ODBC4x

Data Source Names (DSN) Local & Client Configuration

	A data source defines the location of data, and the connection information needed to access that data. In effect, it defines the path to the data, which may include a network, library, server, database, and other attributes. In order to establish a connection to a data source, you must do the following: 1. Ensure that the appropriate ODBC driver is installed on the client or local computer. This is described under Installation Procedures. 2. Use the ODBC Data Source Administrator to set up a data source name (DSN) to store the necessary connection information in the Windows registry or in a DSN file. If the ODBC connection information is stored in the Windows registry, it is called a machine data source. A machine data source can be either a user data source (one user has access) or a system data source (visible to all users on, or connected to, the same computer). The main advantage to having a machine data source is that it provides security within the system to limit who is logged on to view the data source and restrict the ability to copy the data source to other computers. Machine data sources can only be used on the computer where they are defined. If the ODBC connection information is stored in a DSN file, it is called a file data source. A file data source is defined in a flat text file and, unlike machine data sources, they can be ported to any system. The main advantage to having a file data source is that it can be placed in common directories and shared between users; e.g., a file DSN can be distributed among clients as a part of an installation package. The ODBC Data Source Administrator interface allows you to choose between different DSN tabs, depending on the type of data source to be modified:
	User DSN	Defines machine data sources for the user currently signed on.
	System DSN	Defines machine data sources for a particular workstation.
	File DSN	Places and maintains data source definitions in a portable text file.
	Click on one of the tabs to list the current connections for that DSN type. From here you can change/remove an existing DSN or add/configure a new one.
Creating a New DSN	To create a new DSN for ProvideX ODBC, click the Add button. The next dialogue displays a list of the ODBC drivers that are installed on your system. Select the appropriate ProvideX ODBC Driver from the list and click Finish. This invokes the ProvideX ODBC Driver Setup dialogue, which allows you to create and configure access to a ProvideX database.
*Note*	As mentioned earlier, the ProvideX ODBC installation routine will only update System DSN entries. User and File DSN entries are not updated during the installation and cannot be accessed once the existing driver is upgraded.
	Dialogues for the Local driver and the Client component of the Client/Server driver are identical, except for the Server Name and TCP/IP fields. The setup dialogue for ProvideX ODBC Version 4 appears as follows: