this file InterBase would not be able to resolve a server's location by IP address alone because InterBase does all of its remote server resolution via 'gethostbyname'. Having made these changes you can now use the following entries in the 'remote server' box of the 'WISQL.exe' database connection dialog. For this example valid entries would be: 123.123.123.123 mywebserver AnyThingIWant Remember! that the entries in the HOSTS file cannot be longer than 16 characters as well.
Last Modified: 23-OCT-00