ODBC and JDBC Guide

Chapter 3
Installing FileMaker ODBC client drivers
These instructions help you install the ODBC client driver needed to access FileMaker as a data
source from third-party and custom applications via ODBC. The ODBC client driver is available
through a separate installation on your FileMaker installation disk or electronic download in the
xDBC folder.
Check for updates to the client drivers at this URL: http://www.filemaker.com/support/downloads
If you’ll be hosting a FileMaker database file using FileMaker Server, make the client drivers
available to remote users.
After installing the client driver you need, you can configure the driver to access a FileMaker data
source and construct SQL queries to interact with the data.
Hardware and software requirements
To install and use the ODBC client drivers, you need the following minimum equipment and software:
ODBC client driver requirements (Windows)
1 1 GB RAM minimum for Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8, Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, and
Windows Server 2012
1 Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) 2.8 SP1. The MDAC component is usually
installed with Windows on the supported Windows platforms.
ODBC client driver requirements (OS X)
1 OS X computer with an Intel processor
1 1 GB RAM minimum; 2 GB RAM recommended
1 OS X version 10.7.x, and OS X version 10.8.2 (the software may also work with later versions
certified by FileMaker)
Networking requirements
If you’ll be accessing a FileMaker data source hosted on another computer, you’ll need network
access via TCP/IP.
ODBC client driver architecture overview
FileMaker provides 32- and 64-bit client drivers for both Windows and OS X, to support 32- and
64-bit ODBC applications.
You must install the client driver that matches your ODBC application. If your ODBC application is
a 32-bit application, then install the 32-bit client driver. If your ODBC application is a 64-bit
application, then install the 64-bit client driver.