Host Data Access

One of the primary purposes of integrating Windows 2000 networks with IBM host systems is to provide users with access to host data. Host systems have long excelled at providing database-related services. In many mid- to large-sized companies, host databases are used to store and process large amounts of information needed by users across an enterprise network. Because of their availability and performance, host systems continue to play a large role in data warehousing strategies for many organizations.

As companies adopt LAN-based desktop computers, many organizations are looking for ways to integrate host database systems to develop new client/server applications accessible from a user's workstation. Using SNA Server, you can access host data sources through one of the following features:

• Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) Driver for DB2, for access to Distributed Relational Database Architecture (DRDA) database systems using ODBC interfaces.
• OLE DB Provider for AS/400 and VSAM, for record-level access of host data using OLE DB data access interfaces.

The following section describes how each feature is used and which data access method best suits a particular scenario.

© 1985-2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.