ARCHIVED: Set up an ODBC source in Windows to access your Oracle database on the IU Research Database Complex

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Programs that use Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) to connect to remote databases need a way to identify the type of database and the computer to which they are connecting. This is accomplished through an ODBC data source, which associates a name with database connection information. With Oracle, the database connection information is the same as the name of the Oracle Net service you configured when you set up the Oracle Client. You will need to install the Oracle client before completing the steps on this page to set up an ODBC source. For instructions on how to install the Oracle client, see Download and install the Oracle client for Windows at IU.

To configure and locate an ODBC data source:

From the Start menu, click Settings, and then Control Panel.
Select Administrative Tools, and then Data Sources (ODBC).
At the top of the "ODBC Data Source Administrator" window, select the System DSN tab, and then click Add....
From the list, select Oracle in OraClient10g_home1, and then click Finish.

Enter your information in the window that appears, and then click OK.

The following example creates an Oracle ODBC data source for the iugp database on iu.edu:

Field	Explanation	Example
Data source name	User-specified name by which you will refer to this ODBC data source	`iugp_ora`
Description	Not required; just a phrase reminding you why you created this ODBC data source	`Oracle ODBC for iugp database on the RDC`
TNS Service name	The Oracle Net Service Name you created for the database to which you want to connect	`iugp.iu.edu`
User name	Usually left blank; you will be prompted for this later when you make an ODBC connection to the database

The ODBC data source you added will now appear in your System DSN list. Click OK to finish your ODBC configuration.

If you need assistance, email the High Performance Systems group.

Note:

The Indiana University Research Database Complex (RDC) supports research-related MySQL and PostgreSQL databases and data-intensive applications that require databases. The RDC is strictly devoted to supporting research, and is not an instructional, classroom environment.