DSN Last modified: Tuesday, December 04, 2001
Short for Data Source Name. Data Source Name provides connectivity to a database through an ODBC driver. The DSN contains database name, directory, database driver, UserID, password, and other information. Once you create a DSN for a particular database, you can use the DSN in an application to call information from the database. There are three types of DSNs: (1) System DSN -- can be used by anyone who has access to the machine. DSN info is stored in the registry. (2) User DSN -- created for a specific user. Also stored in the registry. (3) File DSN -- DSN info is stored in a text file with .DSN extension. DSN is often used by Active Server Pages (ASP) and Visual Basic programs when a query to a database is necessary to retrieve information. There is also what is known as a "DSN-less connection." Instead of using a DSN to connect to a database, the developer specifies the necessary information right in the application. With a DSN-less connection the developer is free to use connection standards other than ODBC, such as OLE DB.
•E-mail this definition to a colleague• For internet.com pages about DSN . Also check out the following links! Able Consulting Connection Strings   This page contains sample ADO connection strings for ODBC DSN/DSN-Less, OLE DB Providers, Remote Data Services (RDS), MS Remote, MS DataShape. ASP Data Access for Beginners  If you are an ASPiring developer seeking a solid foundation in dynamic Web site creation, then look no further. This article details how to connect to a SQL Server 7.0 database using ActiveX Data Object (ADO) and Open Database Connectivity (ODBC). File DSNs - Use and Reuse This tutorial describes the three types of DSNs and shows how to create a File DSN.	Databases Active Server Pages ADO database ODBC Give Us Your Feedback Shopping DSN Products Compare Products,Prices and Stores Shop by Category: Building Supplies 200 Store Offers Plumbing Supplies 56 Store Offers Network Storage 3 Model Matches