To create connections between an application and a relational database, the application
server uses the driver implementation classes that are encapsulated by the Java™ Database Connectivity (JDBC) provider.
Before you begin
Each JDBC provider is essentially an object that represents vendor-specific JDBC driver
classes to the application server, for establishing access to that particular vendor database. JDBC
providers are prerequisites for data sources, which supply applications with the physical
connections to a database. Consult the JDBC provider table to
identify the appropriate JDBC provider for your database and application requirements. Deprecated feature: The application server no longer supports
the DB2® for 390 and z/OS® Legacy JDBC driver and the corresponding JDBC provider, the DB2 for zOS Local JDBC provider (RRS). Use the DB2 Using IBM® JCC driver or DB2 Universal JDBC driver to connect to DB2 for z/OS.
About this task
Configure at least one JDBC provider for each database server
that you plan to use at a particular scope within your application
server environment.
Procedure
- Open the administrative console.
- Click .
- Select the scope at which applications can use the JDBC
provider.
The scope that you select becomes the scope of
any data source that you associate with this provider. You can choose
a cell, node, cluster, or server. For more information about scope
and how it can affect resources, see the topic
on administrative scope settings.
- Click New.
This action
causes the Create a new JDBC Provider wizard
to launch.
- Use the first drop-down list to select the database type
of the JDBC provider that you must create.
The User-Defined option: Select
User-Defined for
your database type if you encounter either of the following scenarios:
- You do not see your database type.
- You cannot select the JDBC provider type that you need in the
next step.
The user-defined selection triggers the wizard panel to display
your provider type as a user-defined JDBC provider, and your implementation
type as user-defined. Consult your database documentation for the
JDBC driver class files, data source properties, and so on, that are
required for your user-defined provider. You must supply this information
about the next two panels:
- database class path
- database-specific properties
- Select your JDBC provider type if it is displayed in the
second drop-down list.
Select
Show Deprecated to trigger the display of both current and
deprecated providers. If you cannot find your provider in this expanded list, then select
User-Defined from the previous list of database types.
Avoid trouble: The product issues a DSRA360 error message if
you select the DB2 for z/OS Local JDBC Provider (RRS) provider. In Version 6.1 and later, the application server
completely removes support for the DB2 for z/OS Local JDBC Provider (RRS) provider.
- From the third drop-down list, select the implementation
type that is necessary for your application.
If your application
does not require that connections support two-phase commit transactions,
choose
Connection Pool Data Source. Choose
XA
Data Source, however, if your application requires connections
that support two-phase commit transactions. Applications that use
this data source configuration have the benefit of container-managed
transaction recovery.
After you select an implementation type, the
wizard fills the name and the description fields for your JDBC provider.
You can type different values for these fields; they exist for administrative
purposes only.
- Click Next to see the Enter
database class path information wizard panel.
- In the class path field, type the full path location of
the database JDBC driver class files.
Your class path information becomes the value of the WebSphere® environment variable that is displayed on this panel, in the form of
${
DATABASE_JDBC_DRIVER_PATH}. The application server uses the variable to define your JDBC
provider; this practice eliminates the must specify static JDBC class paths for individual
applications. Remember that if you do not provide the full, correct JDBC driver class path for the
variable, your data source ultimately fails. If the field already displays a fully qualified class
path, you can accept that variable definition by completing the rest of this wizard panel and
clicking
Next.
Supported configurations: The
application server supports multiple versions of the selected JDBC driver for the DataDirect
ConnectJDBC type 4 driver for MS SQL Server. Each version of the JDBC driver has a unique class
path. Select the appropriate version of the JDBC driver so the class path is populated
correctly.
- Use the Native library path field to specify additional
class files that your JDBC driver might require to function properly
on your application server platform. Type the full directory path
name of these class files.
Avoid trouble: If you are using an Oracle OCI driver as your JDBC provider,
you must specify the path to where the native libraries are stored.
If you do not specify a native library path, the first time you try
to connect using this provider, class loader errors occur.
- Click Next to see a summary of your
JDBC provider settings.
- Click Finish if you are satisfied
with the JDBC provider configuration.
You now see
the JDBC provider collection panel, which displays your new JDBC provider
in a table along with other providers that are configured for the
same scope.
What to do next
The next step is to create a data source to associate
with your JDBC provider. For detailed information, see the information
center topic on configuring a data source using the administrative
console.
Remember: If you modify configuration of a JDBC
provider, like the class path, native library path, or custom properties,
click OK and then restart every application server within the
scope of that JDBC provider. Otherwise, the new configuration does
not work and you receive data source failure messages.