How MDAC Is Distributed

MDAC is mainly distributed in two significant ways. One is a stand-alone distribution program that includes the software development kits used to write applications that use data access technologies. The second is a redistributable program that is meant to accompany application installation programs, because the components in MDAC were sometimes distributed as part of a Microsoft application or operating system update.

The software development kits include all of the modules that make up MDAC. They also include the information and redistributable files you need to distribute MDAC with your applications, as well as a full set of documentation, header files, libraries, samples, configuration files, and other support files.

Early versions of MDAC did not have redistributable programs. Application developers had to incorporate the components into their own installation programs, using instructions in the SDK. Current versions of the MDAC SDK include a redistributable program. These redistributable programs install only the libraries needed for applications to use data access technologies at run time.