ODBC DATA CONNECTIVITY TUTORIALS
Select One of these Popular ODBC Topics:
Optimizing Performance
Move Your 'Big Data' Faster with Bulk Load
Discover how easy it is to use Progress DataDirect Drivers to move bulk data from one database directly into the other by streaming, thus avoiding the need to load the data into memory.
Increasing Driver Performance
This article discusses how to tune the DataDirect DB2, Informix, Informix Wire Protocol, Oracle, Oracle Wire Protocol, and Sybase Wire Protocol drivers for increased performance.
Designing Performance-Optimized ODBC Applications
This article contains general guidelines that have been compiled by examining the ODBC implementations of numerous shipping ODBC applications, offering information about using catalog functions appropriately, retrieving only required data, selecting functions that optimize performance, and managing connections and updates.
Using Indexes
There are a number of ways in which you can improve the performance of database activity using indexes. This article provides general guidelines that apply to most databases.
ODBC Driver Thread Protection Schemes
The ODBC 3.0 specification does not provide a method to find out how a driver will service threaded requests although this information is quite useful to an application. All DataDirect drivers provide this information to the user via the SQLGetInfo information type 1028. This article provides a code sample using SQLGetInfo to determine whether the session is fully thread enabled or is restricted at the connection level.
Achieving Optimal Security
Enterprise Security Features in DataDirect Connect — Secure Architecture, Kerberos, and SSL
Learn more about the security features in the DataDirect Connect product line and read the independent security report by The Internet Security Advisors Group (ISAG), an international information security firm specializing in security assessment. The report also provides important information if you’re looking to implement Single Sign-on (SSO) or data encryption.
Unicode
Understanding Unicode and ODBC Data Access
This article provides a brief background on Unicode, its development, and how it is accommodated by Unicode and non-Unicode DataDirect Connect for ODBC drivers.
Open Source Considerations
Why Open Source Database Drivers Are Not Viable
This article explains the risks associated with the use of an open source database driver. These risks are not limited to potential technical difficulties, since the problems could severely affect the day-to-day workings of the business. The risks are associated with inferior product quality, non-existent technical support, and the complete assumption of legal liability.
Database Interoperability
Achieving Database Interoperability through SQL Leveling Across Data Access APIs
Open data access standards, such as ODBC, JDBC and ADO.NET have given developers a means of achieving application portability between databases. However, there are still instances where the SQL standard is not portable between databases. DataDirect Technologies delivers this interoperability between databases and across APIs through SQL Leveling.
Diagnosing and Troubleshooting
DataDirect ODBC Drivers – Diagnosis and Troubleshooting
This article discusses the diagnostic tools that are available to configure and troubleshoot your ODBC environment and provides a troubleshooting section that discusses some common types of issues that you may experience when using ODBC applications.
ODBC "How To" Guides
Accessing SQL Server from Cognos
This tutorial teaches you how to get connected to SQL Server as quickly as possible so that you can started using Cognos to access SQL Server data today.
Superior ODBC Access from SAS on Linux
This article explains how quick and easy it is to connect to any major database from SAS running on a Linux client using the DataDirect Connect for ODBC Wire Protocol driver.
Using DataDirect ODBC Drivers with PERL
Because PERL is easily portable across operating systems, several initiatives have been undertaken to develop modules that enable developers to use the ODBC interface, thus enhancing PERL's portability across corporate databases. DataDirect Connect for ODBC allows PERL applications not only to be completely portable, but also highly scalable. This article provides information for using DataDirect Connect for ODBC with PERL, including configuration instructions and a sample PERL application.
Using PHP with DataDirect ODBC Drivers
PHP is a robust scripting language useful for everything from small projects to enterprise application development. By using DataDirect Connect for ODBC drivers, you can easily write portable PHP code for all major operating systems and platforms. This article explains how to use DataDirect Connect for ODBC with PHP to maximize a PHP deployment on either UNIX/Linux or Windows.
Using DataDirect Connect for ODBC with Oracle RAC
A cluster architecture, such as Oracle RAC, provides applications with many advantages such as connection failover and load balancing. DataDirect Connect for ODBC drivers provide full support for these important features to help make your business more flexible and agile in today's computing environment, where scalability and data availability is critical.
Using DataDirect Connect for ODBC with Oracle Heterogeneous Services
DataDirect Connect for ODBC provides the most reliable and highest performing data access for users of Oracle Heterogeneous Services. Connect for ODBC does not require the installation and configuration of database client libraries. This dramatically improves performance and scalability and simplifies configuration of Oracle Generic Connectivity, while providing access to a larger number of various data sources. This article explains how to use DataDirect Connect for ODBC with Oracle Heterogeneous Services.
Using DataDirect Connect for ODBC with the Oracle Database Gateway for ODBC
Heterogeneous Services and Database Gateway for ODBC allow Oracle customers to access and integrate non-Oracle data sources, providing flexibility in a multi-database environment. DataDirect ODBC drivers deliver the most scalable and best performing connectivity for Oracle Database Gateway for ODBC.
Understanding and Using Packages on DB2 UDB
The concept of "packages" in the DB2 Universal Database (UDB) system is often not well understood. This article provides both general information about what packages are and how they are created and bound, as well as specific information about both the DataDirect Connect for ODBC (32-bit) and DataDirect Connect64 for ODBC (64-bit) drivers.
64-Bit Technology
Why Choose 64-Bit Technology as Your Server Platform?:
Can your existing system meet current and predicted needs? This article can help you decide if you need to upgrade to 64-bit technology. Server-based applications, such as high-performance databases, business intelligence, and forecasting, will operate with vastly more efficiency by upgrading to 64-bit applications on 64-bit machines.
Failover Support
Failover Support in DataDirect Connect for ODBC Drivers:
Connection failover and connection retry are two useful features that are available in certain DataDirect Connect for ODBC drivers. Connection failover allows an application to connect to an alternate, or backup, database server if the primary database server is unavailable, ensuring that the data on which your critical ODBC applications depend is always available. Connection retry can be an important strategy for system recovery after a power failure.
Connecting to a Backup Tnsnames File (Tnsnames File Failover):
The DataDirect Connect for ODBC Oracle Wire Protocol driver allows you to use information from an Oracle tnsnames.ora file to connect to your database. Using an Oracle tnsnames.ora file to centralize connection information in your Oracle environment simplifies maintenance when changes occur. If, however, the tnsnames.ora file is unavailable because, for example, of a hardware failure or traffic overload, then it is useful to be able to open a backup version of the tnsnames.ora file (tnsnames file failover).
ODBC Tip – Connection Failover:
You can customize certain DataDirect Connect for ODBC drivers for connection failover by configuring a list of alternate database servers that are tried if the primary server is not able to accept connections. This article provides an example of a connection string to configure the Oracle Wire Protocol driver to use connection failover.
XML Support
Persisting Result Sets as XML Data Files:
DataDirect Connect ODBC drivers include the ability to persist result sets as XML data files for these leading databases: Oracle, Informix, DB2, and Sybase. This allows you to quickly publish information to the Web and allow customers to interact with the data you publish.
Mapping XML Documents to Tables Using the DataDirect Connect for ODBC XML Driver:
Many XML documents have a complex structure that cannot be mapped to a single table. To accommodate these documents, the DataDirect Connect for ODBC XML driver uses a mode in which the document is mapped to one or more tables. In this mode, the driver uses a table-guessing algorithm to find the tables, columns, and rows in the document.
Important Announcements
Support for 2007 Daylight Saving Time (DST) Change
This document explains the support provided by Connect for ODBC for the Daylight Saving Time (DST) change implemented by the United States government in 2007.
