PDMS Provider

The software component that coordinates the provision of data to a data consumer (i.e. a client application) is called the data provider.

During normal, day-to-day operation of SQL Direct, the PDMS data provider works invisibly, automatically forming data rowsets in response to data requests from client programs.

The underlying technology that supports the interaction between data providers and data consumers is called Object Linking and Embedding Database (OLE DB), and data providers and consumers are more fully known as OLE DB Providers and OLE DB Consumers.