1.2. Setting up a DSN (Data Source Name)

To connect an ODBC-compliant database to the DataHub, you will need to ensure that you have specified a DSN (Data Souce Name) for the database. Here's how:

  1. From the Windows Start menu, choose Control Panel, then Administrative Tools, and then Data Sources (ODBC) to open the ODBC Data Source Administrator window. This is what it looks like in Windows XP:
  2. Select the User DSN or System DSN tab, depending on how you plan to access your database.
    A user DSN is only available to the current user account, while a system DSN is available to any user account on the computer.
  3. Now you can add a new database or configure an existing one.

    Add a new database

    1. Click the Add button. The Create New Data Source window will open, displaying a list of data source drivers.
    2. Select the data source driver that corresponds to your ODBC database. A data source setup window will open. Each data source setup window is different, but you should be able to find the appropriate entry fields easily enough.
    3. Enter the data source name and select the database.
    4. Enter any other required or optional information such as login name, password, etc. What entries need to be made and where they are entered depends on the particular data source setup window you are using.
    5. Click OK to return to the ODBC Data Source Administrator window. You should be able to see the new database and driver listed. If you need to make any changes, you can configure an exiting database, as explained below.

    Configure an existing database

    1. Select a data source name and click the Configure... button. This takes you to the data source setup window (explained above) where you can make changes to the configuration.
    2. Make your changes and click OK to return to the ODBC Data Source Administrator window. Any time you need to make a change, you can go to this window.
  4. When you are satisfied everything is correct, click the OK button to exit the ODBC Data Source Administrator.