The first method used to easily access AS/400 data from a client PC was with an ODBC driver. ShowCase Vista was the first and most popular of the AS/400 query tools on the market. Vista contains a special version of the ShowCase ODBC driver.
The ShowCase ODBC driver could also be used as an access method by other tools such as Microsoft Access, Microsoft Visual Basic® programming system, and Powersoft's PowerBuilder™. Additionally, an ODBC driver called ODBC for ODS was shipped with the ShowCase Data Distributor (and with the previous version called the ShowCase Gateway). Using this ODBC for ODS driver, the same query tools could now access data on the AS/400 using either the ShowCase ODBC Driver directly, or indirectly using the Data Distributor. Using the Data Distributor for direct data access to the AS/400 is not a practical solution if that is the only use made of the Data Distributor.
Using an ODBC driver to access the data directly on the AS/400 provides user access the data they need for decision support queries, but providing that access can have adverse effects on system performance for other on-line AS/400 users.