Oninit
Talk to an expert →

Informix Error -903

-903 Licensed Informix SQL server not accessible.

This statement refers to another host computer system, and that system is active and accessible. However, the sqlexecd network daemon has not been started on it, so no database services can be gotten from it. Contact the DBA of the other system. Check that the Informix STAR or IBM Informix NET software is correctly installed.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-903 fires when a statement references another host that's active and reachable, but its sqlexecd network daemon hasn't been started — per the official guidance, this specifically means the target host itself is fine at the network level; the Informix networking service on it simply isn't running.

  1. sqlexecd not started on the target host, per the official guidance — the direct, only cause; the host is reachable, just not serving database requests.
  2. Informix STAR or IBM Informix NET software not correctly installed on the target host, per the official guidance, preventing sqlexecd from running at all.
Solutions / Resolution
  1. Contact the DBA of the other system, per the official guidance — this is the documented resolution path, since starting/fixing sqlexecd on the remote host requires access there.
  2. Check that Informix STAR or IBM Informix NET software is correctly installed on the target host, per the official guidance.
Examples
Confirming the target host is reachable but the service isn't
$ ping remote_host
$ telnet remote_host sqlexec

Confirms network reachability (per the official guidance's framing, the host itself is fine) while the specific database service port doesn't respond.

Diagnostic Checks
  1. Confirm the target host is reachable at the network level (consistent with the official guidance's framing).
  2. Escalate to the target host's DBA to check/start sqlexecd there.
Related Errors / Related Topics
  • -904 — "Authorization file not on licensed Informix SQL server." A related networking- software installation error, about a missing authorization file rather than the daemon not running.
  • -905 — "Cannot locate sqlexec service /tcp service in /etc/services." A related networking- software installation error, about a missing service-registry entry.

The remote host itself is reachable — the problem is specifically that sqlexecd isn't running there; escalate to that host's DBA.