Installed applications uses a data source to access the data from the database.
A data source is associated with a JDBC provider that supplies the specific JDBC driver implementation class. The data source represents the J2EE Connector Architecture (JCA) connection factory for the relational resource adapter. Application components use the data source to access connection instances to a specific database; a connection pool is associated with each data source.
You can create multiple data sources with different settings, and associate them with the same JDBC provider. (One reason to do this is to provide access to different databases.) JDBC providers that are supported by WebSphere Application Server are required to implement one or both of the following data source interfaces, which are defined by Sun Microsystems. These interfaces enable the application to run in a single-phase or two-phase transaction protocol.
In WebSphere Application Server releases prior to version 5.0, the function of data access was provided by a single connection manager (CM) architecture. This connection manager architecture remains available to support J2EE 1.2 applications, but another connection manager architecture is provided, based on the JCA architecture supporting the new J2EE 1.3 application style (also for J2EE 1.4 applications).
These two separate architectures are represented by two types of data sources. To choose the right data source, administrators must understand the nature of their applications, EJB modules, and enterprise beans.
Choice of data source
Related concepts
Resource adapter
JDBC providers
Related tasks
Accessing data from application clients
Creating and configuring a JDBC provider using the administrative console
Creating and configuring a data source using the administrative console
Configuring a JDBC provider using scripting
Configuring new data sources using scripting
Configuring new WAS40 data sources using scripting
Creating and configuring a JDBC provider and data source using the
Java Management Extensions API
Configuring
data access for application clients using the assembly tool and ACRCT
Creating
or changing a resource reference using the assembly tool
Assembling
data access applications using the assembly tool
Deploying data access applications
Developing data access applications
Creating a data source for a clustered environment
Migrating a Version 4.0 data access application to Version 6.0
Creating and configuring a JDBC provider and data source