title: Checking availability of DB2 database via db2cli
body: <p>I try to check the availability of a DB2 Instance via the <code>db2cli</code>-utility, as follows</p>
  
  <pre><code>db2cli execsql -user USER -passwd PASSWD -connstring DATABASE:HOST:PORT
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>(with actual values for the uppercased text). I would expect this to connect to HOST:PORT, using the credentials USER and PASSWD, and to switch to database DATABASE.</p>
  
  <p>As a result i get</p>
  
  <pre><code>SQLError: rc = 0 (SQL_SUCCESS) 
  SQLGetDiagRec: SQLState     : 08001
        fNativeError : -1024
        szErrorMsg   : [IBM][CLI Driver] SQL1024N  A database connection does not exist.      SQLSTATE=08003
        cbErrorMsg   : 82
  </code></pre>
  
  <p><strong>But: these values WORK, on the same machine</strong>, if i use them as credentials in applications that connect to DB2, so i would expect that i get a connection with the given command.</p>
  
  <p><strong>My Question is: am i using <code>db2cli</code> wrong?</strong></p>