Database Server (DBS) API

How to Use Database Server (DBS) Calls

• Format and Conventions of the Calls
  
  
• IENS: Identify Entries and Subentries
  
  
• FDA: Format of Data Passed to and from VA FileMan
  
  
• Documentation Conventions

How the Database Server (DBS) Communicates

• Overview
  
  
• How Information Is Returned
  
  
• Contents of Arrays
  
  
• Obtaining Formatted Text from the Arrays
  
  
• Cleaning Up the Output Arrays
  
  
• Example of Call to VA FileMan DBS

Reviewed/Updated: May 2026