Configuring a data source using the administrative console

Application components use a data source to access connection instances to a relational database.

1. Open the administrative console.
2. Access the necessary console panel.
   Use one of the following paths:

   • Click Resources > JDBC > Data sources.
   • Click Resources > JDBC > Data sources (WebSphere Application Server Version 4)
   • Click Resources > JDBC > JDBC providers > JDBC_provider > Data sources
   • Click Resources > JDBC > JDBC providers > JDBC_provider > Data sources (WebSphere Application Server Version Version 4).
3. Select the scope at which applications can use the data source.
   You can choose a cell, node, cluster, or server. For more information, see the topic on scope settings.

   Version 4 only: From this point onward, the steps for creating WebSphere Application Server Version 4 data sources differ from the steps for creating data sources of the latest standard version. To configure a Version 4 data source:

   • Click New to proceed to the console panel for defining required properties.
   • On this properties panel specify values for the fields that are grouped under the heading Configuration. The application server requires these properties to implement your JDBC driver classes.
   • Save your configuration by clicking OK. You are now finished with the primary data source configuration tasks.
   • Define other properties that your database vendor might require, or offer as options, for using the JDBC driver. The application server calls them custom properties, and requires that you set them on the data source. Begin by clicking the Custom Properties link that is now displayed on the administrative console panel. Consult your database documentation to learn about these required and optional properties.

     You can also learn about optional data source properties in the Application Programming Guide and Reference for Java for your version of DB2® for z/OS® if you use the DB2 Universal JDBC Driver or DB2 Using IBM® JCC Driver for the JDBC provider.

4. Click New.
   This action causes the Create a data source wizard to launch and display the Enter basic data source information panel.
   The first field is the scope field, which is read-only. This field displays your previous scope selection.
5. Type a data source name in the Data source name field.
   This name identifies the data source for administrative purposes only.
6. Type a Java Naming and Directory Interface (JNDI) name in the JNDI name field.
   The application server uses the JNDI name to bind resource references for an application to this data source. Follow these requirements when you specify JNDI names:

   • Do not assign duplicate JNDI names across different resource types, such as data sources versus J2C connection factories or JMS connection factories.
   • Do not assign duplicate JNDI names for multiple resources of the same type in the same scope.

   For more information on JNDI, consult the topic on naming.
7. Click Next to see the Select JDBC provider panel.
   The Select JDBC provider panel is skipped if you do not have any JDBC providers that are configured at the current scope.
8. Select an existing JDBC provider, or create a new provider.
   • Select an existing JDBC provider.
     1. Click Select an existing JDBC provider.
     2. Select a JDBC driver from the list.
     3. Click Next. You now see the panel entitled Enter database specific properties for the data source.
   • Create a new JDBC provider.
     1. Click Create new JDBC provider.
     2. Click Next to see the Create JDBC provider panel.
     3. Use the first drop-down list to select the database type of the JDBC provider that you need to create.
        The User-Defined option: Select User-Defined for your database type if you encounter either of the following scenarios:

        • You do not see your database type.
        • You cannot select the JDBC provider type that you need in the next step.

        The user-defined selection triggers the wizard panel to display your provider type as a User-defined JDBC provider, and your implementation type as User-defined. Consult your database documentation for the JDBC driver class files, data source properties, and so on that are required for your user-defined provider. You must supply this information on the next two wizard panels:

        • database class path information
        • database-specific properties
     4. If the JDBC provider type is displayed in the second list, select your JDBC provider type. Select Show Deprecated to trigger the display of both current and deprecated providers. If you cannot find your provider in this expanded list, then select User-Defined from the previous list of database types.
     5. From the third list, select the implementation type that is necessary for your application. If your application does not require that connections support two-phase commit transactions, choose Connection Pool Data Source. Choose XA Data Source, however, if your application requires connections that support two-phase commit transactions. Applications that use this data source configuration have the benefit of container-managed transaction recovery.

        After you select an implementation type, the wizard fills the name and the description fields for your JDBC provider. You can type different values for these fields; they exist for administrative purposes only.

     6. Click Next after you have defined your database type, provider type, and implementation type. Now you see the wizard panel Enter database class path information.
     7. In the class path field, type the full path location of the database JDBC driver class files. Your class path information becomes the value of the WebSphere environment variable that is displayed on this panel, in the form of ${DATABASE_JDBC_DRIVER_PATH}. The application server uses the variable to define your JDBC provider; this practice eliminates the need to specify static JDBC class paths for individual applications. Remember that if you do not provide the full, correct JDBC driver class path for the variable, your data source ultimately fails. If the field already displays a fully qualified class path, you can accept that variable definition by completing the rest of this wizard panel and clicking Next.
     8. Use the Native library path field to specify additional class files that your JDBC driver might require to function properly on your application server platform. Type the full directory path name of these class files.
     9. Click Next. You now see the Enter database specific properties for the data source panel.
9. Complete all of the fields on the Enter database specific properties for the data source panel.
   • Click Use this data source in container managed persistence (CMP) if container managed persistence (CMP) enterprise beans must access this data source.
   • Any other property fields that are displayed on this wizard panel are specific to your database type. See the topic, Data source minimum required settings, by vendor, for information on these property settings. The article addresses both current and deprecated JDBC providers that are predefined in the application server.
     User-defined data sources: This wizard panel does not display additional property fields for data sources that correspond with your user-defined JDBC providers. However, from the JDBC driver class files that you installed, the application server can generally extract the necessary data source property names. The application server defines them as data source custom properties, displays them on a custom properties console panel, and assigns them default values. Consult your database documentation about setting these properties and any other requirements for your user-defined data source. After you create the data source, navigate to the corresponding custom properties collection panel in the administrative console by clicking Data sources > data_source > Custom properties. Review the property default values and modify them if necessary.

     The application server can only extract vendor-specific properties from the driver class files if you install the files on the deployment manager node and configure their representative WebSphere variables correctly. Otherwise, the product displays an informational message (as opposed to an error message) that directs you to manually define the necessary properties as custom properties.

10. Optional: Configure the security aliases for the data source.
    You can select none for any of the authentication methods, or choose one of the following types:

    • Component-managed authentication alias - specifies an authentication alias to use when the component resource reference res-auth value is Application. To define a new alias, navigate to Related Items > J2EE Connector Architecture (J2C) authentication data entries. A component-managed alias represents a combination of ID and password that is specified in an application for data source authentication. Therefore, the alias that you set on the data source must be identical to the alias in the application code.
      1. Use the drop-down list to select an existing component-managed authentication alias.
      2. To create a new alias, click the links that are provided. This action closes the data source wizard and triggers the administrative console to display the J2C authentication data panel. Click New to define a new alias. Click OK to save your settings and view the new alias on the J2C authentication data panel. Restart the data source wizard by navigating back to the data source collection panel, selecting the appropriate scope, and clicking New.
      For more information on Java 2 Connector (J2C) security, see the topic on managing Java 2 Connector Architecture authentication data entries.
    • Mapping-configuration alias - is used only in the absence of a login configuration on the component resource reference. The specification of a login configuration and the associated properties on the component resource reference is the preferred way to define the authentication strategy when the res-auth value is set to Container. If you specify the DefaultPrincipalMapping login configuration, the associated property is a JAAS - J2C authentication data entry alias.
    • Container-managed authentication alias - is used only in the absence of a login configuration on the component resource reference. The specification of a login configuration and the associated properties on the component resource reference determines the container-managed authentication strategy when the res-auth value is set to Container.

    Note: If you have defined security domains in the application server, you can click Browse... to select an authentication alias for the resource that you are configuring. Security domains support isolating authentication aliases between servers. The tree view is useful in determining the security domain to which an alias belongs, and the tree view can help you determine the servers that are able to access each authentication alias. The tree view is tailored for each resource, so domains and aliases are hidden when you cannot use them.
11. Click Next to view the Summary panel, and review any information for the data source.
    If any information is not correct, you can click Previous to go back and correct it.
12. Click Finish to save the configuration and exit the wizard.
    You now see the Data sources panel, which displays your new configuration in a table along with other data sources that are configured for the same scope.