User`s guide

4 Using Database Explorer
4-6
Configure Data Sources and Connect to Databases
In this section...
“Configure Your Environment” on page 4-6
“Work with Multiple Databases” on page 4-17
To make connections, Database Explorer uses data sources to identify your databases.
Configure data sources to start exploring data in your databases. The data source setup
differs depending on the database drivers that you are using for connection. Once data
sources are available, you can connect to your databases, modify and delete database
connections, and work with multiple databases at once.
Configure Your Environment
Before using Database Explorer to connect to a database, set up a data source. A data
source consists of:
• Data that the toolbox accesses
• Information required to find the data, such as driver, folder, server, or network names
Data sources interact with ODBC drivers or JDBC drivers. An ODBC driver is a
standard Microsoft Windows interface that enables communication between database
management systems and SQL-based applications. A JDBC driver is a standard interface
that enables communication between applications based on Oracle Java and database
management systems.
Database Toolbox software is based on Java. It uses a JDBC/ODBC bridge to connect to
the ODBC driver of a database, which the software installs as part of the MATLAB JVM.
This figure illustrates how drivers interact with Database Toolbox software.
Windows
platforms
UNIX and
Windows
platforms
JDBC/ODBC
Bridge
Database
Toolbox
Database
Toolbox
JDBC
Driver
Database
ODBC
Driver
Database