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64-Bit IBM iSeries Access for Windows ODBC Driver

Troubleshooting


Problem

Important note: The information contained within this document is outdated and no longer relevant. It is recommended that you use supported versions of the IBM i Access product.
IBM iSeries Access for Windows provides both a 32-bit and 64-bit ODBC driver. This document contains information related to the 64-bit version of the ODBC driver.

Resolving The Problem

IBM iSeries Access for Windows provides both a 32-bit and 64-bit ODBC driver. The 64-bit ODBC driver is automatically installed along with the 32-bit ODBC driver when running under a 64-bit version of Microsoft Windows. ODBC applications running in 64-bit versions of Windows will automatically use the appropriate ODBC driver, depending on whether the application was compiled as 32-bit or 64-bit.

Microsoft provides the following versions of the ODBC Administrator: 32-bit and 64-bit. Both versions are named odbcad32.exe (there is no odbcad64.exe). Both versions can be accessed from the iSeries Access for Windows folder.

64-bit Windows has the familiar C:\Windows\System32 directory, and it also has a C:\Windows\SysWOW64 directory that serves a similar function as a repository for system files. That seems straight-forward. One would think that the 32-bit system files would go in the System32 directory and the 64-bit system files would go in the SysWOW64 directory. That is not the way it works. Some things in 64-bit Windows are the opposite of what you would expect. The \windows\system32\odbcad32.exe is really the 64-bit ODBC Administrator. The \windows\SysWOW64\odbcad32.exe is the 32-bit ODBC Administrator.

Note: All available information indicates that all 64-bit files are stored in System32 and all 32-bit files are stored in SysWOW64. This does not apply just to ODBC related files.

Similarly, the 64-bit ODBC driver that is installed with iSeries Access for Windows on a 64-bit Windows PC is \windows\system32\cwbodbc.dll and the 32-bit driver is \windows\SysWOW64\cwbodbc.dll. The driver name in both cases is iSeries Access ODBC Driver. The version of the driver manager (odbc32.dll) determines to which driver the ODBC calls get routed.

When running on 64-bit Windows, User DSNs will work with either driver. System DSNs that are created with 64-bit ODBC Administrator will only work with the 64-bit Driver. System DSNs that are created with the 32-bit ODBC Administrator will only work with the 32-bit driver. The best way to ensure that the correct DSN is created is to always use the ODBC Administration shortcuts that are created in the iSeries Access for Windows Program group because those shortcuts are properly labeled as either 32-bit or 64-bit.

The version information for the iSeries Access for Windows 64-bit ODBC contains the number 64, so it is easily identifiable. The format for the version information for Windows 32-bit or 64-bit iSeries Access for Windows ODBC driver is: aa.bb.dd.dd, where aa corresponds with the version of iSeries Access for Windows (V5R3 is 10, V5R4 is 11, and so on), bb is 0 (32-bit) or 64 (64-bit), cc is the service pack (SP) version (SP1 is 1, SP2 is 2, and so on), dd is a special fix version number (always 0 except in cases where a particular patch has been provided).

Restrictions of the 64-bit iSeries Access for Windows ODBC Driver:

Microsoft Transaction Server (MTS) is not supported on the 64-bit iSeries Access for Windows ODBC driver. For additional Information about MTS, refer to the link Use Microsoft Transaction Server (MTS) in the iSeries V5R4 InfoCenter.

Prior to V6R1 System i Access for Windows, only the Intel Itanium 64-bit processor family is supported for ODBC SSL connections. At V6R1 System i Access for Windows, support was added to include ODBC SSL connection support for the AMD 64-bit processor family. This restriction is documented in the V5R4 Information Center.

http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/iseries/v5r4/topic/rzaij/rzaijwhatsnew.htm

Versions of iSeries Access for Windows that are supported when running on 64-bit Windows:

iSeries Access for Windows V5R4M0 and iSeries Access for Windows V5R3M0 with service pack PTF SI17742 (or later) are supported when running on 64-bit Windows. Client Access Express V5R1M0 with Service Pack SI11806 might install on 64-bit Windows and iSeries Access for Windows V5R2M0 with Service Pack SI18400 (or later) usually will install on 64-bit Windows. Some functions might work with the earlier versions, but no support is provided for these environments. It is recommended to install the V5R3M0 client using a merged PTF installation image rather than installing the base V5R3 client and then installing the service pack. Refer to the readmesp.txt file that comes with the service pack from the FTP server for instructions on how to create a merged installation image:

ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/as400/products/clientaccess/win32/v5r3m0/servicepack/si24723/readmesp.txt

Refer to the iSeries Access for Windows home page section titled Microsoft Windows Operating Systems and iSeries Access.

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Historical Number

406641398

Document Information

Modified date:
06 September 2022

UID

nas8N1015102