Databases & Connectivity

DbSchema can connect to any SQL or few NoSQL databases. Required is the proper JDBC Driver. When you connect to a database, DbSchema automatically downloads the JDBC Driver from its public web repository.

To learn how to configure the connection dialog, click here. If the database is located on a different computer, you have to provide the correct TCP/IP HostName. Some databases may require to enable remote connections, enable TCP/IP, grant user access or enable firewalls. Read about this in the next section.

If the database you're looking for is missing from the JDBC driver list you can upload the driver in DbSchema.

Database Specific Information

Learn how to connect to one of this databases by clicking one of the links below.

See all supported databases here.

Connection Dialog

The connection dialog will let you configure the connection to any database.

Establish a connection using Composed URL

Select an Connection Name for your database connection. The alias is used to refer the connection through the application.
The JDBC Driver is a file with the extension .jar, a plug-in used to connect to the database. The driver will be downloaded automatically by DbSchema when selecting the DBMS. The JDBC Drivers are usually provided by the same company who wrote the database software. The drivers can be uploaded by pressing the Cogs icon. The drivers are store on disk in the C:\Users\<YourUser>\.DbSchema\drivers\SqlServer...
The JDBC URL Template. Here you can choose between few pre-build templates or you can choose to build the URL manually.

The URL is a string having a pre-defined format, which contains the most relevant parameters: the host, port, database name, etc.
DbSchema is building the JDBC URL from the values you enter in the host, port, and database fields.
Connecting to a cloud database ( AWS, Azure, Google...) you can select 'Edit Manually' and copy it from the cloud console. In this case, will be displayed a text field with the JDBC URL.
In the Server Location section, we will locate the database server. If the database server is located on your local machine, choose This computer, default port. If the database is located on a remote computer, choose Remote computer or custom port and you will have to fill in the server host and port.
The Check (Ping) button helps you to check if the connection to the server is working properly.
In the Authentication section, insert the Database User and Password. The credentials are usually defined during database installation or when the user is created in the database. Check the Help and Tips for learning how to connect to the database.
In the Database section, you will choose a name for the DbSchema model that will be stored on your local machine. This file gives you the flexibility to work on your schema offline and synchronize it later with the database.

Each database can have specific connectivity requirements. Press the Help and Tips to read about them.

How to Connect to a Remote Server or Custom Port

To connect to a remote server, you have to provide the host and the port for that specific server.
Difference between hostname and IP: The hostname is working if the network has a configured DNS server. DNS is a central component of the network that translates the IP addresses to computer names. If the network doesn't have a DNS server, you have to provide the IP address.

How to find the Host Name

Perform these actions on the database server machine.

Windows

You can find the TCP/IP hostname of a Windows server using several methods. Here are a couple of straightforward ways:

Using Command Prompt

Open Command Prompt: Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Enter.
Type the following command: hostname This will display the hostname of the server.

Using ipconfig

Open Command Prompt: Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Enter.
Type the following command: ipconfig /all
Look for the “Host Name” in the output. This will show the hostname along with other network configuration details.

Using nslookup

Open Command Prompt: Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Enter.
Type the following command: nslookup <IP address>
Replace with the actual IP address of the server. This will return the hostname if a reverse DNS entry exists1.

Using nbtstat

Open Command Prompt: Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Enter.
Type the following command: nbtstat -A <IP address>
Replace <IP address> with the actual IP address of the server. This will display the NetBIOS name table, including the hostname2.

These methods should help you find the TCP/IP hostname of your Windows server. If you need further assistance, feel free to ask!

Linux

Open command-line terminal app Application > Accessories > Terminal;
Type hostname or hostname1 or cat /proc/sys/kernel/hostname;
Press [Enter];
The hostname of your machine will appear on the next line.

Mac

Go to Apple Menu > System Preferences > Sharing;
The name of your Mac will appear on the screen.

How to find the IP Address

Perform these actions on the database server machine.

On Windows

Type cmd in the Start Menu;
Type ipconfig command in Command Prompt;
Look for the IPv4 Address.

Linux

Open command-line terminal app Application > Accessories > Terminal;
Type ifconfig -a or hostname -l;
Press [Enter];
The ip of your machine will appear on the screen.

Mac

Go to Apple Menu > System Preferences > Network
On the left, the option that has a green dot is the network that you are connected to;
In the smaller text underneath the status, you should find your IP Address.

How to test the Hostname or IP address

Perform these actions on the local machine, where you have DbSchema installed.

From DbSchema

Test the Hostname or IP address from DbSchema by pressing the Check (Ping) button in the Connection Dialog.

From Command Prompt

Type cmd in the Start Menu;
Open Command Prompt;
Type ping {yourhost} to check. Replace {yourhost} with the name of the host or IP Address.

Test the Hostname and Port

From DbSchema

The ping button from the Connection dialog will check the host and port.

From Command Prompt

Type cmd in the Start Menu;
Open Command Prompt
Type telnet {host} {port} command. Replace {host} & {port} with the host/ Ip Address and the port of the database server.

How to test the Port using Telnet

Perform these actions on the local machine, where you have DbSchema installed.

First, you have to make sure that the telnet is enabled.

Windows:

Type Turn Windows features on or off in the start bar. Click on the result;
In the next dialog, search for Telnet Client and make sure that it's enabled;
Click ok and apply the changes.

After you enabled Telnet

Type cmd in the start menu to open the Command Prompt;
Type telnet {host} {port}, where the {host} & {port} are the database server host & port. Press Enter;
If the port is open, the telnet window should open, as shown in the right image.
If the telnet can't reach the port, you should receive an error. In this case, verify if the database server is active.

Establish a connection by editing the JDBC URL

Choose Manual Compose URL in the Connection dialog to edit directly the JDBC URL. DbSchema will use this URL to connect to the database.

If you need more help with editing the JDBC URL, click on the URL Documentation button. This will take you to the JDBC URL documentation.

Establish an SSH Connection

Establish an SSH Tunnel to encrypt the communication to the database.

Enter the Host where the SSH Server is activated;
Enter the SSH Port where the server is activated. The default port is 22;
Enter the SSH User configured in the SSH Tunnel;
Select the Authentication method. This can be a password or an encrypted private key in Open SSH format.

Manage Certificates

SSL certificates are what enable websites to use HTTPS, which is more secure than HTTP. An SSL certificate is a data file hosted in a website's origin server.

DbSchema KeyStores are used by the adapter for client authentication, while the TrustStore is used to authenticate a server in SSL authentication. A KeyStore consists of a database containing a private key and an associated certificate, or an associated certificate chain.

More options

In the Options section you can modify details about your model.

Save your model to a local file. By default, DbSchema saves all models to model files. Enabling this feature will allow you to save the connection data separately, to a local file.
Read-Only Connection won't allow any modifications in the database. You can add exceptions to this rule.
Set a specific timezone for DbSchema so you can avoid timezone errors when your computer and the database use different timezones.
Highlight Connection Combo allows you to give different colors for different types of connections (eg. Production, Testing, Development).
You can set a different Alias for the schema on your computer.

Enable Windows Firewall

Windows Firewall is blocking connectivity from other machines. To allow connectivity you have to create a new Inbound rule for the database port. Go to Control Panel > System and Security > Windows Defender Firewall > Advanced Settings > Inbound Rules and follow the “New Rule” wizard.