How to resolve : SQL0843N The server name does not specify an existing connection. SQLSTATE=08003

Troubleshooting

Problem

When using SQLDriverConnect() or SQLDriverConnectW() API to establish connection to Db2 database, you may have configured a DSN for connectivity.

If you intend to use this DSN for connection, and if you also have a db2cli.ini configured with the same DSN section as in the example below, you may hit SQL0843N error.

Example:

db2cli.ini :

[SAMPLE]
DBALIAS=SAMPLE

sample code:

ret = SQLDriverConnect(dbc1, NULL, (SQLCHAR*)"dsn=sample;uid=db2inst1;pwd=*******;", SQL_NTS, outstr, 1024, &iStrOut, SQL_DRIVER_NOPROMPT);

DSN sample in above example is configured via any other available options like db2dsdriver.cfg or Microsoft ODBC Datasource administrator etc.
Using SQLDriverConnect() with this DSN may cause your application to fail with -843 error as below:

          szErrorMsg   : [IBM][CLI Driver] SQL0843N  The server name does not specify an existing connection.  SQLSTATE=08003

Symptom

SQLDriverConnect()/SQLDriverConnectW() API returns SQL0843N error:

SQL0843N The server name does not specify an existing connection. SQLSTATE=08003

Document Location

Worldwide

[{"Type":"MASTER","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB10","label":"Data and AI"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU059","label":"IBM Software w\/o TPS"},"Product":{"code":"SSEPDU","label":"Db2 Connect"},"ARM Category":[{"code":"a8m3p000000hBRcAAM","label":"ODBC-\u003EAPIs\/Keywords"}],"ARM Case Number":"","Platform":[{"code":"PF025","label":"Platform Independent"}],"Version":"All Versions"}]

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Document Information

More support for:
Db2 Connect

Component:
ODBC->APIs/Keywords

Software version:
All Versions

Document number:
6592153

Modified date:
30 April 2025

UID

ibm16592153

IBM Support

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