Adabas Pre-Compiler allows programs to use files across different Adabas databases on different machines. To take advantage of that, you use the DBID or AUTODBID clauses.

When the DBID or AUTODBID clause is used with the @ADADCL statement, Adabas Pre-Compiler performs the following checks to ensure that the used databases are of the correct type for the requested kind of distribution and that they belong to the current network and/or virtual machine:

After checking the databases, Adabas Pre-Compiler checks the physical link between the file and the database. The physical link information for every connected to the database physical file is stored in the Adabas attributes in Predict. The information contains the physical file number and the physical logical distribution type (the implementation method for this file). Adabas Pre-Compiler checks the physical logical distribution type. It has to be blank (simple file) or "E" (expanded file). An expanded file means that there are several files with the same layout in the same database, but every file has a different range of ISN's. Adabas Pre-Compiler checks the file with the lowest ISN value for expanded files.

In both cases, Adabas Pre-Compiler takes the physical file number from the physical link information.

The application has to define the origin database of each file. You use the AUTODBID or AUTODBID-ALL clauses to have Adabas Pre-Compiler search which database does a provided file belong to and uses the provided database id. In this case, the file is linked to only one database in Predict. With AUTODBID-ALL, Adabas Pre-Compiler detects which is the updated database automatically and issues the ET and BT commands to it. It also generates different open and close statements to the different databases.