Tips to Windows ODBC manager "ODBC Data Source Administrator"

Unfortunately, the Windows ODBC manager is not easy to use for the first time user. The following tips should make the first steps easier.

Function of Windows ODBC manager

• The Windows ODBC manager administers so-called DSNs (Data Source Names) which represent a data source (e.g., an Access database). A DSN contains all information which is needed for opening a data source, as for example: File path to the Access data base, user name and password, special data source parametres.
• The DSN to a data source should be created by the administrator once on a PC and can be used afterwards by applications.
  The DSN name can be freely chosen, as for example "Customer_database_ODBC".
• The DSNs are stored in different places in the system:
  • User DSN: The storage takes place in the registry under:
    • [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ODBC\ODBC.INI]
  • System DSN: The storage takes place in the registry under:
    • 64-bit: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ODBC\ODBC.INI]
    • 32-bit: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\ODBC\ODBC.INI]
  • File DSN: These DSNs are stored in INI files in the file system. The default location is the My Documents folder. However, file DSNs can also be stored in a different folder (for example, a network drive).
• The CTI Client is a 32-bit application and therefore also uses the 32-bit ODBC environment.
• The ODBC Data Source Administrator (32-bit) can be started manually via:
  • [Run > "Windows\SysWoW64\Odbcad32.exe"].
  • Hint: If you use [Run > "Odbcad32.exe"] or [Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Data Sources (ODBC)], the 64-bit version of the ODBC Administrator starts. This will display the system DSNs of [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ODBC\ODBC.INI]. These system DSNs will not be visible in the CTI Client.

Create a new DSN (example with Access)

...during setup of a new folder linking:

1. You are in the dialog "Select Data Source" of the ODBC manager.
2. Click on [Add...]
   (You do not need to enter a name in field "DSN name", the name is questioned later.)
3. Select in the following dialog the suitable driver to your data source, - "Microsoft Access driver (*.mdb)" for example.
   Hint: Some drivers can be listed several times in different language versions what has influence on possible error messages.
4. After [Next >] the DSN name is to be entered now.
   e.g. "Customer_database_ODBC"
   Click on [Next >] and [Finish].
5. The following dialog comes from the selected database driver.
   In the Access driver dialog, the the desired *.mdb file would be selected via [Select...] button.
6. With [OK] the settings are taken over and now the DSN name should be visible in the ODBC manager.
7. With a further [OK] the ODBC manager is closed. Now in the CTI-Client-Dialog "New Folder Linking" all tables of the Access database should be visible.

Create a new DSN via Control Panel:

1. Open the ODBC manager via: [Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Data Sources (ODBC)]
2. Select "File DSN".
3. Click on [Add ...]
4. To the further steps see point 3. and following above.