OData ODBC driver Wkl.Data.OData.Odbc – overview
The driver turns an OData v4 service into an ordinary data source for ODBC applications. Above all,
Access uses it to link tables and to read, filter, add, change, and delete records in datasheets and
forms, without VBA. The driver knows no table in advance: it reads entity sets, columns, types, and
keys from the service's $metadata document. It is part of Database Gateway and works with its data
service as well as with other OData v4 services.
The driver is meant for existing Access applications that are to use a data service instead of a direct connection to the database: linked tables, forms, and reports stay; the connection string changes.
What using the driver requires
The driver replaces a direct connection to the database with a route through a data service. That brings sign-in without a database password, per-table rights at the service, and access from outside without a VPN. In return, it creates the following obligations and dependencies:
| Item | What follows from it |
|---|---|
| The service | What works without pass-through, grouping, and transactions is determined by the service, not by the driver; see Commitments per kind of service. Before using the driver with a service other than Wkl.Data.Gateway, verify that service's behavior |
| Workstations | Installation in the bitness of Office, a trusted certificate for the service, and an update for every new version; see Deploy the driver to workstations |
| Existing Access applications | Change the connection strings; several service roots each need their own DATABASE value; queries the driver doesn't translate (joins, subqueries) run only if the service accepts custom statements; with the data service Wkl.Data.Gateway, as checked statements with per-object rights |
| Performance | Every request adds a fixed HTTP overhead, so loops over dynasets that fetch one row at a time run slower than over a direct connection; see Read large sets quickly from linked tables |
| Limitations | Some data types and output parameters as a stream aren't supported; see Differences from ODBC Driver 18 |
Where to start
| You want to … | Page |
|---|---|
| see what you need | Prerequisites |
| link a table in Access | Link a table in Access |
| deploy the driver to workstations | Deploy the driver to workstations |
| sign in with a key and a code | Sign in with a personal key and a second factor |
| know which statements work | Supported SQL, Limits |
| evaluate the driver for a deployment | Security model, Requirements for the service, Limits |
| fix an error | Troubleshooting |
The documentation
| Part | Content |
|---|---|
| Getting started | Prerequisites and the first linked table |
| How-to guides | Deployment, sign-in, pass-through, large sets, ADO.NET, tracing |
| Concepts | how tables arise from the OData model, how the driver translates statements and classifies responses; security model and trust boundaries |
| Reference | Connection string, supported SQL, limits, requirements for the service, standards |
| Troubleshooting | Error symptoms with cause and fix |
Changes per version: Changes.
Manufacturer
EMSR DATA, D.O.O., Trg komandanta Staneta 8, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Email: Wolfgang.van.der.Stille@gmail.com, zp@datecpro.de
Website: https://wvds.it
“The White Knight Labs” and “WKL” are trademarks of EMSR DATA, D.O.O. How to report a
vulnerability and which versions are supported until when is described in SECURITY.md, the
manufacturer information in MANUFACTURER.md, and the license terms of EMSR DATA in LICENSE.md
(the English version is binding); the driver's third-party components and their
licenses are listed in THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.txt. The package installs these files next to the
64-bit DLL; see Deploy the driver to workstations.