> # About the ADO Client

> The ADO Client supports ADO/OLE DB applications through a component called the SequeLink for ADO data provider. The ADO Client is an ADO middleware data access component. It uses ADO technology to connect business applications to relational data stores (like Oracle). In most cases, minimal user interaction with the ADO Client middleware is needed because it works in the background, providing connectivity transparently.

> Some businesses write and support their own applications for data access. For example, application developers may need to write ADO or OLE DB-based data consumers that use the ADO provider. This book provides programming information for developers who want to control data source connections from within their applications.

> After you install the ADO Client, your OLE DB- or ADO-based business applications (data consumers) can automatically detect it on your system. Depending on the data consumer's design, the data consumer can connect directly to a data source that uses the ADO provider, or it can provide a way to select the data provider to make a connection.

> You use the DataDirect Configuration Manager to define ADO data sources for the ADO provider. After you have defined data sources that use the provider, you can select the provider from your data consumer to make a connection. See "Configuring ADO Client Data Sources" for instructions on creating and configuring data sources.

> After you have defined ADO data sources, you can access them from your data consumer and connect to them. See "Testing ADO Connections" for more information.