After you install the driver, you configure data sources to connect to the database. See Chapter 1 “Quick Start Connect” for an explanation of different types of data sources. The data source contains connection options that allow you to tune the driver for specific performance. If you want to use a data source but need to change some of its values, you can either modify the data source or override its values at connection time through a connection string.
If you choose to use a connection string, you must use specific connection string attributes. See “Using a Connection String” and Table 15-1 for an alphabetical list of driver connection string attributes and their initial default values.
On Windows, data sources are stored in the Windows Registry. You can configure and modify data sources through the ODBC Administrator using a driver Setup dialog box.
When the driver is first installed, the values of its connection options are set by default. These values appear on the driver Setup dialog box tabs when you create a new data source. You can change these default values by modifying the data source. In the following procedure, the description of each tab is followed by a table that lists the connection options for that tab and their initial default values. This table links you to a complete description of the options and their connection string attribute equivalents. The connection string attributes are used to override the default values of the data source if you want to change these values at connection time.
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Start the ODBC Administrator by selecting its icon from the DataDirect Connect program group; then, select a tab:
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User DSN: If you are configuring an existing user data source, select the data source name on the User DSN tab and click Configure to display the driver Setup dialog box.
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If you are configuring a new user data source, click Add on the User DSN tab to display a list of installed drivers. Select the driver and click Finish to display the driver Setup dialog box.
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System DSN: To configure a new system data source, click Add on the System DSN tab to display a list of installed drivers. Select the driver and click Finish to display the driver Setup dialog box.
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File DSN: If you are configuring an existing file data source, select the data source name on the File DSN tab and click Configure to display the driver Setup dialog box.
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If you are configuring a new file data source, click Add on the File DSN tab to display a list of installed drivers. Select the driver and click Next. Specify a name for the data source and click Next. Verify the data source information; then, click Finish to display the driver Setup dialog box.
NOTE: The General tab displays only fields that are required for creating a data source. The fields on all other tabs are optional, unless noted otherwise.
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On this tab, provide values for the options in the following table; then, click Apply. The table provides links to descriptions of the connection options.
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Optionally, click the Advanced tab to specify data source settings.
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On this tab, provide values for any of the options in the following table; then, click Apply. The table provides links to descriptions of the connection options.
Translate: Click Translate to display the Select Translator dialog box, which lists the translators specified in the ODBC Translators section of the Registry. DataDirect provides a translator named OEM to ANSI that translates your data from the IBM PC character set to the ANSI character set.
Select a translator; then, click OK to close this dialog box.
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At any point during the configuration process, you can click Test Connect to attempt to connect to the data source using the connection properties specified in the driver Setup dialog box.
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If the driver can connect, it releases the connection and displays a Connection established! message. Click OK.
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If the driver cannot connect because of an incorrect environment or connection value, it displays an appropriate error message.
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Verify that all required client software is properly installed. If it is not, you will see the message:
Click OK.
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Click OK or Cancel. If you click OK, the values you have specified become the defaults when you connect to the data source. You can change these defaults by using this procedure to reconfigure your data source. You can override these defaults by connecting to the data source using a connection string with alternate values.
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If you want to use a connection string for connecting to a database, or if your application requires it, you must specify either a DSN (data source name), a File DSN, or a DSN-less connection in the string. The difference is whether you use the DSN=, FILEDSN=, or the DRIVER= keyword in the connection string, as described in the ODBC specification. A DSN or FILEDSN connection string tells the driver where to find the default connection information. Optionally, you may specify attribute=value pairs in the connection string to override the default values stored in the data source.
The DSN-less connection string specifies a driver instead of a data source. All connection information must be entered in the connection string because the information is not stored in a data source.
Table 15-1 lists the long and short names for each attribute, as well as the initial default value when the driver is first installed. You can specify either long or short names in the connection string.