ODBC Data Source Administrator Dialog

The User DSN tab enables you to add, delete, and configure user data sources. Existing user data sources are listed in the User Data Sources list box. User data sources are visible only to the user who creates them and only on the machine on which they are created.

• Add: Opens the Create New Data Source dialog, from which you select the driver that you want to use to set up the data source. After you make your driver selection, click Finish to open the setup dialog that is relevant to that driver.

• Remove: Removes the currently selected user data source.

• Configure: Opens the setup dialog that is relevant to the currently selected user data source.

The System DSN tab enables you to add, delete, and configure system data sources. Existing system data sources are listed in the System Data Sources list box. These data sources are local to a computer, rather than dedicated to a user. The system, or any user who has privileges, can use a data source that is configured to have a system DSN.

• Add: Opens the Create New Data Source dialog, from which you select the driver that you want to use to set up the data source. After you make your driver selection, click Finish to open the setup dialog that is relevant to that driver.

• Remove: Removes the currently selected system data source.

• Configure: Opens the setup dialog that is relevant to the currently selected system data source.

The File DSN tab enables you to add, delete, and configure file data sources. Existing file data sources are listed in the list box on the left side of the dialog. These data sources can be shared among all users who have the same ODBC drivers installed; they are not dedicated to a specific user or computer.

• Look In: Displays the directory for which the subdirectories and file DSNs are listed in the list box below it. The default directory that is initially displayed when the ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog is first opened is contained in the system information, but you can change this with the Set Directory button.

  Clicking replaces the directory that is shown in the Look in box with the directory that is located one level up.

• Add: Opens the Create New Data Source dialog, from which you select the driver that you want to use to set up the data source. After you make your driver selection, click Next to specify the name or location of the new file data source. Click Next again to view a summary of the new data source information. Click Finish to display the driver-specific setup dialog box.

• Remove: Removes the currently selected file data source.

• Configure: Opens the setup dialog that is relevant to the currently selected file data source.

• Set Directory: Sets the directory that is currently indicated in the list box as the default when the ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog is opened.

The Drivers tab displays information about the installed ODBC drivers. The ODBC Drivers list shows you which drivers are already installed on your computer. No actions are performed from this tab.

The Tracing tab enables you to specify how the ODBC Driver Manager traces calls to ODBC functions. The Driver Manager can trace calls, perform tracing dynamically, or allow tracing to be performed by a custom trace DLL.

When to trace

• Start/Stop Tracing Now: Enables continuous dynamic tracing whether or not a connection has been made, as long as the ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog box is displayed or until you click Stop Tracing Now. This is a toggle button; after you click Start Tracing Now, the button becomes Stop Tracing Now, and vice versa.

• Start Visual Studio Analyzer: Enables Visual Studio Analyzer (for debugging and analyzing your distributed application), which remains enabled until you click Stop Visual Studio Analyzer. This is a toggle button; after you click Start Visual Studio Analyzer, the button becomes Stop Visual Studio Analyzer, and vice versa.

• Machine-Wide tracing for all user identities: When selected, enables machine-wide tracing for all user identities. When not selected, per-user tracing is enabled. This tracing mode must be set before tracing begins; stop current tracing before changing this mode.

Machine-wide tracing should be enabled only when it is needed; otherwise, it should be turned off.

Log File Path

The Log File Path section displays the path and file name where the tracing information will be stored. You can use the default path and file name (\sql.log) or specify a new file either by entering a new path and file name or by clicking Browse and then selecting a directory and file.

Custom Trace DLL

The Custom Trace DLL section displays the path and file name for DLL tracing. You can use the default path and file name (Odbctrac.dll) or specify a new file either by entering the path and file name of the custom *.dll or by clicking Select DLL to browse to and then select a directory and file.

The Connection Pooling tab enables you to alter the connection retry wait time and connection timeout period for a selected driver when using connection pooling. It also enables you to turn Performance Monitoring off and on, which records a number of connection statistics.

Connection Pooling Timeout

The Connection Pooling Timeout section sets the connection pooling timeout interval, in seconds, for the selected driver. To set connection pooling attributes, double-click the driver name. In the Set Connection Pooling Attributes dialog, you can set a time period during which unused connections remain in the pool and can also activate connection pooling for the selected driver.

• ODBC Drivers: Lists the name of each installed ODBC driver with its connection pooling timeout option; use the horizontal scroll bar to see the pooling timeout option. To set the timeout option, double-click the ODBC driver name.

PerfMon

The PerfMon section determines whether performance-monitoring counters for connection pooling are turned on or off. For more information about performance monitoring, see Microsoft's ODBC Programmer's Reference.

• Enable: Enables performance-monitoring counters for connection pooling.

• Disable: Turns off performance-monitoring counters for connection pooling.

Retry Wait Time

The Retry Wait Time section specifies, in seconds and in fewer than six numerals, how long the ODBC Driver Manager waits before making connection retries to a database server.

The About tab displays information about the ODBC core components, including the Driver Manager, the cursor library, the installer .dll, and other files that constitute the core components. No actions are performed from this tab; clicking Cancel does not undo changes that are made on other tabs.