Data sources can be used on Windows or UNIX/Linux-based systems to help clients make it easier to make connections.
When you connect to a database using ODBC, you use an ODBC data source. The data source contains a set of connection parameters. You need an ODBC data source on the client computer for each database to which you connect.
If you have a data source, your connection string can simply name the data source to use:
Data source Use the DSN connection parameter to reference a user or system data source:
DSN=my data source
On Windows, user and system data sources are stored in the registry and in the file odbc.ini. On UNIX platforms user data sources are in the file .odbc.ini.
File data source Use the FileDSN connection parameter to reference a data source held in a file:
FileDSN=mysource.dsn
Except for encrypted passwords, which are allowed in FileDSNs only, you can put identical connection information in DSNs and FileDSNs.
ODBC data sources can be used to help a wide range of clients connect including:
Applications on Windows, Linux and Unix that use the ODBC interface
Java applications using the iAnywhere JDBC driver
