The servername specified in sybase_connect and sybase_pconnect is solved locally on the PHP3 server host, which should be configured with the appropriate Sybase client configuration. This includes setting the environment variables for the account that runs the PHP3 extension, i.e. if it runs as a Web server extension, it must be configured in the user account that runs the Web server. You may setup at least the SYBASE environment, and add $SYBASE/bin within the user's path that runs the Web server. Standard installations of Sybase clients include setting up either a $SYBASE/interfaces file under Unix, or %SYBASE%\ini\sql.ini under Windows. This file contains local aliasnames for the referenced server names. These names may be different than that really used on the host that run the Sybase SQL Server. What is important is that this Sybase client configuration file will specify the location of the SQL Server, i.e. the network protocol to use, and if it's through TCP/IP, the host name or IP address of the Sybase SQL Server host, and its listener port number. Newer versions of Sybase includes the option to setup the interfaces or SQL.INI file with a single server entry, with will be a Sybase naming service. If this is used, the Sybase OpenClient libraries will connect to this naming service, if the SERVER name specified can't be solved locally. This naming service will provide the SQL Server location for the specified SERVER name you use in the sybase_connect or sybase_pconnect function calls, allowinf naming resolution on sites that want to have a centralized administration of multiple Sybase OpenServer servers, including gateways to other SQL servers such as OpenServer compatible gateways to Oracle or Informix servers. But if you want faster accesses to your Sybase SQL server used by your PHP3 scripts, you should configure the host which runs the PHP3 extension so that servernames can be solved locally. All you need is to add server entries in your interfaces or SQL.INI Sybase OpenClient configuration file.
