SQL Server ODBC Data Sources

A Microsoft® SQL Server™ data source name (DSN) identifies an ODBC data source containing all of the information that an ODBC application needs to connect to a SQL Server database on a specific server. There are two ways you can define an ODBC data source name:

• On a client computer, in Control Panel, double-click 32-bit ODBC.
  
  
• In an ODBC application, call SQLConfigDataSource.

A SQL Server data source contains:

• The name of the data source.
  
  
• Any information needed to connect to a specific instance of SQL Server.
  
  
• The default database to use on a specific instance of SQL Server (optional).
  
  
• Settings such as which ANSI options to use, whether to log performance statistics, and so on (optional).

An ODBC application is not required to connect through a data source. However, the application must provide the same connectivity information to an ODBC connect function that the driver would otherwise find in a DSN.