Here are answers to some common questions about using the ODBC Data Source Administrator.
Use this tab to add, delete, or set up data sources with user data source names (DSNs). These data sources are local to a computer and accessible only by the current user.
The table below describes the controls on the User DSN tab.
Control
Description
User Data Sources
Lists all user DSNs, including the name and associated driver of each. Double-clicking a user DSN displays the driver-specific data source setup dialog box.
Add
Adds new user data sources.
Remove
Removes a selected user data source name from the User Data Sources list.
Configure
Displays the driver-specific data source setup dialog box, where you can change the configuration of a selected user data source.
OK
Closes the ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog box. You do not have to click OK to accept changes to the User Data Sources list. Changes to the list are accepted when you click OK in the data source setup dialog box.
Cancel
Closes the ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog box but does not undo changes made in other dialog boxes.
Help
Displays this Help topic.
Use this tab to add, delete, or set up data sources with system data source names (DSNs). These data sources are local to a computer but not user-dedicated. Any user with the correct permissions can access a system DSN.
The table below describes the controls on the System DSN tab.
System Data Sources
Lists all system DSNs, including the name and associated driver of each. Double-clicking a system DSN displays the driver-specific data source setup dialog box.
Adds a new system data source.
Removes a selected system data source name from the System Data Sources list.
Displays the driver-specific data source setup dialog box, where you can change the configuration of an existing system data source. You must select the name of a system data source from the list before clicking Configure.
Closes the ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog box. You do not have to click OK to accept changes to the System Data Sources list. Changes to the list are accepted when you click OK in the data source setup dialog box.
Use this tab to add, delete, or set up file-based data sources that can be shared among all users who have the same drivers installed. These data sources don't need to be user-dedicated or local to a computer.
The table below describes the controls on the File DSN tab.
File Data Sources
Displays all file data source names (DSNs) and subfolders of the folders indicated in the Look in box. Double-clicking a file DSN displays the driver-specific data source setup dialog box.
Adds a new file data source.
Removes a selected file data source.
Displays the driver-specific data source setup dialog box, where you can change the configuration of an existing file data source. You must select the name of a file data source from the list before clicking Configure.
Set Directory
Sets the folder indicated in the Look in box as the default when the ODBC Administrator is opened.
Look in
Displays the folder for which the subfolders and file DSNs are listed in the window below. The default folder that is initially displayed when the ODBC Administrator is first opened is contained in the system information, but you can change it with the Set Directory button.
Up One Level icon
Replaces the folder shown in the Look in box with the folder located one level up.
Closes the ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog box. You do not have to click OK to accept changes to the File Data Sources list. Changes to the list are accepted when you click OK in the data source setup dialog box.
Closes the ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog box but does not undo changes made using other dialog box controls.
This tab displays information about the ODBC drivers installed on your computer. No action can be performed from this tab. You must use the specific driver setup program to add or remove ODBC drivers.
The table below describes the controls on the Drivers tab.
ODBC Drivers
Displays the name, version, company, file name, and file creation date of each ODBC driver on the computer.
Closes the ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog box.
This tab specifies how the ODBC Driver Manager traces calls to ODBC functions. Tracing is performed by a trace DLL that captures calls between the Driver Manager and either the application or the driver, and then records them in a log file. The Driver Manager can:
Trace calls continuously or for one connection only
Perform tracing dynamically
Allow tracing to be performed by a custom trace .dll file
The table below describes the controls on the Tracing tab.
Start Tracing Now/Stop Tracing Now (toggle)
Enables continuous dynamic tracing, whether or not a connection has been made, as long as the ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog box is displayed or until you click Stop Tracing Now.
Start Visual Studio Analyzer/Stop Visual Studio Analyzer (toggle)
Enables Visual Studio Analyzer, which remains enabled until you click Stop Visual Studio Analyzer. Visual Studio Analyzer is a tool that you can use for debugging and analyzing a distributed application. For more information about Visual Studio Analyzer, go to the MSDN Library on the Microsoft website.
Log File Path
Displays the path and file name where the tracing information will be stored. Use the default path and file name (\sql.log) or specify a new one.
Browse
Lets you select the path and file name for the log file by browsing folders.
Custom Trace DLL
Lets you select a .dll file other than Odbctrac.dll to perform tracing. Enter the path and file name of the custom .dll file, or click Select DLL to browse folders. The Odbctrac.dll file that is shipped with the Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) software development kit (SDK) can be replaced with a custom .dll file of your choice.
Select DLL
Lets you browse the folder structure for a custom trace .dll file. The path and file name of the chosen .dll file will appear in the Custom Trace DLL text box.
Accepts changes to the Log file path and Custom Trace DLL settings and closes the ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog box.
Closes the ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog box without accepting changes to settings.
Apply
Accepts changes to tracing settings and leaves the ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog box open.
Connection pooling enables an ODBC application to reuse a connection from a pool of connections. Use this tab to alter the connection retry wait time and time-out period for a selected driver when using connection pooling. You can also enable and disable performance monitoring, which records a number of connection statistics.
The table below describes the controls on the Connection Pooling tab.
Lists the name of each installed ODBC driver with its connection pooling time-out option. To set the time-out option, double-click the ODBC driver name.
Connection Pooling Timeout
Sets the connection pooling time-out, in seconds, for the selected driver. To set connection pooling attributes, double-click the driver name.
Enable
Enables performance-monitoring counters for connection pooling. For more information about performance monitoring, go to Setting ODBC Connection Pooling Options on the Microsoft website.
Disable
Disables performance-monitoring counters for connection pooling. For more information about performance monitoring, go to Setting ODBC Connection Pooling Options on the Microsoft website.
Retry Wait Time
Specifies, in seconds and in fewer than six numerals, how long the ODBC Driver Manager waits before making connection retries to a database server.
Accepts changes to connection pooling settings and closes the ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog box.
Accepts changes to connection pooling settings and leaves the ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog box open.
This tab displays information about the ODBC core components, including the Driver Manager, the cursor library, the installer .dll file, and other files that constitute the core components.
The table below describes the controls on the About tab.
Core component list
Displays the description, version, file name, and location of each ODBC core component.
