Overview |
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Tasks |
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Included with |
Tivoli Service Desk |
ODBC |
ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) is a Microsoft interface for database connectivity. It provides a common interface to a variety of DBMSs. This common interface enables programmers to write a single application to be used with any DBMS system. |
ODBC Administrator |
The ODBC Administrator is a tool that can be used to configure the ODBC data source to provide connectivity to the database. The 32-bit ODBC Administrator is required for Tivoli Service Desk. |
ODBC support in TDT |
The standard installation of TDT
includes direct database interfaces for all supported database platforms. These direct
database interfaces bypass ODBC
and contact the database directly. The result is a faster and more stable database
connection. To maintain backward compatibility, ODBC connectivity is still possible. However, ODBC drivers are not included in TDT. |
API interaction between TDT and ODBC |
The interaction of TDT
and ODBC
consists of Core, Level 1, and Level 2 Application Programming Interface (API) function
calls. Core API function calls provide basic functionality. Level 1 API function calls
provide increased functionality. Level 2 API function calls provide the greatest level of
functionality. Most interaction is done on the Core level because of the consistent support of Core functionality among the ODBC drivers. The closer you get to Level 2, the fewer API calls are consistently supported. The API calls for X/Open are almost exactly the same as the core API calls for ODBC. Therefore, the interaction of TDT and X/Open is very similar to the interaction with ODBC. Note: X\Open is a standards organization normally associated with UNIX. |
When to add the ODBC data source name |
If you want to use ODBC,
then you must add the ODBC data
source name before you create the Tivoli
Service Desk database tables with TSDBuild or connect to existing Tivoli product
tables. Be sure to make a note of the name you choose. When you configure the data source name, the name that you specify in the ODBC Administrator must match the ODBC DSN that you specify in the SQL Configuration Editor dialog box. For tips on naming data sources, see Data Source Name Restrictions. Note: You may use the ODBC Administrator Tool to modify the configuration of any data source name. |
How the ODBC data source name is used |
The data source name you supply through the ODBC Administrator is used as the ODBC DSN (data source name) parameter in the sai_sql.cfg file to connect to the database. |
ODBC common error messages |
The following are common error messages and
solutions related to ODBC drivers:
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If you have previously installed ODBC files |
When establishing any ODBC data source, it is
possible that some of the ODBC files may have been previously installed by another
application. If this happens, you must validate that the existing files are of the
required version or newer. The ODBC files should be located in the Windows/System32
directory. These are the versions that are required for TDT:
Note: For OS/2, the ODBC support programs used are not normally supplied by other applications, so this installation issue does not apply. |
ODBC configuration process |
If you need help during the configuration
process, contact Tivoli Support. In addition, if you encounter
database errors, refer to your DBMS documentation.
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Adding the ODBC data source |
The Setup programs for most database products
automatically create an ODBC data source for you. If your data source was not
automatically created, you can manually add an ODBC data source through the ODBC
Administrator utility. In Windows, this utility is located in the Control Panel if you installed TDT stand-alone or on a file server. In OS/2, an ODBCADM utility can be acquired only through a third party vendor. This utility, or its equivalent, is sometimes provided by the database vendor. |
Testing ODBC connectivity |
Before attempting to connect through TDT, it is
recommended that you check connectivity outside of TDT with a third-party utility, such as
MS Query. Note: This isolates ODBC and database connectivity problems from TDT connectivity and makes it easier to solve them. |
Configuring an ODBC data source |
Note: Under UNIX, in order to
configure an ODBC driver, you must edit the .odbc.ini file. Please refer to your ODBC
installation guide for instructions. To configure an ODBC data source:
For more information, see Designating a Default Data Source |