Informix Error -908: Attempt to connect to database server (servername) failed.

Cause and resolution

Attempt to connect to database server (servername) failed.

The program or application is trying to access another database server but has failed. Note the server name in the current statement.

The desired database server is unavailable, or the network is down or is congested. Ask your DBA and system administrator to verify that the server and network are operational. If the network is congested, use the environment variables INFORMIXCONTIME and INFORMIXCONRETRY to tune connection timing. For information on setting these environment variables, see the IBM Informix Guide to SQL: Reference.

This message appears in Version 6.0 and later versions.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-908 fires when a connection attempt to a named database server fails — per the official guidance, either the desired server is genuinely unavailable, or the network is down or congested.

The target database server unavailable, per the official guidance — not running, or otherwise not accepting connections.
The network down, per the official guidance — a connectivity problem between the client and the target server.
The network congested, per the official guidance — connections are timing out under load rather than failing outright due to unavailability.

Solutions / Resolution

Ask the DBA and system administrator to verify the server and network are operational, per the official guidance.
If the network is congested, tune connection timing with INFORMIXCONTIME and INFORMIXCONRETRY, per the official guidance:
```
export INFORMIXCONTIME=60
export INFORMIXCONRETRY=3
```
INFORMIXCONTIME sets the total seconds allowed for a connection attempt (default 60); INFORMIXCONRETRY sets how many additional attempts are made within that window (default 1) — with both set as above, attempts are spaced roughly every 20 seconds before giving up.
Consult the IBM Informix Guide to SQL: Reference, per the official guidance, for full detail on setting these environment variables.

Examples

Tuning connection retry behavior for a congested network

$ export INFORMIXCONTIME=60
$ export INFORMIXCONRETRY=3

Diagnostic Checks

Confirm the named server is actually running and accepting connections.
Check general network health between the client and the target server.
Consider INFORMIXCONTIME/INFORMIXCONRETRY tuning if congestion (rather than outright unavailability) is the likely cause.

Related Errors / Related Topics

-907 — "Cannot create socket on current database server." A related connectivity error, about local socket creation rather than the remote server/network being unreachable.
-761 — "INFORMIXSERVER does not match either DBSERVERNAME or DBSERVERALIASES." A related connection error, about a server-name mismatch rather than genuine unreachability.

Verify the server and network are operational first; if congestion is suspected, tune INFORMIXCONTIME/INFORMIXCONRETRY.