The InterBase Developer edition has already been provided free of charge for years with the development environments Delphi, C++Builder, JBuilder and C#Builder. This edition is exclusively applicable for the development process. The license may not be used in a production system. This version supports up to 4 processors with up to 80 parallel database connections. For larger test systems it is possible to request a 90 days test license with 4 CPUs and an unlimited number of users. See also InterBase Trial.

The Desktop Edition of InterBase is a high performance, favorable deployment solution for the development of independent applications. Compared to the InterBase server edition it has the full database functionality, with the restriction that it allows no connections for clients over the network and that it is available only for Microsoft Windows. Ideal areas of application are e.g. mobile or single user applications. The InterBase Desktop Edition and the application must be installed on the same physical computer. Database contents can be exchanged at any time by a backup / restore process between the desktop edition and server edition. Thus the database can be scaled for different customer requirements. The Desktop Edition is low-priced solution with full InterBase functionality e.g. stored procedures, triggers, user defined functions, SQL standard, crash recovery etc..

The InterBase Server Edition is used in a multi-user environment. Once installed you will have all required components/licenses including one user license. The number of users accessing the server at the same time and the use of the resources can be increased by adding further licenses.

The Server Edition can be installed in multiple instances on the same computer, this makes for a more flexible server environment.

The InterBase Server Edition is the right choice for applications with complex business logic and many concurrent users accessing the database. This is obtained by the support of multithreaded architecture and the multiprocessor ability. The Server Edition is available for the Microsoft Windows, Linux and Sun Solaris operating systems.

You can download an InterBase Trial Edition for different operating systems from the Borland homepage. A free Borland Developer Network account is necessary. An appropriate test key with limited number of users and CPUs is sent automatically to its registered e-mail address (see product activation). If you should need a test environment with 4 CPUs and unlimited number of users, please contact your local sales office or Borland sales partner. Apart from this restriction, the Trial Edition is fully functional.

The product contains:

• One Multi Platform CD. Includes Server Software for installation on Windows, Linux and Solaris. Complete documentation included in PDF format
• One Companion Tools CD containing third party tools to enhance the user experience

Label containing serial numbers for use in the Sanctuary registration process. (see also product activation keys)
After activation, the InterBase server license and one user license is installed

Access licenses are available to increase the user count with 1, 10, 20 and 50 users

• License card with Certificate ID and Certificate KEY. (no Sanctuary registration process necessary, the license needs to be registered with iblicense.exe or with IBConsole).

The additional processor license is necessary if the database server is installed on a multiprocessor system and this/those additional processor(s) want to be used. The first processor will be activated with the server license. The use of each subsequent physical processor (also dual core) requires a processor license.

• License card with Certificate ID and Certificate KEY. (no Sanctuary registration process necessary, the license needs to be registered with iblicense.exe or with IBConsole).

• License card with label containing serial numbers for use in the Sanctuary registration process.
  After the activation the InterBase server accepts an unlimited number of simultaneous users.

The product contains:

• One CD for installation of the Desktop software on Windows only.

Label containing serial numbers for use in the Sanctuary registration process. (see also product activation keys)

After activation, the InterBase desktop includes a two user access license. That access is possible only from the same physical computer.

• Desktop Edition Deployment Licenses

To sell your applications with InterBase desktop as embedded database, you can order additional deployment licenses. These are available in 20 and 100 user deployment packs.

Tip:
After you purchased the desktop deployment licenses, an activation file must be provided by Borland. This will be given to the developer to embed it with their application. In this case the customer, or final application user, does not have to register and activate InterBase.

InterBase Value Added Resellers (VARs) are software development companies who will embed an efficient and scalable database server into their applications.

If you are a developer for new or existing applications with new technologies, InterBase will offer you a very flexible and modern database environment.

As an InterBase VAR you will be part of a program which supports your individual requirements regarding software development and selling. By choosing InterBase you and your customers will receive a database simply to use and maintain. InterBase offers not only excellent performance it also supports all important operating system platforms.

    The InterBase VAR contract offers the following advantages to you:

Since InterBase version 7,1 the product must be activated online, by email or by telephone during installation. This is the “Sanctuary” registration process. Therefore there is a sticker on the product packing with a serial number and an authorizing key in the form:

Serial Number:       ABCD-EFGHIJ-KLMNOP-QRST
Authorization Key: ABC-DEF

During the installation process a registration assistant will lead you through the process of the activation.

During an online registration the product is automatically activated by input of the serial number / authorization key.

In case of telephone activation you have to enter an activation code given to you by a support person.

With the registration by email you will receive a file (regXXX.txt) that activates your product. In order to complete the product registration, you must store this file in the product home directory. Detailed information is in the sent email.

These keys are responsible for the internal functionality, the access rights and for extensions of your InterBase server. As an example these internal InterBase keys are printed on the license cards to increase the maximum user count. The internal InterBase keys are supplied in different ways. During the product activation of the InterBase server, the internal keys that serve for activation, metadata, client capability and remote access (only for the server edition) are generated automatically.

InterBase has different internal keys:

• Server Activation
  Activates local access to the server for one (1) user
• Metadata
  Allows database metadata manipulation for the server; that is,SQL statements CREATE, ALTER, and DROP
• Remote Access
  Enables the server to accept requests for database access from remote clients
• Client Capability
  Allows the software to act as a client and to connect to other InterBase servers
• Desktop InterBase
  Activates local access to the server for two users, with metadata and client capabilities
• Simultaneous Users
  Regulates the number of clients that can connect to this server at the same time; clients can be local or remote
• Internet Access (until InterBase 7.0)
  Allows use of the InterBase server with Web servers
• Per-processor
  Allows additional CPUs to be used simultaneously by the InterBase server
• Unlimited User (since InterBase 7.1)
  Allows unlimited User access with the InterBase Server

Tip:

Even with the Desktop Edition you can add further desktop licenses if necessary to increase the number of local users or the amount of parallel database connections. After the installation of the desktop edition you have two user licenses available.

    Entering InterBase Keys

This option installs the complete InterBase server and client. Since version 7.5, InterBase is able to install and start several parallel server processes on the same computer.

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If you don’t have an InterBase server installed on your computer so far, and this will be the only installation on the target computer please select Multi instances "NO".

If you have InterBase (4.x, 5.x, 6.x, 7.x) already installed on your computer and still want to use it, you have the possibility to configure the multi instance installations. For this you select the option Multi Instance "Yes", enter a free port number and give the instance a new name. Earlier versions of InterBase and single instance installations use the standard port number 3050 and the instance name gds_db. For a multi instance installation you have to give new values.

Example:

You have installed an InterBase 6.5 server on your machine. Additional to this you want to run InterBase 7.5 in parallel. Choose the Option Multi-Instance to „Yes“, Instance Name for example. „gds_75“ and the Port 3075. This has the advantage that existing applications will still run with InterBase Server 6.5.

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If you want to have access to the new InterBase 7.5 Server you have to use the connection string: computername/gds_75:c:\data\database.ib. With the addition of „/gds_75“ after the name or IP address you will not talk to the default InterBase port, but to the new defined instance from InterBase 7.5. This option is available for the desktop and the server edition.

The installation will automatically enter the service name and the port to the services file of the operating system (for Windows C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\services).

Computers accessing InterBase over the network need the InterBase Client API files installed. With this option you can install the appropriate files on the computers.

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In the installation menu you have the possibility to install drivers for different architectures like JDBC, ODBC, ADO.net and the current IBX versions for Delphi and C++Builder.

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It is possible to embed InterBase with your installation routine. This means, you can automatically install InterBase within your application Setup. In addition you have the possibility to pass different options to the installer as to what should be installed, e.g. only Client, Client and server, documentation, examples etc. In case that you are a Borland VAR partner (Value Added Reseller), you can include your acquired licenses and activation keys in the installation routine. Thus you can distribute InterBase to your customers without further registration and activation steps being necessary. You can find detailed information and examples on your InterBase CD in the file \extras\custom_install. Additionally you must copy the Installer to your InterBase properties file on your product CD. You can find this on the original InterBase CD under: Disk1\InstData\. Include your VAR regXXX.txt and/or SLIP file in your automatic installation process with the option:

SLIP_FILENAME= myslipfile.slip bzw.

SLIP_FILENAME=RegXXX.txt

If your Installer is not able to start services, you can also automate this with a simple batch file. If InterBase is in single instance mode, the batch file has the following entry:

net start „InterBase 7.5 Guardian“

For a multi-instance installation with the port name “gds_75” it should say:

net start „InterBase 7.5 (gds_75) Guardian“

The entries in the registry can be read under:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\IBG_PortName

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\IBS_PortName

IBG_PortName = InterBase Guardian

IBS_PortName = InterBase Server

TIP for VAR customers:

Install a configuration on a test system with the appropriate InterBase keys and the appropriate number of users you want to pass on. This configuration stores InterBase into the file ib_license.dat in your InterBase directory. You can use this file to copy it during the embedded installation process automatically into InterBase target directory.

TIP for Delphi Developer:

You can get the status of the InterBase Server and the InterBase Guardian services from within your application. You can find further source code for your information under: http://www.chami.com/tips/delphi/031498D.html

A symmetric multiprocessor system (SMP) is a multi-processor architecture, where the current running processes is distributed on all available processors. InterBase has supported this option since version 7.0.

In general you have to differentiate between HyperThreads(HT) and real multiprocessors. HT do not need a further processor license. However, HT must be turned on in the ibconfig file. The option for this is called: ENABLE_HYPERTHREADING

With multiprocessor machines, e.g. 2*Pentium 4 or dual core etc. you need additional processor licenses to enable the use of the additional processors.

TIP 1:

If you have InterBase running without a additional processor license on 2 a CPU machine. Use the second processor, since other programs mostly use the first processor. Therefore the switch CPU_AFFINITY in ibconfig need to be changed.

Use of the processors CPU_AFFINITY

1                                                                    1

2                                                                    2

1 and 2                                                           3

3                                                                    4

2 and 3                                                           6

1, 2, and 3                                                      7

Example:
You want to use only the second processor : CPU_AFFINITY 2

TIP 2:

You have two processors including HT. Use both processors and enable HT. Because of the emulation of two additional processors (HT) you get performance similar to a machine with 3 physical processors without HT.

TIP 3:

User with a three processor machine that did not purchase an additional processor license for their windows server edition operating system from Microsoft should configure InterBase to run on the third processor. MS Windows Server and Windows XP normally only uses the first two processors if no additional licenses are installed.