FIX: Arabic characters may be handled incorrectly when you use the OLE DB provider for DB2 in Host Integration Server 2004 to insert data into an IBM DB2 table or to import data from an IBM DB2 table into SQL Server

Consider the following scenario. You configure the OLE DB provider for DB2 that is included in Microsoft Host Integration Server 2004 to use an Arabic code page. You use the OLE DB provider for DB2 to take one of the following actions:

• To insert Arabic characters into an IBM DB2 table
• To import Arabic characters from an IBM DB2 table into Microsoft SQL Server

In this scenario, you may experience one or more of the following symptoms:

• The IBM DB2 table may display Arabic characters as a question mark character (?) when the characters are inserted into the table by using an INSERT command that resembles the following:

  INSERT INTO IBMDB1.TABLE1 VALUES (200, '<Arabic_characters>')

• Arabic characters that are inserted into the IBM DB2 table may not be stored in the correct order.
  
  Note If the order of the Arabic characters is reversed manually in the IBM DB2 table, the characters are displayed in the correct order.
• Arabic character strings that are imported from an IBM DB2 table into SQL Server may not be stored in the correct order when you use the SQL Server Import utility.

Hotfix information

A supported hotfix is available from Microsoft. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix might receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next software update that contains this hotfix.

If the hotfix is available for download, there is a "Hotfix download available" section at the top of this Knowledge Base article. If this section does not appear, contact Microsoft Customer Service and Support to obtain the hotfix.

Note If additional issues occur or if any troubleshooting is required, you might have to create a separate service request. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for this specific hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Customer Service and Support telephone numbers or to create a separate service request, visit the following Microsoft Web site: Note The "Hotfix download available" form displays the languages for which the hotfix is available. If you do not see your language, it is because a hotfix is not available for that language.

File information

The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time item in Control Panel.Note Because of file dependencies, the most recent hotfix that contains these files may also contain additional files.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

For more information about related problems that you may experience when you use the OLE DB provider for DB2 together with right-to-left languages such as Arabic and Hebrew, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: The third-party products that this article discusses are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, about the performance or reliability of these products.