What is /IBMDA400.DataSource.1/ ?
Introduction: .NET uses .NET Data Providers.
- You have "native" .NET Data Providers for Oracle, SQL Server (provided by
MS) and maybe for IBM (provided by IBM, if any).
- There is a special .NET Data Provider: The Microsoft .NET Data Provider
for OLEDB, which on the contrary to "native" .NET Data Providers, needs an
old OLEDB Provider to work, and should be used when no native .NET Data
Providers is available for a database.
So:
"Provider=IBMDA400.DataSource.1" specifies the OLEDB Provider that the
Microsoft .NET Data Provider for OLEDB must use. In this case, it specifies
that you want to use the OLEDB Provider for IBM. For example,
Provider=MSDAORA would specify the Microsoft OLEDB Provider for Oracle.
Technically it is the ProgID of the COM class exposed by the OLEDB provider.
The .1 specifies the version-depending ProgID.
"Provider=IBMDA400.DataSource" would be the version-independent ProgID.
Is that an ODBC driver?
No.
Is it built into .net 1.1 ? Or do I have to install something else?
The Microsoft .NET Data Provider for OLEDB is supplied by the .NET
Framework. This provider is a .NET-OLEDB bridge which needs an OLEDB
Provider. Some OLEDB Providers for Oracle and SQL Server are supplied by
Microsoft in Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC), but for IBM you have
to get it presumably from IBM Corp.
Is it part of the IBM CAE ( Client Access Express ) Utilities?
It could be, check with IBM docs.
Does CAE have to be installed on the client to be able to use
IBMDA400.DataSource.1 ?
It's very likely, since .NET Data Providers, OLEDB Providers or ODBC drivers
need the native client DLLs to connect to the database.
Notice that you are using the Microsoft .NET Data Provider for OLEDB with
an OLEDB Provider for IBM. Another approach is to avoid OLEDB and use a
"native" .NET Data Provider for IBM, if IBM offers it. Since you avoid the
bridge component, the performance can be better.
--
Carlos J. Quintero
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