DCTEST and CONTEST testing

After installing IBM® Lotus Enterprise Integrator® (LEI) or Domino® Enterprise Connection Services (DECS,) you should test your external system client connectivity using DCTEST. Once you have confirmed that your external system client connectivity is operational, you can begin the process of creating LEI or DECS activities and connections. However, before you execute an LEI Activity that uses one or more of these connections, you should test your connections using CONTEST. CONTEST tests that a specific Lotus® connection can actually access the external system. For example, when you create a named connection using an LEI connection document, run CONTEST on that connection name before running any activity that uses it.

LEI and DECS are supplied with connectivity testing software. Both LEI and DECS supply the DCTEST utility, while LEI also supplies the CONTEST utility.

DCTEST is a client-specific test program. It tests system connectivity to external data sources. For example, you could use DCTEST to test connectivity between your DB2® client and your DB2® server. CONTEST is a connector testing program, for use with LEI only, that tests specific LEI connections.

Connectivity flow diagram bmp

Supported Data Sources

DCTEST and CONTEST test system connectivity to the following supported data sources:

  • DB2®
  • ODBC
  • Oracle
  • OLE DB
  • Sybase
Note: The IBM® i platform currently supports the Lotus® Connector for DB2®, Notes®, ODBC, Lotus® Connector for SAP Solutions, File System, and Text. It also supports the LEI metaconnectors.