The following describes terminology used in this documentation with regard to database connections.
- Connection
-
A set of specifications used to connect to a database. The specifications are dependent on the Data Provider.
- Data Source
- A specific set of connection specifications.
- Data Source Name (DSN)
- The name given to a specific set of connection specifications.
- Data Provider
- One of any .NET, ODBC, or OLE DB data providers.
- Provider Data Source
- The physical machine name or IP address where the data source is located. The
Data Source field that appears on the
Connection Settings list requires that you specify this provider data source rather than the DSN.
- Catalog
- A verb meaning to define a data source using a set of connection specifications, assign a name to the data source (DSN), and
store the data source in the repository.