User Guide
Table Of Contents
- Contents
- Introduction
- Administering ColdFusion MX 7
- Administering ColdFusion MX
- Using the ColdFusion MX Administrator
- Contents
- Initial administration tasks
- Accessing user assistance
- Server Settings section
- Data & Services section
- Debugging & Logging section
- Extensions section
- Event Gateways section
- Security section
- Packaging and Deployment section
- Enterprise Manager section
- Custom Extensions section
- Administrator API
- Data Source Management
- Contents
- About JDBC
- Adding data sources
- Connecting to DB2 Universal Database
- Connecting to Informix
- Connecting to Microsoft Access
- Connecting to Microsoft Access with Unicode
- Connecting to Microsoft SQL Server
- Connecting to MySQL
- Connecting to ODBC Socket
- Connecting to Oracle
- Connecting to other data sources
- Connecting to Sybase
- Connecting to JNDI data sources
- Web Server Management
- Deploying ColdFusion Applications
- Administering Security
- Using Multiple Server Instances
- Administering Verity
- Introducing Verity and Verity Tools
- Indexing Collections with Verity Spider
- Using Verity Utilities
- Contents
- Overview of Verity utilities
- Using the mkvdk utility
- Using the rck2 utility
- Using the rcvdk utility
- Using the didump utility
- Using the browse utility
- Using the merge utility
- Index
44 Chapter 3: Data Source Management
About JDBC
JDBC is a Java Application Programming Interface (API) that you use to execute SQL statements.
JDBC enables an application, such as ColdFusion MX 7, to interact with a variety of database
management systems (DBMSs), without using interfaces that are database- and platform-specific.
The following table describes the four types of JDBC drivers:
JDBC drivers are stored in JAR files. For example, the JDBC drivers that are supplied with
ColdFusion MX are in the macromedia_drivers.jar file. If you are using another JDBC driver, you
must store it in the ColdFusion classpath. For example, cf_root/cfusion/lib (server configuration)
or cf_webapp_root/WEB-INF/cfusion/lib (multiserver or J2EE configuration).
Type Name Description
1JDBC-ODBC
bridge
Translates JDBC calls to ODBC calls, and sends them to the ODBC
driver.
Advantages Allows access to many different databases.
Disadvantages The ODBC driver, and possibly the client database
libraries, must reside on the ColdFusion server computer. Performance
is slower than other JDBC driver types.
Macromedia does not recommend this driver type unless your
application requires DBMS-specific features.
2 Native-API/partly
Java driver
Converts JDBC calls to database-specific calls.
Advantages Better performance than Type 1 driver.
Disadvantages The vendor’s client database libraries must reside on
the same computer as ColdFusion.
ColdFusion MX includes a type 2 driver for use with Microsoft Access
Unicode databases.
3JDBC-Net pure
Java driver
Translates JDBC calls to the middle-tier server, which then translates
the request to the database-specific native-connectivity interface.
Advantages No need for vendor’s database libraries to be present on
client computer. Can be tailored for small size (faster loading).
Disadvantages Database-specific code must be executed in the
middle tier.
ColdFusion MX includes an ODBC socket type 3 driver for use with
Microsoft Access databases and ODBC data sources.
4Native-
protocol/all-Java
driver
Converts JDBC calls to the network protocol used directly by the
database.
Advantages Fast performance. No special software needed on the
computer on which you run ColdFusion MX.
Disadvantages Many of these protocols are proprietary, requiring a
different driver for each database.
ColdFusion MX includes type 4 drivers for many popular DBMSs;
however, not all DBMSs are supported in ColdFusion MX Standard
Edition.