ALLUSERSPROFILE OF the HOST SQL Server? - sql

Question

I need to write a SQL Server 2008R2 compatible script to create a share. The script will be executed from inside VB6 code but I am pretty sure that's a moot point here.
The following is PSEUDOCODE at the end
CREATE PROCEDURE [dbo].[create_Server_share]
#TheShare VARCHAR(50),
#TheDIR VARCHAR(250) = NULL
AS
BEGIN
IF (#TheDIR IS NULL) -- ALLUSERSPROFILE usually C:\Programdata
SET #TheDIR = ENVREFERENCE('%ALLUSERSPROFILE%')+ '\XYZ'
....
I already see that ENVREFERENCE is NOT available in SQL Server 2008 R2 (which is the oldest version I have to accomodate for our clients)
But I am not married to using ENVREFERENCE either - I just want the HOST MACHINE to give me its environment return for ALLUSERSPROFILE (obviously I should not grab this value from the executing code in the application because I will be getting the CLIENT's value instead of the desired HOST server's value; hence my desire to execute it from the T-SQL script)
So do any SQL guru's have some insight into this?
Thanks in advance.
Harry

Answer 1

Can't say this is completely bulletproof, but I past the first few dozen tests.
Thanks to Jeroen Mostert I realized I had my access to %ALLUSERSPROFILES% already on the Host server. the script then became something I could do...
-- create_Server_share.sql written by Harry Abramowski on 6/26/2018
-- we ARE NOT doing these steps in a command line prompt nor in VB6
-- because this share has to be made **ON** THE SERVER!
-- stored procs are a bitch!
go
SET ANSI_NULLS ON
GO
SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER ON
GO
IF EXISTS(SELECT 1
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.ROUTINES
WHERE ROUTINE_NAME = 'create_Server_share'
AND SPECIFIC_SCHEMA = 'dbo')
BEGIN
DROP PROCEDURE create_Server_share
END
go
CREATE PROCEDURE [dbo].[create_Server_share]
#TheShare varchar(50),
#TheDrive char=null,
#TheDIR varchar(250)=null
AS
BEGIN
if (#TheDIR is null)
set #TheDIR = '%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\XYZ'
if (#TheDrive is null)
set #TheDrive = 'X'
DECLARE #answer as varchar(MAX)
declare #myString as varchar(1000)
DECLARE #i INT
-- JUST in case its not already set up, let's enable use of the reconfig in SQL
EXEC sp_configure 'show advanced options', 1; --might not be needed
RECONFIGURE;
EXEC sp_configure 'xp_cmdshell',1; -- wont hurt to assume it IS needed
RECONFIGURE;
-- net share XYZShare=C:\Programdata\XYZ /grant:everyone,FULL
a_redo:
set #myString = ('net share ' + #TheShare +'=' + #TheDIR + ' /grant:everyone,FULL')
CREATE TABLE #xyzout ([outputtext] varchar(MAX))
Insert into #xyzout (outputtext) EXECUTE xp_cmdshell #myString
-- what about The system cannot find the file specified.???
if exists(select #xyzout.outputtext from #xyzout where #xyzout.outputtext = 'The system cannot find the file specified.')
begin
set #myString = ('mkdir ' + #TheDIR)
EXECUTE xp_cmdshell #mystring
print ('The directory ' + #TheDIR + ' was created')
drop table #xyzout
goto a_redo -- yeah I know!
end
-- was there an error - was it just an "already exists" message? let's see
set #answer = (select top 1 outputtext from #xyzout)
print #answer
-- now update systemProps table so the client machines know there's a share and what drive they should map it to
if charindex('system error',lower(#answer))= 0
IF NOT EXISTS (SELECT a.* FROM syscolumns a, sysobjects b
WHERE a.name = 'XYZShare' AND
a.id = b.id AND
b.name = 'systemProps')
ALTER TABLE system ADD XYZShare NVARCHAR(1000) NULL ;
if charindex('system error',lower(#answer))= 0
begin
update systemProps set XYZShare = (#TheDrive + '=\\' +
CAST(serverproperty('MachineName') as varchar) + '\' + #TheShare );
select systemProps.XYZShare from systemProps;
return 0;
end
else
begin
select * from #xyzout where not(outputtext is null)
return 1;
end
EXEC sp_configure 'xp_cmdshell',0; --let's leave that off?
RECONFIGURE;
DROP TABLE #xyzout
---- if you need to delete the SHARE ITSELF you COULD use this: EXEC XP_CMDSHELL 'net share Xshared /delete'
--HOWEVER you can easily do either from the windows explorer in NETWORK view or My Computer view
END
GRANT EXECUTE ON dbo.create_Server_share TO PUBLIC
GO
Hope this is useful to someone. You guys always come through for me!