Doteasy Knowledge Base: What is an ODBC/DSN connection?

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What is an ODBC/DSN connection?

Microsoft’s Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) protocol is a widely used and accepted API for database interaction. ODBC uses Structured Query Language (SQL) as its database access language. Most Windows-based products that use databases support ODBC. Through ODBC, applications such as ColdFusion, FrontPage, or Active Server Pages can interact with several database systems at once.

ODBC is often associated with a DSN, or a Data Source Name. That is because the DSN is the appointed name for your database in the script calling it. A DSN is like an alias to your database, and your scripts will use the alias to access your database.

If you need to use ODBC and DSN, you will need to subscribe to our Unlimited Windows hosting plan.