Managing database drivers

BMC Discovery ships with drivers for the MS SQL Server and Sybase databases. To connect to other databases, you must download and install the appropriate JDBC drivers for those databases. You can view and configure database driver details in the BMC Discovery Outpost UI, from the Manage > Database Drivers page.

The To download a database driver from the internet section on this page provides driver download and documentation URLs where available. For more information, consult the database vendor's documentation.

The Database Drivers page lists the supported databases and any installed drivers. Not all database drivers can be shipped, so some database types show No JAR selected, and provide an upload link enabling you to upload a JAR.

To view a current driver

1. In the BMC Discovery Outpost UI, go to the Manage > Database Drivers page.
2. Click the driver name you want to view.
   The Database Driver Details page is displayed.

To modify a current driver

To modify a driver, you must change the JAR file.

1. In the BMC Discovery Outpost UI, go to the Manage > Database Drivers page.
2. Click the driver name you want to modify.
   The Database Driver Details page is displayed.
3. Select Upload JAR. Alternatively, you can also upload JAR on the Manage > Database Drivers page, from the Actions menu for the relevant database driver. 
   The Upload JAR dialog is displayed.
4. Click Choose File, and choose the JAR file from the file browser.
5. To upload the file, click Upload.
6. When the upload is complete, select the new JAR from the list of JARs, and click Apply.

To add a custom database driver

You can add a custom database driver for any of the supported databases.

1. In the BMC Discovery Outpost UI, go to the Manage > Database Drivers page.
2. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Add Custom Database Driver. 
   The Database Driver Details page is displayed.

3. Configure the following fields:
   

   Field	Description
   Label	Label or name for the driver.
   Description	Brief text description of the driver.
   Database Driver Type	Select the database driver from the list, such as IBM DB2.
   JDBC Class Name	Name of the Java class. At the time of driver load, this value is verified as a sanity check. This value is filled by default when you select the Database Driver Type value.
   JDBC String Template	Template JDBC connection string. This value is filled by default when you select the Database Driver Type value.
   Name Alternatives	Alternative names for the database. This option is mostly used for Oracle as the database name can be sid or service. Ensure to enter each alternative name on a new line.
   Default Port	Specify the port to use to connect to the database.
   IPv6 Brackets	Select the checkbox if you want to surround the address with brackets '[ ]' when setting a numerical IPv6 address in the connection string.
   Jars	Select one or more JAR(s) to be loaded when launching the Java instance.
   Java Path	An optional path to the non-system default Java executable.
   Java Options	Additional options to set on the Java command line. Ensure to enter each parameter on a new line.

4. Click Apply.

To download a database driver from the internet 

The following table provides driver download and documentation URLs where available. For more information, consult the database vendor's documentation.

To upload a new database driver to the BMC Discovery Outpost

1. In the BMC Discovery Outpost UI, go to the Manage > Database Drivers page, and click Upload JAR for the driver you want to upload. 
   The Upload JAR dialog displays.
2. Click Choose file, and select the required JAR file from the file browser.
3. Click Upload.

You can also upload a JAR by choosing Upload JAR from the Actions menu for the driver you want to upload. 

To view driver details 

In the BMC Discovery Outpost UI, go to the Manage > Database Drivers page and click the driver name link, or select Details from the Actions menu for the driver you want to view. The Database Driver Details page displays the details.