UNIX: Create Region and Cross-Region Data Sources for Microsoft SQL

Use these steps to create data sources on a UNIX/Linux platform.

There are a number of different driver managers that you can use to configure an ODBC data source. These instructions are carried out using unixODBC. If you are using a different driver manager, consult the vendor instructions for creating data sources.

Run the command odbcinst -j command, and note down the location of the drivers configuration file (odbcinst.ini) and the user data sources configuration file (.odbc.ini).
Open the odbcinst.ini configuration file and ensure that you have something similar to the following:
(This may differ depending on the version of MSSQL you are running.)
```
[ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server]
Description=Microsoft ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server
Driver=/opt/microsoft/msodbcsql17/lib64/libmsodbcsql-17.2.so.0.1
UsageCount=1
```
Open the .odbc.ini configuration file and add an entry for the mandatory data source:
```
[<datasource-name>]
Driver = <driver-name>
Server = <server-name>
Database = master
```
where:
- <datasource-name> - a name for the data source.
- <driver-name> - the name of the driver as configured in the .odbc.ini file; in the example above, that would be ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server.
- <server-name> - the name of the server on which the database instance resides.
- master - the name of the primary configuration database supplied with MSSQL.
Add a new data source for a region database:
```
[<datasource-name>]
Driver = <driver-name>
Server = <server-name>
Database = MicroFocus$CAS$Region$<region-name>
```
where:
- <region-name> - the name of the enterprise server region whose files are to be stored in the database.

Add a new data source for a cross-region database:

[<datasource-name>]
Driver = <driver-name>
Server = <server-name>
Database = MicroFocus$CAS$CrossRegion

Save the .odbc.ini configuration file.

Example .odbc.ini file

The following is an example of an .odbc.ini configuration file that contains data sources for a local MSSQL database instance that stores files from the ESDEMO enterprise server region in a region and cross-region database.

[SS.MASTER]
Driver = ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server
Server = localhost
Database = master

[SS.CAS.ESDEMO]
Driver = ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server
Server = localhost
Database = MicroFocus$CAS$Region$ESDEMO

[SS.CAS.CROSSREGION]
Driver = ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server
Server = localhost
Database = MicroFocus$CAS$CrossRegion

Next, you must create or edit the MFDBFH configuration file, so that it contains entries to your region and cross-region data sources, and the data source for the mandatory database.