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Sybase Datasource Profile Configuration Guide for JDBC Kafka Connect Plug-ins

This guide provides instructions for creating and configuring datasource profiles through Central Manager for Sybase JDBC Kafka Connect plug-ins.

Meet Sybase Over JDBC Connect​

  • Tested versions: 16.1
  • Environments: On-prem
  • Supported inputs: Kafka connect JDBC 2.0 (pull)
  • Supported Guardium versions:
    • Guardium Data Protection: 12.1 UC patch 5007 and above
    • Guardium Data Protection: Appliance bundle 12.2.1 and above

Kafka-connect is a framework for streaming data between Apache Kafka and other systems.

Configuring the Sybase Adaptive Server Enterprise (ASE) server​

Procedure​

  1. Install Sybase ASE version 16.0 on your system based on your operating system.
  2. Set up your system administrator (SA) credentials.
  3. Install the isql utility. This command-line SQL interface is required to connect to and interact with Sybase ASE.
  4. Download the JTDS JDBC driver by completing the following steps.
    a. Go to the official jTDS website https://jtds.sourceforge.net/.
    b. From the navigation menu, click on the Download link.
    c. Click on the jtds folder, and select the desired version from the available releases (e.g., 1.3.1).
    d. Download the distribution package (e.g., jtds-1.3.1-dist.zip).
    e. Extract the archive and locate the driver file jtds-1.3.1.jar in the extracted folder.

Connecting to the Sybase server​

Procedure​

  1. Connect to your Sybase ASE instance by using the isql command-line utility with your system administrator credentials.

    isql -U sa -P <password> -S <server_name>

    Parameters:

  • -U sa: Connect as the system administrator (SA).
  • -P <your_sa_password>: Your system administrator account password,
  • -S <your_server_name>: The name of your Sybase server instance.

Setting server timezone to UTC​

Procedure​

  1. To check the current time and date settings on your Sybase database server, run the timedatectl command.

    [sybase16@sybase16-sysqa ~]$ timedatectl
                   Local time: Thu 2025-10-23 14:21:13 EDT
               Universal time: Thu 2025-10-23 18:21:13 UTC
                     RTC time: Thu 2025-10-23 18:21:13
                    Time zone: America/New_York (EDT, -0400)
    System clock synchronized: yes
                  NTP service: active
              RTC in local TZ: no

  2. If needed, change timezone by running the timedatectl set-timezone UTC command.

  3. After connecting to your Sybase ASE instance by using the isql utility, verify that the local timezone is set to UTC.

    1> SELECT getdate() AS LocalTime, getutcdate() AS UTCTime
    2> go
     LocalTime                       UTCTime
     ------------------------------- -------------------------------
                 Oct 23 2025  6:22PM             Oct 23 2025  6:22PM

    (1 row affected)

Creating database devices​

Before you begin​

A directory is required to store the database devices that you create. If this directory doesn't exist already, create it by using the following command.

sudo mkdir -p $SYBASE/$SYBASE_ASE/data

Procedure​

  1. Create a device to store table data.

    1> disk init
       name = "auditdev",
       physname = "$SYBASE/$SYBASE_ASE/data/audit_device.dat",
       size = "500M"
    2> go

  2. Create a device to store audit logs.

    1> disk init
       name = "auditlogdev",
       physname = "$SYBASE/$SYBASE_ASE/data/audit_log_device.dat",
       size = "500M"
    2> go

Parameters:

  • name: Logical name for the device.
  • physname: Physical file path on disk where the device is created.
  • size: Megabytes allocated for this device (change the size based on your needs).

Creating sybsecurity databases​

  1. To store and manage audit information, create a sybsecurity database and allocate storage space based on your requirements.

    1> CREATE DATABASE sybsecurity
       ON auditdev = '500M'
       LOG ON auditlogdev = '250M'
    2> go

  2. Configure the database by running the following security installation script.

    isql -U sa -P password -S server_name -i $SYBASE/$SYBASE_ASE/scripts/installsecurity

  3. Verify that the database is successfully created.

    1> sp_helpdb sybsecurity
    2> go

  4. Restart the Sybase server.

Enabling auditing​

  1. Access the security database and configure the audit parameters.

    1> use sybsecurity
    2> go

  2. Enable the auditing feature.

    1> sp_configure "auditing", 1
    2> go

  3. Allow the configuration updates.

    1> sp_configure "allow updates", 1
    2> go

  4. Set the audit policies. To ensure that the server remains stable when the audit log device runs out of space, configure Sybase ASE to suspend auditing gracefully instead of crashing. This prevents system failure by halting audit operations when the audit device is full.

    1> sp_configure "suspend audit when device full", 1
    2> go

  5. Enable comprehensive auditing for the system administrative role (change this based on your needs).

    1> sp_audit "all", "sa_role", "all", "on"
    2> go

  6. Customize the audit settings.

    The sp_audit command accepts the following four parameters:

    • the option type ('insert'),
    • the user scope ('all' for all users),
    • the object to monitor ('sybasetable'),
    • the setting ('on' to enable).

    For example, the following commands enable auditing for sybasetable insert operations.

    1> create database sybasedb
    2> go
    1> use sybasedb
    2> go
    1> create table sybasetable (id INT)
    2> go
    1> sp_audit 'insert', 'all', 'sybasetable', 'on'
    2> go
    Audit option has been changed and has taken effect immediately.
    (return status = 0)

    For more information on customizing audit settings, see sp_audit.

  7. Verify the audit configurations.

    -- Check audit status
    1> sp_displayaudit
    2> go

    -- View current audit records
    1> select count(*) from sybsecurity..sysaudits_01
    2> go

Limitations​

1. Failed Login Attempt Logging​

Sybase ASE generates multiple audit log entries for failed login attempts, depending on the failure type.

  • Invalid Username: When a login attempt fails due to an invalid username, Sybase ASE generates four audit log entries.

    For example, the extrainfo values in the following Sybase audit table:

    ExtraInfo Column
    ; ; ; ; sybase16-hostname, 9.00.100.100, network password encryption not set, 16106.14.1; ; ;
    ; ; ; ; 4002.14.1; ; ;
    ; ; ; ; sybase16-hostname, 9.00.100.100, network password encryption not set, 16106.14.1; ; ;
    ; ; ; ; 4002.14.1; ; ;

  • Invalid Password: When a valid username is provided with an incorrect password, Sybase ASE generates two audit log entries.

    For example, the extrainfo values (for username sa) in the following Sybase audit table:

    ExtraInfo Column
    sa_role sso_role oper_role sybase_ts_role mon_role; ; ; ; sybase16-hostname, 9.00.100.100, network password rsa encryption with nonce, 4067.14.1; ; sa/ase;
    sa_role sso_role oper_role sybase_ts_role mon_role; ; ; ; 4002.14.1; ; sa/ase;

    Note: Failed login attempts are tracked and reported in the SQL Errors and Failed Login reports.

2. Missing Audit Record Fields​

The following fields are not available in the Sybase ASE audit records and are populated with default values:

  • Server IP: Default value "0.0.0.0"
  • Server Hostname: Default value "N.A."
  • Server Port: Derived from the JDBC connection string

3. Field Truncation​

Client Hostname and Source Program fields may be truncated due to character length limitations in the Sybase ASE system tables.

4. Query Length Limitations​

Sybase ASE splits long queries across multiple audit records in audit table. When processing these records, queries may appear incomplete and may be dropped if they exceed length limits. This affects long queries or complex statements.

Creating datasource profiles​

You can create a new datasource profile from the Datasource Profile Management page.

Procedure​

  1. Go to Manage > Universal Connector > Datasource Profile Management

  2. Click the ➕ (Add) button.

  3. You can create a profile by using one of the following methods:

    • To Create a new profile manually, go to the "Add Profile" tab and provide values for the following fields.

      • Name and Description.
      • Select a Plug-in Type from the dropdown. For example, Sybase Over JDBC Kafka Connect 2.0.

    • To Upload from CSV, go to the "Upload from CSV" tab and upload an exported or manually created CSV file containing one or more profiles. You can also choose from the following options:

      • Update existing profiles on name match — Updates profiles with the same name if they already exist.
      • Test connection for imported profiles — Automatically tests connections after profiles are created.
      • Use ELB — Enables ELB support for imported profiles. You must provide the number of MUs to be used in the ELB process.

Note: Configuration options vary based on the selected plug-in.

Configuration: JDBC Kafka Connect 2.0-based Plugins​

The following table describes the fields that are specific to JDBC Kafka Connect 2.0 and similar plugins.

FieldDescription
NameUnique name of the profile.
DescriptionDescription of the profile.
Plug-inPlug-in type for this profile. A full list of available plug-ins are available on the Package Management page.
CredentialThe credential to authenticate with the datasource. Must be created in Credential Management, or click ➕ to create one.
Kafka ClusterKafka cluster to deploy the universal connector.
LabelGrouping label. For example, customer name or ID.
JDBC Driver LibraryJDBC driver for the database.
PortPort that is used to connect to the database.
HostnameHostname of the database.
QuerySQL query that is used to extract audit logs.
Service Name / SIDThe database service name or SID.
Initial TimeInitial polling time for audit logs.
No Traffic ThresholdThreshold setting for inactivity detection.
Use ELBEnable this if Enterprise Load Balancing (ELB) support is required.
Managed Unit CountNumber of Managed Units (MUs) to allocate for ELB.

Note:

  • Depending on the plugin type, the configuration may require either:
    • A Connection URL, or
    • Separate fields for Hostname, Port, and Service Name / SID
  • Ensure that the profile name is unique.
  • Required credentials must be created before or during profile creation.

Testing a Connection​

After creating a profile, you must test the connection to ensure the provided configuration is valid.

Procedure​

  1. Select the new profile.
  2. From the top menu, click Test Connection.
  3. If the test is successful, you can proceed to installing the profile.

Installing a Profile​

Once the connection test is successful, you can install the profile on Managed Units (MUs) or Edges. The parsed audit logs are sent to the selected Managed Unit or Edge to be consumed by the Sniffer.

Procedure​

  1. Select the profile.
  2. From the Install menu, click Install.
  3. From the list of available MUs and Edges that is displayed, select the ones that you want to deploy the profile to.

Uninstalling or reinstalling profiles​

An installed profile can be uninstalled or reinstalled if needed.

Procedure​

  1. Select the profile.
  2. From the list of available actions, select the desired option: Uninstall or Reinstall.