Database Drivers Overview
The following table lists common database drivers you can use to connect to a particular database through a particular data access technology. Note that this list does not aim to be either exhaustive or prescriptive; you can use other native or third party alternatives in addition to the drivers shown below.
Even though a number of database drivers might be already available on your Windows operating system, you may still need to download an alternative driver. For some databases, the latest driver supplied by the database vendor is likely to perform better than the driver that shipped with the operating system.
Database vendors may provide drivers either as separate downloadable packages, or bundled with database client software. In the latter case, the database client software normally includes any required database drivers, or provides you with an option during installation to select the drivers and components you wish to install. Database client software typically consists of administration and configuration utilities used to simplify database administration and connectivity, as well as documentation on how to install and configure the database client and any of its components.
Configuring the database client correctly is crucial for establishing a successful connection to the database. Before installing and using the database client software, it is strongly recommended to read carefully the installation and configuration instructions of the database client; these may vary for each database version and for each Windows version.
To understand the capabilities and limitations of each data access technology with respect to each database type, refer to the documentation of that particular database product and also test the connection against your specific environment. To avoid common connectivity issues, note the following:
•Some ADO.NET providers are not supported or have limited support. See ADO.NET Support Notes.
•When installing a database driver, it is recommended that it has the same platform as the Altova application (32-bit or 64-bit). For example, if you are using a 32-bit Altova application on a 64-bit operating system, install the 32-bit driver, and set up your database connection using the 32-bit driver, see also Viewing the Available ODBC Drivers.
•When setting up an ODBC data source, it is recommended to create the data source name (DSN) as System DSN instead of User DSN. For more information, see Setting up an ODBC Connection.
•If the target database is MySQL or MariaDB through ODBC, the option Return matched rows instead of affected rows must be enabled in the Cursor/Results tab of MySQL ODBC Connector. Alternatively, if you enter the connection string manually in the Database Connection wizard, add Option=2 to the connection string (e.g., Dsn=mydsn;Option=2;).
•When setting up a JDBC data source, ensure that JRE (Java Runtime Environment) or Java Development Kit (JDK) is installed and that the CLASSPATH environment variable of the operating system is configured. For more information, see Setting up a JDBC Connection.
•For the installation instructions and support details of any drivers or database client software that you install from a database vendor, check the documentation provided with the installation package.
Database | Interface | Drivers |
---|---|---|
Firebird | ADO.NET | Firebird ADO.NET Data Provider (https://www.firebirdsql.org/en/additional-downloads/) |
JDBC | Firebird JDBC driver ( https://www.firebirdsql.org/en/jdbc-driver/ ) | |
ODBC | Firebird ODBC driver ( https://www.firebirdsql.org/en/odbc-driver/ ) | |
IBM DB2 | ADO | IBM OLE DB Provider for DB2 |
ADO.NET | IBM Data Server Provider for .NET | |
JDBC | IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC and SQLJ | |
ODBC | IBM DB2 ODBC Driver | |
IBM DB2 for i | ADO | •IBM DB2 for i5/OS IBMDA400 OLE DB Provider •IBM DB2 for i5/OS IBMDARLA OLE DB Provider •IBM DB2 for i5/OS IBMDASQL OLE DB Provider |
ADO.NET | .NET Framework Data Provider for IBM i | |
JDBC | IBM Toolbox for Java JDBC Driver | |
ODBC | iSeries Access ODBC Driver | |
IBM Informix | ADO | IBM Informix OLE DB Provider |
JDBC | IBM Informix JDBC Driver | |
ODBC | IBM Informix ODBC Driver | |
Microsoft Access | ADO | •Microsoft Jet OLE DB Provider •Microsoft Access Database Engine OLE DB Provider |
ADO.NET | .NET Framework Data Provider for OLE DB | |
ODBC | •Microsoft Access Driver | |
MariaDB | ADO.NET | In the absence of a dedicated .NET connector for MariaDB, use Connector/NET for MySQL (https://dev.mysql.com/downloads/connector/net/). |
JDBC | MariaDB Connector/J (https://downloads.mariadb.org/) | |
ODBC | MariaDB Connector/ODBC (https://downloads.mariadb.org/) | |
Native connection | Available. No drivers are required. | |
Microsoft SQL Server | ADO | •Microsoft OLE DB Driver for SQL Server (MSOLEDBSQL) •Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL Server (SQLOLEDB) •SQL Server Native Client (SQLNCLI) |
ADO.NET | •.NET Framework Data Provider for SQL Server •.NET Framework Data Provider for OLE DB | |
JDBC | •Microsoft JDBC Driver for SQL Server ( https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/connect/jdbc/microsoft-jdbc-driver-for-sql-server ) | |
ODBC | •ODBC Driver for Microsoft SQL Server ( https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/SQL/connect/odbc/download-odbc-driver-for-sql-server ) | |
MySQL | ADO.NET | •Connector/NET (https://dev.mysql.com/downloads/connector/net/) |
JDBC | Connector/J ( https://dev.mysql.com/downloads/connector/j/ ) | |
ODBC | Connector/ODBC ( https://dev.mysql.com/downloads/connector/odbc/ ) | |
Native connection | Available for MySQL 5.7 and later. No drivers are required. | |
Oracle | ADO | •Oracle Provider for OLE DB •Microsoft OLE DB Provider for Oracle |
ADO.NET | Oracle Data Provider for .NET (http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/dotnet/index-085163.html) | |
JDBC | •JDBC Thin Driver •JDBC Oracle Call Interface (OCI) Driver These drivers are typically installed during the installation of your Oracle database client. Connect through the OCI Driver (not the Thin Driver) if you are using the Oracle XML DB component. | |
ODBC | •Microsoft ODBC for Oracle •Oracle ODBC Driver (typically installed during the installation of your Oracle database client) | |
PostgreSQL | JDBC | PostgreSQL JDBC Driver ( https://jdbc.postgresql.org/download.html ) |
ODBC | psqlODBC ( https://odbc.postgresql.org/ ) | |
Native connection | Available. No drivers are required. | |
Progress OpenEdge | JDBC | JDBC Connector ( https://www.progress.com/jdbc/openedge ) |
ODBC | ODBC Connector ( https://www.progress.com/odbc/openedge ) | |
SQLite | Native connection | Available. No drivers are required. |
Sybase | ADO | Sybase ASE OLE DB Provider |
JDBC | jConnect™ for JDBC | |
ODBC | Sybase ASE ODBC Driver | |
Teradata | ADO.NET | .NET Data Provider for Teradata (https://downloads.teradata.com/download/connectivity/net-data-provider-for-teradata) |
JDBC | Teradata JDBC Driver (https://downloads.teradata.com/download/connectivity/jdbc-driver) | |
ODBC | Teradata ODBC Driver for Windows (https://downloads.teradata.com/download/connectivity/odbc-driver/windows) |