Configuring ADO Client Data Sources

The following sections provide instructions for configuring ADO client data sources:

Creating an ADO Client Data Source

  1. Start the DataDirect Configuration Manager. To start the Configuration Manager, select Start / Programs, and select DataDirect SequeLink 6.0 for ADO Client. Then, select the DataDirect Configuration Manager application.
  2. Select File / New / Data Source from the menu bar. The New Data Source window appears.


    3. New Data Source window

  3. Type a name for the data source. All data sources located in the same directory must have unique names. If the name has already been used for another data source, you are prompted to enter a different name.
  4. In the DataDirect OLE DB Providers drop-down list, select DataDirect SequeLink 6.0 ADO Provider. Then, click Set Up Data Source.
  5. The DataDirect SequeLink ADO Provider Setup window appears.


    6. General tab of the SequeLink for ADO Provider Setup window. The data source name is not selectable.

    NOTE: The General tab displays only fields that are required for creating a data source. The fields on all other tabs are optional, unless noted otherwise.

  6. Provide the following information.

    7. Data Source Name: This is a read-only field that uniquely identifies this ADO data source configuration. Examples include Accounting or SequeLink to Oracle Data.

    Description: Optionally, type a description of the data source. For example, My Accounting Database or Accounting Data in Oracle.

    SequeLink Server Host: Type the TCP/IP host name of the SequeLink service to which you want the ADO Client to connect. This field is available only if the Use LDAP check box is not selected.

    SequeLink Server Port: Type the TCP/IP port the SequeLink service is listening on for incoming connection requests. The port you specify must be the same as the one that was specified for the SequeLink service when the SequeLink Server was installed; the default is 19996. This field is available only if the Use LDAP check box is not selected.

    Server Data Source: Type the name of a server data source configured for the SequeLink service to use for the connection or select one from the drop-down list. This field is optional. If a server data source is not specified, the default server data source for that SequeLink service will be used for the connection. This field is available only if the Use LDAP check box is not selected.

    Use LDAP: To configure the ADO Client to retrieve connection information from an LDAP directory, select the Use LDAP check box. The fields change on the lower half of the screen to accommodate the information that is required to query an LDAP server for connection information. Provide the following information:

    LDAP Server Host: Type the TCP/IP host name of the LDAP server.

    LDAP Server Port: Type the TCP/IP port on which the LDAP server is listening for incoming connection requests. The default value is 389.

    Distinguished Name (DN): Type an identifier that uniquely identifies the LDAP entry where connection information is stored.

    For more information about retrieving connection information from LDAP directories, refer to the SequeLink Administrator's Guide.

    Encrypted (SSL): If the remote SequeLink service is configured for SSL encryption, select this check box. You must select this check box if connecting to a SequeLink service enabled for SSL.

    When the check box is cleared (the default), communication between the SequeLink Client and SequeLink Server is not encrypted with SSL.

    For more information about encrypting data, refer to the SequeLink Administrator's Guide.

    NOTES:

    • Data encryption with SSL is not supported for LDAP Servers. The Use LDAP and the Encrypted (SSL) check boxes are mutually exclusive.
    • SSL encryption is not supported for SequeLink Server for DB2 on z/OS. To support SSL in a DB2 for z/OS environment, use the SequeLink Proxy Server. For information about using the SequeLink Proxy Server, refer to the SequeLink Administrator's Guide.
  7. Optionally, click the Trace tab to enable tracing options. Specify values on the Trace tab, then, click Apply.

    8. NOTE: Settings on this tab apply to all data sources for the ADO data provider. You cannot set the trace options programatically.


    The Trace tab includes check boxes for enabling tracing support and appending tracing results to an existing output file.

    Enable: Select this check box to enable tracing support. By default, the check box is not selected.

    Trace IUnknown Methods: Select this check box to enable tracing support of IUnknown methods. By default, the check box is not selected.

    Append to Existing Output File: Select this check box to append tracing results to an output file. By default, the check box is selected.

    Output File: Type the name of the file to which tracing results will be appended. This file contains the tracing results of all data sources for the ADO data provider.

  8. Optionally, click the Options tab to add connection attributes (see "Connecting with a Provider String" for the values that can be entered on this tab). Values in the Provider Options field are separated by semicolons.

    9. For example, the following string sets values for the Alternate Servers, Connection Retry Count, and Connection Retry Delay connection failover options:

    Alternate Servers=(Host=server2:Port=19996,Host=server3:Port=19996,Host=server4:Port=19996);Connection Retry Count=2;Connection Retry Delay=3


    Options tab to the SequeLink for ADO provider setup window

  9. At any point during the configuration process, you can click Test Connect to attempt to connect to the data source using the connection properties specified in the provider Setup dialog box. A logon dialog box appears; see "ADO Connection Dialogs" for details.

    10. Note that the information you enter in the logon dialog box during a test connect is not saved.

    • If the data provider can connect, it releases the connection and displays a Connection Established message. Click OK.
    • If the data provider cannot connect because of an improper environment or incorrect connection value, it displays an appropriate error message. Click OK.

    NOTE: If you are configuring alternate servers for use with the connection failover feature, be aware that the Test Connect button tests only the primary server, not the alternate servers.

NOTE: All data sources are saved to the current directory displayed in the Configuration Manager. See "Changing Data Source Directories" for instructions on changing the current directory.

Modifying an ADO Client Data Source

To modify the properties of a data source, double-click the data source in the Data Sources folder of the Configuration Manager to display the SequeLink for ADO Provider Setup window. See "Creating an ADO Client Data Source" for a description of the fields you can change.

Renaming an ADO Client Data Source

You can rename data sources. You cannot rename or delete the Data Sources folder.

To rename an ADO provider data source:

  1. Start the Configuration Manager. To start the Configuration Manager, select Start / Programs, and select DataDirect SequeLink 6.0 Client for ADO. Then, select the DataDirect Configuration Manager application.
  2. Select the data source you want to rename.
  3. Select Edit / Rename. The data source name becomes an editable field.
  4. Type the new name of the data source and press ENTER.

Deleting an ADO Client Data Source

  1. Start the Configuration Manager. To start the Configuration Manager, select Start / Programs, and select DataDirect SequeLink 6.0 Client for ADO. Then, select the DataDirect Configuration Manager application.
  2. Select the data source you want to delete.
  3. Select Edit / Delete.
  4. A window appears prompting you to confirm the deletion. Click Yes to delete the selected data source.

After you change the current directory, the left pane of the Configuration Manager is automatically refreshed to display the data sources in the new directory.

The current directory remains active until you change it again. Any data sources you create are saved to the current directory.

Copying an ADO Client Data Source

Copying a data source can make it easier for you to configure new data sources that use the same properties as existing data sources. When you copy a data source, the copied data source retains all the properties of the original data source. After copying, you can modify the properties of the data source as needed.

To copy a data source:

  1. In Windows Explorer, navigate to the directory that contains the data source you want to copy. All ADO provider data sources use .IDS as their file extension. For example, if the data source name appears as TEST in the Configuration Manager, the name of the data source file is TEST.IDS.

    2. NOTE: The directory location of a data source displayed in the Configuration Manager appears in the status bar at the bottom of the Configuration Manager.

  2. Copy the data source to the Windows Explorer clipboard; then, perform one of the following actions:
    • To copy to a different directory, navigate to the directory you want to copy to and paste the data source in that new directory. You can use the same data source name.
    • To copy to the same directory, paste the data source; then, rename the data source to a unique name.
  3. To display the new data source in the Configuration Manager, perform one of the following actions:
    • If you copied the data source to a different directory, make that directory the current directory in the Configuration Manager by selecting Tools / Options / Main Data Source Directory. The new data source appears in the Data Sources folder.
    • If you copied the data source to the same directory and renamed the data source, select View / Refresh in the Configuration Manager. The new data source appears in the Data Sources folder.

Changing Data Source Directories

The Configuration Manager displays the ADO data sources contained in the current directory, which is displayed in the status bar at the bottom of the Configuration Manager. The first time you start the Configuration Manager, the current directory defaults to the ADO Client installation directory.

To change the current directory:



  1. Click the Change main Data Source directory button on the tool bar.
  2. Type the name of the new directory in the Current Directory field, or, click the Browse button to select a different directory.
  3. Click OK.

After you change the current directory, the left pane of the Configuration Manager is automatically refreshed to display the data sources in the new directory. The current directory remains active until you change it again. Any data sources you create are saved to the current directory.

Defining Default Setup Options

The Configuration Manager supports configurable default setup options and override options through the use of a template data source file and a master data source file, respectively.

A template data source file is used by the Configuration Manager to populate values in the fields of the Setup dialog box when a user creates a new data source. By creating a template data source file, you can define the default setup options (default values for newly created data sources). The user can change these default values when setting up a new data source.

A master data source file is used to provide global connection options. The options set in the master data source file override connection options set any other way (for example, by the data source specified by an application or a connection string) when an application is connecting to the database.

Creating a Template Data Source File

You can define template data source files to simplify the creation of data source files. A template data source file allows you to define the default setup options for SequeLink data providers. The Configuration Manager supplies these values in the Setup dialog box when a user creates a new data source. The user can change these default values when setting up a new data source.

To create a template data source file:

  1. Create a directory in which to store the template data source file.

    2. IMPORTANT: The template data source directory cannot be the same as the directory for other data sources.

  2. In the Configuration Manager window, select Tools / Options / Template Data Source Directory. Specify the directory that you created in Step 1; then, click OK.


    3. Template Data Source Directory dialog box. A new directory was created in Step 1 to store the template data sources.

  3. Select Tools / Options / Main Data Source Directory. Specify the template directory; then, click OK. This sets the template directory as the location in which to create the template data source file.


    4. Main Data Source Directory dialog box, showing the name of the directory created for the provider templates

  4. Create a data source, defining the values that will be most commonly used. This will be your template data source file for the specified data provider.
  5. Select Tools / Options / Main Data Source Directory. Specify the directory that contains your data sources; then, click OK.

Creating a Master Data Source File

You can define a master data source file that overrides connection options set any other way. This allows you to control the way that users connect to the database.

During connection, the Main data source directory is checked for a data source, and connection values are retrieved. If a Master data source directory exists, it is then checked for the same data source. The connection settings for user data sources will be overridden by the master data source file.

To create a master data source file:

  1. Create a directory in which to store the master data source file.

    2. IMPORTANT: The master data source directory cannot be the same as the directory for template data sources or any other data provider data sources.

  2. In the Configuration Manager window, select Tools / Options / Master Data Source Directory and specify the directory that you created in Step 1. The master data source file will be used at connection time.


    3. Master Data Source Directory dialog box. A new directory was created in Step 1 to store the master data sources.

  3. Select Tools / Options / Main Data Source Directory. Specify the master data source directory; then, click OK. This sets the master data source directory as the location in which to create the master data source file.
  4. Create one or more data sources. The data sources in this directory will be your master data source files for the specified data providers.
  5. Select Tools / Options / Main Data Source Directory. Specify the directory that contains your data sources; then, click OK.