# Accessing the Network Server by using the network client driver

When connecting to the Network Server, your application needs to load a driver and connection URL that are specific to the Network Server. In addition, you must specify a user name and password if you are using authentication.

See "Configuring user authentication" in the Derby Security Guide for information about configuring Network Server authentication.

The driver that you need to access the Network Server is:

    org.apache.derby.jdbc.ClientDriver

The syntax of the URL that is required to access the Network Server is:

    jdbc:derby://server[:port]/
    databaseName[;URL-attribute=value [;...]]

where the `URL-attribute` is either a Derby embedded or network client attribute. Neither the database name nor the name of a directory in the database path can contain a colon (`:`), although the colon after the drive name in a Windows path is allowed. The path separator in the connection URL is a forward slash (`/`).

For complete information about the connection URL, see the Derby Reference Manual and the Derby Developer's Guide.

When you access the Network Server using a connection URL, the network client driver is loaded automatically.

To access an in-memory database using the Network Server, the syntax is:

    jdbc:derby://server[:port]/memory:
    databaseName[;URL-attribute=value [;...]]

For more information, see "Using in-memory databases" in the Derby Developer's Guide.

For both driver and DataSource access, the database name (including path), user, password, and other attribute values must consist of characters that can be converted to UTF-8. The total byte length of the database name plus attributes when converted to UTF-8 must not exceed 1024 bytes; keep in mind that in UTF-8, a character may occupy from 1 to 4 bytes. You may be able to work around this restriction for long paths or paths that include multibyte characters by setting the `derby.system.home` system property when starting the Network Server and accessing the database with a relative path that is shorter and does not include multibyte characters.

The following table shows standard JDBC DataSource properties.

Table 1. Standard JDBC DataSource properties
Property | Type | Description | URL Attribute | Notes
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
`databaseName` | `String` | The name of the database. This property is required. | None | This property is also available using `EmbeddedDataSource`.
`dataSourceName` | `String` | The data source name. | None | This property is also available using `EmbeddedDataSource`.
`description` | `String` | A description of the data source. | None | This property is also available using `EmbeddedDataSource`.
`user` | `String` | The user's account name. | `user` | Default is APP. This property is also available using `EmbeddedDataSource`.
`password` | ``String`` | The user's database password. | `password` | This property is also available using `EmbeddedDataSource`.
`serverName` | ``String`` | The host name or TCP/IP address where the server is listening for requests. | None | Default is `localhost`.
`portNumber` | `Integer` | The port number where the server is listening for requests. | None | Default is `1527`.

The following table shows client-specific JDBC DataSource properties.

Table 2. Client-specific DataSource properties
Property | Type | Description | URL Attribute | Notes
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
`traceFile` | ``String`` | The filename for tracing output. Setting this property turns on tracing. See Network client tracing. | `traceFile` | None
`traceDirectory` | ``String`` | The directory for the tracing output. Each connection will send output to a separate file. Setting this property turns on tracing. See Network client tracing. | `traceDirectory` | None
`traceLevel` | `Integer` | The level of client tracing if `traceFile` or `traceDirectory` is set. | `traceLevel` | The default is `TRACE_ALL`.
`traceFileAppend` | `Boolean` | Value is `true` if tracing output should append to the existing trace file. | `traceFileAppend` | The default is `false`.
`securityMechanism` | `Integer` | The security mechanism. See "Configuring Network Client authentication without SSL/TLS" in the Derby Security Guide. | `securityMechanism` | The default is `USER_ONLY_SECURITY`.
`retrieveMessageText` | `Boolean` | Retrieve message text from the server. A stored procedure is called to retrieve the message text with each `SQLException` and might start a new unit of work. Set this property to `false` if you do not want the performance impact or when starting new units of work. | `retrieveMessageText` | The default is `true`.
`ssl` | `String` | The SSL mode for the client connection. See "Configuring SSL/TLS" in the Derby Security Guide. | `ssl` | The default is `off`.

The following table shows server-specific JDBC DataSource properties.

Table 3. Server-specific DataSource properties
Property | Type | Description | URL Attribute | Notes
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
`connectionAttributes` | `String` | Set to the list of Derby embedded connection attributes separated by semicolons. | Various | This property is also available using `EmbeddedDataSource`. See the Derby Reference Manual for more information about the various connection attributes.
`createDatabase` | `String` | If set to `create`, create the database specified with the `databaseName` property. | `create` | This property is also available using `EmbeddedDataSource`. See the Derby Reference Manual for more information. Similar to setting `connectionAttribute` to `create=true`. Only `create` is allowed; other values equate to `null`. The result of conflicting settings of `createDatabase`, `shutdownDatabase`, and `connectionAttributes` is undefined.
`shutdownDatabase` | `String` | If set to `shutdown`, shut down the database specified with the `databaseName` property. | `shutdown` | This property is also available using `EmbeddedDataSource`. See the Derby Reference Manual for more information. Similar to setting `connectionAttribute` to `shutdown=true`. Only `shutdown` is allowed; other values equate to `null`. The result of conflicting settings of `createDatabase`, `shutdownDatabase`, and `connectionAttributes` is undefined. If authentication and SQL authorization are both enabled, database shutdown is restricted to the database owner.

Note: The `setAttributesAsPassword` property, which is available for the embedded DataSource, is not available for the client DataSource.

- Network client tracing
  The Derby Network client provides a tracing facility to collect JDBC trace information and view protocol flows.
- Network client driver examples
  The following examples specify the user and password URL attributes.

Parent topic: Using the Network Server with preexisting Derby applications
Related concepts
The Network Server and Java Virtual Machines (JVMs)
Accessing the Network Server by using a DataSource object
XA and the Network Server
Using the Derby tools with the Network Server
Differences between running Derby in embedded mode and using the Network Server
Related tasks
Installing required jar files and adding them to the classpath
Starting the Network Server
Shutting down the Network Server
Obtaining system information
Setting port numbers