Setting Up the DBEnvironment Directory

Although the database files in a DBEnvironment (DBEFiles) are secure from modification by unauthorized users, these files can be removed or replaced by any user who has write permission in the directory where the DBEnvironment resides. Therefore, the DBEnvironment is not secure unless you restrict access to this directory.

The special user hpdb must have write permission in the directory in which you are creating the DBEnvironment. Additionally, it is recommended that the directory which contains the DBEnvironment be created with a mode of 755, be owned by userid hpdb, and be associated with group bin. This is the most secure directory scheme; it allows all system users read and execute access to the files, but reserves write access only for the special userid hpdb. Because ordinary users can access the files in this directory only through ALLBASE/SQL, the DBEnvironment is secure.

Use the following sequence of commands from the directory above the one where the DBEnvironment will be located:

   $ mkdir sampledb

   $ chmod 755 sampledb

   $ chgrp bin sampledb

   $ chown hpdb sampledb

You can use the ll command to display the result:

   drwxr-xr-x   2  hpdb     bin         1024   Dec 17  15:56 sampledb

In addition, it is recommended that the user invoke ISQL and connect to the DBEnvironment from a directory where the user has write permission (but other than the directory where the DBEnvironment resides). This allows the user to create files such as isqlpro, isqlsyn, and command files, and to customize individual access to a particular DBEnvironment. Although users may change into the directory where the DBEnvironment resides and invoke ISQL, they must still set isqlout to a filename in a directory for which they have write permission. Refer to the ALLBASE/ISQL Reference Manual for further information about the isqlout file and connecting to a DBEnvironment.