DB2 Version 10.1 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows

Registering ODBC data sources for applications that use the IBM Data Server Driver for ODBC and CLI

You must install and configure the IBM® Data Server Driver for ODBC and CLI before an ODBC database application can use the driver. This driver is not part of the IBM Data Server Client or the IBM Data Server Runtime Client.

Before you begin

To register a database as an ODBC data source and associate the IBM Data Server Driver for ODBC and CLI with the database, listed requirements must be met:

Databases to which your ODBC applications connect
An ODBC driver manager installed
One or more copies of the IBM Data Server Driver for ODBC and CLI installed
- See: Installing the IBM Data Server Driver for ODBC and CLI software on Linux and UNIX operating systems.
one or more copies of the driver installed.
- See: Installing the IBM Data Server Driver for ODBC and CLI software on Linux and UNIX operating systems.

About this task

The name of the IBM Data Server Driver for ODBC and CLI library file is db2app.dll on Windows operating systems, and db2app.lib on other platforms. The driver library file is located in the lib subdirectory of the directory in which you installed the driver.

If you have multiple copies of the IBM Data Server Driver for ODBC and CLI installed, ensure that the intended copy is identified in the odbc.ini file. When possible, avoid installing multiple copies of this driver.

Procedure

This procedure depends on which driver manager you are using for your applications.

For the Microsoft ODBC driver manager, perform the listed actions:
1. Register the IBM Data Server Driver for ODBC and CLI with the Microsoft ODBC driver manager by using the db2cli install -setup command. See Registering the IBM Data Server Driver for ODBC and CLI with the Microsoft ODBC driver manager.
2. Register the database as an ODBC data source. See Setting up the Windows CLI environment.
For open source ODBC driver managers, perform the listed actions:
1. Identify the database as an ODBC data source by adding database information to the odbc.ini file. See Setting up the ODBC environment (Linux and UNIX).
2. Associate the IBM Data Server Driver for ODBC and CLI with the data source by adding it in the database section of the odbc.ini file. You must use the fully qualified library file name.

Results

Whenever you create a Microsoft ODBC data source by using the ODBC Driver Manager, you must manually open the ODBC data source Administrator and create a data source by checking the contents of the db2cli.ini file or the db2dsdriver.cfg file. There is no command-line utility that reads the db2cli.ini file or the db2dsdriver.cfg file and creates a Microsoft ODBC data source. The db2cli command provides additional options to create a Microsoft ODBC data source through the registerdsn command parameter, which offers the listed functions:

Registers a Microsoft system or user ODBC data source if a data source entry is available in the db2cli.ini or db2dsdriver.cfg file or in the local database directory as a cataloged database.
Lists all the DB2 system or user data sources that are already registered in the Microsoft Data Source Administrator.
Removes the system or user data sources that are already registered in the Microsoft Data Source Administrator.

Note: The db2cli registerdsn command is supported only on Microsoft Windows operating systems.

Example

You want to register ODBC data sources with an open source driver manager under the listed conditions:

The operating system for the target database server is AIX®.
There are two copies of the IBM Data Server Driver for ODBC and CLI installed at
- $HOME/db2_cli_odbc_driver1 and
- $HOME/db2_cli_odbc_driver2
You have two ODBC database applications:
- ODBCapp_A
  - ODBCapp_A connects to two data sources, db1 and db2
  - The application should use the copy of the driver installed at $HOME/db2_cli_odbc_driver1.
- ODBCapp_B
  - ODBCapp_B connects to the data source db3
  - The application should use the copy of the driver installed at $HOME/db2_cli_odbc_driver2.

To register ODBC data sources with an open source driver manager, add the example entries in the odbc.ini file:

[db1]
Driver=$HOME/db2_cli_odbc_driver1/lib/libdb2.a
Description=First ODBC data source for ODBCapp1, 
       using the first copy of the IBM Data Server Driver for ODBC and CLI

[db2]
Driver=$HOME/db2_cli_odbc_driver1/lib/libdb.a
Description=Second ODBC data source for ODBCapp1, 
       using the first copy of the IBM Data Server Driver for ODBC and CLI

[db3]
Driver=$HOME/db2_cli_odbc_driver2/lib/libdb2.a
Description=First ODBC data source for ODBCapp2, 
       using the second copy of the IBM Data Server Driver for ODBC and CLI

Every time when a Microsoft ODBC Data Source (using ODBC Driver Manager) has to be created, user has to manually open the ODBC Data Source Administrator and create a Data Source by checking the contents of db2cli.ini or the db2dsdriver.cfg files. There is no command line utility which reads the db2cli.ini file or the db2dsdriver.cfg file and creates a Microsoft ODBC Data Source. Hence to overcome this concern, the db2cli provides additional options to create a Microsoft ODBC Data Source through the new registerdsn command parameter which offers the listed functions:

Register a Microsoft System/User ODBC Data Source if a Data Source entry is available in db2cli.ini or in db2dsdriver.cfg file
Register all the Data Sources available in the db2cli.ini file or the db2dsdriver.cfg file at the same time. The data sources can be registered either as a System Data Source or as a User Data Source
Lists all the DB2 System or User Data Sources that are already registered in the Microsoft Data Source Administrator
Remove the System or User Data Sources that are already registered in the Microsoft Data Source Administrator

Note: The db2cli registerdsn is supported only on Microsoft Windows platforms.