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Using the utility database

The utility database is a phantom database with no physical representation. This feature allows you to execute database file administration statements such as CREATE DATABASE without first connecting to an existing physical database. The utility database has no database file, and therefore it cannot contain data.

For example, executing the following statement after having connected to the utility database creates a database named new.db in the directory c:\temp.

CREATE DATABASE 'c:\\temp\\new.db';

See CREATE DATABASE statement.

You can also retrieve values of connection properties and server properties using the utility database.

For example, executing the following statement against the utility database returns the default collation sequence, which will be used when creating a database:

SELECT PROPERTY( 'DefaultCollation' );

For information about connection and server properties, see Understanding database properties.

The following are the only statements that you can executed when connected to the utility database:

• ALTER DATABASE dbfile ALTER TRANSACTION LOG
• CREATE DATABASE
• CREATE DECRYPTED FILE
• CREATE ENCRYPTED FILE
• DROP DATABASE
• GRANT CONNECT TO DBA IDENTIFIED BY new-password
• RESTORE DATABASE
• REVOKE CONNECT FROM DBA
• START DATABASE
• STOP DATABASE
• STOP ENGINE
• SELECT (with no FROM or WHERE clauses)

Connecting to the utility database
Permission to execute file administration statements