Recently one of my blog readers asked me about installing the Netweaver Developer Studio using an alternative version of MaxDB. This is something I haven’t thought about much, since the installations that I’ve done were local installations, for my own use, and normally from scratch. They served the only purpose to allow myself to have a local portal system on my laptop, enabling me to build and run my own custom Web Dynpro applications, run ESS and MSS applications, etc. without having to use a “middleware” framework such as the NWDI (Netweaver Developer Infrastructure).

For anyone who doesn’t know this fact, from version 7.5, SAP DB is distributed under a new name which is MaxDB.

If your scenario is a fresh installation of Netweaver Developer Workplace but the MaxDB version doesn’t suit your needs, please take a look at the steps below, it will help you to learn how to install or drop a MaxDB instance.

1. How to install a MaxDB Instance

Start by creating a new database instance and specify the First Database Manager Operator:

dbmcli db_create <database_name> <DBM_user>,<DBM_password>

At this stage, you will have several different options to consider, depending on your needs and objective:

If you have more than one version of the database software installed, you must specify the version to be used, indicating the option:

-R <dependent_path>

To install a new database instance remotely, use the following option, to specify the remote computer and identify yourself towards the operating system of this computer:

-n <server_node>
dbmcli -n <server_node> db_create <database_name> <DBM_user>
,<DBM_password> <OS_userid>,<OS_password>

In case you use a Unix operating system, it doesn’t distinguish between remote and local communication. Therefore, you always must identify yourself towards the operating system. If you create a new database locally, you can avoid the identification using the option -s:

dbmcli -s db_create <database_instance> <DBM_user>,<DBM_password>

Use a Database Manager CLI script to complete the installation.

dbmcli -d <database_name> -u <DBM_user>,<DBM_password> -i <script_file>

Sample script:

param_startsession
param_init
param_put MAXUSERTASKS 5
param_checkall
param_commitsession
param_addvolume 1 LOG LOG_001 F 2000
param_addvolume 1 DATA DAT_001 F 10000
db_admin
util_connect
util_execute INIT CONFIG
util_activate <SYSDBA_userid>,<SYSDBA_password>
util_release
load_systab -ud <DOMAIN_password>

Of course you should change the parameters to suit your own needs. User SYSDBA is the first Database User, which is able to create additional users for the new database instance.

2. How to drop a MaxDB Instance

Start by stopping the database instance

dbmcli -d <database_instance> -u <DBM_userid>,<DBM_password> db_stop

Delete the database instance on the database server

dbmcli -d <database_instance> -u <DBM_userid>,<DBM_password> db_drop

The result is the deletion of the database instance.