Add the line

localDatastoreFormat=firebird

to the global.properties file in the root directory of your configuration. Since 2015.02 this line is no longer needed, firebird is the default local datastore format.

Note that you have to delete the localdatastore when applying a change of localDatastoreFormat on the instance where you are changing the database, otherwise existing database files inside the localdatastore can corrupt your new localdatastore.

While the (default) MS Access database does not allow the size of the database to go beyond 2Gb firebird allows basically unlimited sizes. Some things to keep in mind when using firebird:

• Searching in the system monitor is case sensitive (in access this is not case sensitive)
• The database never shrinks after a rolling barrel. It will just re-use any white space.

See also http://publicwiki.deltares.nl/display/FEWSDOC/global.properties+file

Tips and tricks

• Known issue: As a user without administration rights Firebird sometimes will fail due to a missing security right. In this case you will see messages like "Error creating database connection". To solve this problem follow the next steps:
  • start Control Panel -> Administrative tools -> Local security settings
  • Select Local policies ->user rights assignment in the filter
  • select from the list on the right side "Create global objects"
  • add the group "Everyone" to this security right. Now it will work.

• You might experience problems starting up an OC with a new localDatastoreFormat if a local Config file is present in the region home directory. For the first login to the MC it needs to pick up the configuration from the central database. If there is a local Config present it keeps hanging and does not start up completely.