IBM Support

Client Access ODBC Driver versus iSeries Access ODBC Driver

Troubleshooting


Problem

In V5R2 of iSeries Access for Windows V5R2 the ODBC driver's registered name has been changed to "iSeries Access ODBC Driver". This name change may impact some applications.

Resolving The Problem

Users of V5R2 iSeries Access for Windows may notice that the following ODBC driver names are registered:

"Client Access ODBC Driver (32-bit)"
"iSeries Access ODBC Driver"

Both names represent the same driver. There is no functional difference between them. The Client Access ODBC Driver name is still registered to allow applications that use existing datasources (DSNs) or DSN-less connections to run without requiring changes.

The preferred method for creating new datasources is to use the "iSeries Access ODBC Driver" name; however, this is not required. Selecting either driver name creates a DSN with the new "iSeries Access ODBC Driver" name. Existing ODBC User and System datasources (DSNs) that were created with Client Access are migrated automatically the first time the DSN is used. No action by the user is required.

File DSNs are not migrated (even if edited). Although they can be used with V5R2 iSeries Access, future versions of iSeries Access may not support the old driver name. All File DSNs should be deleted and re-created.

This information is also described in the Addendum to V5R2 readme.txt available on the iSeries Access Web site and in the OS/400 V5R2 Memorandum to Users.

Programming Notes

The older "Client Access ODBC Driver (32-bit)" name is deprecated. Applications written to use DSN-less connections (the SQLDriverConnect API and the DRIVER connect string keyword) should be updated to use the "iSeries Access ODBC Driver" name. A future version of iSeries Access will no longer register the Client Access driver name causing these applications to fail if they are not updated.

This is described in the "Addendum to V5R2 readme.txt":
"Be aware that in a future release, the former name of "Client Access ODBC Driver (32-bit)" will be removed. If you use an application that uses a File DSN or DSN-less connection (one that specifies the DRIVER connection string keyword when connecting) you should consider changing your application to use the new name "iSeries Access ODBC Driver".

Uninstall Notes

If iSeries Access for Windows is removed, existing datasources are not changed. If an older version of Client Access is then installed, any datasources migrated to iSeries Access for Windows will fail to connect (see Note). The new or migrated datasources must be deleted and re-created or the cwbODBCreg tool can be used to restore the older "Client Access ODBC Driver (32-bit)" name. The cwbODBCreg utility is included in V5R2 and is also available at ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/as400/products/clientaccess/win32/files/odbc_tool/. To convert all datasources to V5R1 and earlier, run the tool with the following options: cwbODBCreg -name V5R1.

Note: With the current version of the Microsoft driver manager, a failure will occur only if the DRIVER path and the ODBC Data Sources name are not correct. V5R2 iSeries Access alters both. In addition to the name change, the DRIVER path moved to the Windows system directory. This was done to enable future support for 64-bit versions of Windows. Because both values changed, most users encounter the error if they uninstall and restore a previous release. The unistall information is also described in the V5R2 Memorandum to Users.

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Historical Number

27832655

Document Information

Modified date:
18 December 2019

UID

nas8N1016890