Embeded derby as client variable store

Question

I've spent considerable time trying to configure the built-in
derby embeded DB as a CF client variable store and have failed
utterly. It seems to be impossible.
I had a SQL Server client store which worked just find, but,
for various reasons that are irrelevant here, I would really prefer
not to do that and use derby instead.
I created the database, created the dsn, set the dsn as the
client store and it all looked okay. But it isn't. The CLOCAL and
CGLOBAL tables were not created as they should have been (and were
for SQL Server). So I created them by hand as described in the
help
files, but that failed as well. Changing various things yields
different errors, but there is a consisted 500 Server error. I can
only guess that the database writes are failing, but there is no
indication as to why.
I have looked all over adobe.com and all over the intertubes
and there is no further information of any kind. In fact, the
latest instructions for even creating the database date back to
May
2007 and have no resemblance to the administrators screens at
all. (I'm running CF 8,0,1,195765 standard). When I create an
embedded derby dsn, I get the generic "default"
Data & Services > Datasources > Other screen.
There's nothing "derby" about it.
So, frankly, it seems pretty pointless and useless to me. If
someone can point me DIRECTLY to relevant information, I'd
appreciate it. I cannot believe in the year plus this product has
been out that NO ONE has done this, especially when it's commented
all
over the place that this is one of the things you can do, yet
there's nothing. Even searching for just "derby" on these forums
yields only three hits, none of which are relevant.

Answer 1

>> Well it does actually *tell you* it won't create
them automatically when
> > you go to set the DSN as the client store. I
suppose one has to read what
> > it says on the screen, which I have to say I don't
bother doing a lot of
> > the time in CFAdmin because I "know" what the text
says. This very screen
> > has caught me out with that before. Just the first
time, though.
>
> Actually, it does not tell you. The SQL Server screen
presents you with a box
> that says "create tables" but this one does not.
It doesn't say - underneath the "Description" text area "Your
data source
requires you to manually create the necessary database tables
to store your
client variables. See the Online Help for details. "?
It does for me.
You have a most curious CF install, and I would be very
hesitant continuing
with it given what you say.
What OS are you running on? Do you still have your install
logs, and do
they reveal anything relevant?
Is this an install that was fresh 8.0 (or 8.0.1), or has it
been upgraded
from an earlier release?
> The ones you expect. And the tables are there and
created correctly as per
> <cfdbinfo> which matches the <cfdbinfo>
created by CF in SQL Server. Things
> like:
> CREATE TABLE CDATA (cfid char (64), app char (64), data
clob,)
> CREATE TABLE CGLOBAL (cfid char (64), data clob, lvisit
datetime)
> CREATE UNIQUE INDEX id1 ON CDATA(cfid, app)
> CREATE INDEX id2 ON CGLOBAL(cfid)
> CREATE INDEX id3 ON CGLOBAL(lvisit)
OK, that sounds about right. The only thing I did different
was to use
timestamp rather than datetime. I'm not sure if that's worth
a try.
Can you insert / update / delete manually to/from those?
> > What are the error messages?
> As I said, the only consistent one is an Apache 500
Server error
The inconsistent ones would probably be helpful to know about
too.
What goes into the CF logs when these errors are being
raised? Do the 500
errors give an stack trace info? I think 500 errors usually
don't, but
don't exactly recall.
> > That sounds wrong. I get " Data & Services >
Datasources > Apache Derby
> > Embedded" on all three servers I have at my
disposal currently (a mix of
> > CF8 multiserver, CF8 stand-alone), and the rest of
the screen is
> > Derby-specific. It sounds to me like your install
is bung. Are you saying
> > when you select "Apache Derby Embedded" you just
get the same screen you
> > would have had you selected "other"? Odd.
>
> Also, as I said, I do not get any Derby anything.
I'm finding your tone a bit tedious to be honest.
I asked for clarification because you weren't completely
clear in your
post, and I just wanted to make sure you were sure what you
were seeing
because it's somewhat unusual to be getting completely the
wrong screens in
CFAdmin. In all the CF servers I have had responsibility for,
I've not
seen this, so I just wanted to *make sure* I was reading you
right.
> "other" jdbc data source creation screen, In fact, I
even copied the
> derby-specific URL from the create link and pasted it
into the browser, and CF
> Admin redirected it to the generic jdbc. This happens on
all three CF servers I
> have access to (all running 8.0.1 standard).
Weird. How did you create the Derby DBs themselves? It's
usually one of
the options on the create DSN screen. Did you create them
manually or
using some other client tool?
> > I think your problem here is your attitude that
because *you* can't make
> > something work then automatically nor can anyone
else. That is seldom
> > going to be the case, surely (or you lead a very
charmed life). I always
> > find that when something doesn't work for me in CF
it's almost always my
> > fault.
>
> Thank you for your opinion. It's most helpful
When trying to solve a problem that's a result of something
you've done, I
find it easy to take the mindset that *you've* done something
wrong, not
[something else] has done something wrong. Once one starts
looking more
analytically at one's own actions, sometimes a flag comes up,
and there's a
bit of a "slap forehead" moment. However if it's
predetermined that
something else is at fault and one is just the victim of
circumstance, it's
difficult to progress.
It's just better to dispense with the hand-wringing and roll
up the sleeves
and get on with fixing it.
> should have somehow psychically determined. If you read
for comprehension
> you'll see that I said I can't believe no one had done
it.
Have you not found anyone reporting to have used the Derby
DB? I have to
say that I'd never used it before y/day, because I've got the
luxury of
having Oracle or SQL Server DBs at my disposal. However I do
know of other
organisations using Derby for their demo DBs, and have read a
few things
about its usage.
I don't think you should expect to hear people reporting back
"hey I am
using Derby to store my client variables", because I don't
think it's
really that report-worthy. How many people to you see
reporting back "I'm
using my Oracle DB to store client variables"? As "storing
client
variables in a DB" is such a mundane thing, people are only
going to report
on it if they have had problems with it. Maybe no-one's done
it (except
for me, as of y/day). Maybe no-one's had a problem with it. A
case in
point: I had no problems setting it up, so I have no further
need to report
anything to anyone about it because it's "job done, move on".
> As I said the first time and again above, and will
repeat again here: I can't
> find anywhere where someone said they've actually done
it.
I've *actually done it*. I told you this y/day, as soon as
you asked.
There you go. Can we move on now please?
I'm not actually sure you want help, but if you do, follow up
with those
error message and anything from the logs that are helpful. I
think you
just want to have a moan as to how you've been so put upon,
and if that's
the case, I think we're done here. It's up to you as to how
to proceed.
Adam