Configuring data access for the Application Client involves specifying the resource reference and associated database information required for data access. This specification is done as part of the assembly and deployment steps for the Application Client.
Why and when to perform this task
There are two tools needed to configure data sources used by J2EE application clients:Data access from an application client uses the JDBC driver connection functions directly from the client side. It does not take advantage of the additional pooling support available in the WebSphere Application Server run time. Configuring data access for an application client does not require configuration of a JDBC provider and data source on the WebSphere Application Server server machine.
If you want to take advantage of the pooling and additional database functions provided by WebSphere Application Server, it is recommended that your client application utilize an enterprise bean running on the server side to perform data access.
Defining an application client resource reference using an assembly tool
Steps for this task
Result
The JNDI name field appears under WebSphere Bindings after your add the reference.Related concepts
Data sources
J2EE application client class loading
Related tasks
Assembling application clients
Deploying J2EE application clients on workstation platforms
Why and when to perform this task
There are two client resources for you to configure in the Application Client Resource Configuration Tool (ACRCT) to enable data access from an application client: a data source provider and a data source.The WebSphere Application Server Client does not provide client database drivers. If your client application uses a database directly, rather than using an enterprise bean, you must provide the database drivers on the client machine. This action can involve contacting your database vendor to acquire client database driver code and licenses.
Instead of accessing the database directly, it is recommended that your client application use an enterprise bean. Accessing a database through an enterprise bean eliminates the need to have database drivers on the client machine because the database access is handled by the enterprise bean running on the WebSphere Application Server. Enterprise beans can also take advantage of the additional database functions provided by the WebSphere Application Server run time.
Steps for this task