ODBC Connection Parameters

ODBC data source

Enter the data source name (DSN) as defined in the ODBC.ini file.

For more information about the ODBC.ini file, see the IBM® Cognos® Installation and Configuration Guide.

ODBC connect string

Enter any text that must be appended to the connection string.

This parameter is typically left blank.

Collation sequence

Enter the collation sequence to be included in the database connection string.

Collation sequences are required only in rare cases where there may be sorting discrepancies between IBM Cognos software and a database.

Open asynchronously

Select if you want the connection to process requests independent of each other. Do not select if you want the connection to complete the current request before starting another one.

Unicode ODBC

Select if you want IBM Cognos software to use the Unicode data standard to interpret data. Leave it unselected if you want IBM Cognos software to use ANSI to interpret data.

This selection applies only to Composite, Virtual View Manager, Progress OpenEdge, Teradata, and generic ODBC data source connections.

Timeouts

Specify the time in seconds within which you want the database to connect or wait for your reply before timing out.

Valid entries are zero to 32,767. To have the database have wait indefinitely, enter zero, which is the default.

Signon

For more information on signon, see Securing data sources.

For Teradata, Composite, Virtual View Manager, Microsoft SQL, and generic ODBC:

• If no authentication is required, select No authentication.
• If the credentials to the database match the credentials used to logon to the IBM Cognos environment, for single signon, select An external namespace and select the appropriate namespace.
• If authentication is required, select Signons. If a password is required, select the Password check box and enter the password in the Password and Confirm password boxes. To create a user ID and password that automatically connects to the data source, select Create a signon that the Everyone group can use. Enter the User ID and then enter the password in the Password and Confirm password boxes.

For RedBrick, and Progress OpenEdge:

• If a user ID and password are required in the connection string, select the User ID check box, then select the Password check box and enter the password in the Password and Confirm password boxes.
• To create a user ID and password that automatically connects to the data source, select Create a signon that the Everyone group can use. Enter the User ID and then enter the password in the Password and Confirm password boxes.