The oldest and most simple and fastest integer check is
if value\1=+value

\1 strips trailing decimals,  + strips leading 0

; just pure integer arithmetics no string checks

since every installation of Caché has it's gateway I'm not clear what you did by
" configured as CSP gateway. "
with no manual change the gateway always talks to your local server  ser-app-w

From CSPgatewayMgmt on ser-app-w  you should check access to ser-app-db

The fact that the table is external  is just a concern of storage strategy in the generated Caché Class
To your COS code  it's just another class projected as table.

Use it by your preferred ResultSet Class
It might be a good idea to check access first from Mgmt Portal to verify access rights.

for the example:
http://docs.intersystems.com/latest/csp/documatic/%25CSP.Documatic.cls?P...

so you may use $$$comClassDefined(class)  for compile classes

or go for ^oddCOM(....)

Sébastien,

<COLLATION NOT SUPPORTED>

tells you that you have different NLS setting  between your servers.
e.g. FRAW on one side and something else not supporting French collation on the other end eg. ENUW or simiar
or not wide characters ...

Should be easy to change on the fly from Mgmt Portal

http://localhost:57772/csp/sys/mgr/%25CSP.UI.Portal.NLS.zen

Salue,

And if you also want to be sure that also the Method %New exists you my use

write $$$comMemberDefined(ClassName,"m","%New")

[just reading through %occReference.inc]

I'm fully with you.
Using hidden %System.whatever   Classes is as bad practice as using undocumented $zu(anynumber,  ,  , )

set exist=##class(%Dictionary.CompiledClass).%ExistsId(ClassName)

will tell you the status

If there is an index defined on PBD_PBO_ParRef  is it correctly generated?
If not sure, do rebuild index from MgmtPortal. 

What about chopping your query like this or similar

lastID=0

"Select TOP 10000 ID,Text from eprinstance.isegment where ID > ?"

passing lastID as query Parameter

Now you loop on it until you collected all records.

The basic idea is to limit your result set by TOP as your partition allows.

it's definitely independent of Cache versions.