Connections to ODBC data sources

You can connect to ODBC data sources from PI SQL Commander Lite using the following methods:

• Data source name (DSN)

• Connection string (DSN-less)

A DSN is a data structure that contains the information about a specific database that an ODBC driver needs in order to connect to it. The DSN includes the name, directory, driver of the database, and, depending on the type of DSN, the ID and password of the user. You configure a DSN using the Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator.

PI SQL Commander Lite can connect to PI SQL Client ODBC, PI ODBC Driver, and PI Views using a DSN. PI SQL Commander Lite displays only PI-specific DSNs.

You can connect to PI SQL Client ODBC without using a DSN. You specify the connection information directly in PI SQL Commander Lite. The connection information is saved for use in future connections to the data source. Passwords are not saved.