ODBC Sources in OWB

Question

Hello,
I have a question regarding ODBC and OWB.
How can I get a connection from OWB to an ODBC source.
I have an exsisting and proofed (I use it from SQL Plus) database link.
My OWB installation has 3 types of Integrators: Flat Files 3.0, Oracle DB and Apps 3.0 and SAP Applications 3.0 .
What have I got to do now, to connect to an ODBC source?
If I create a new MODULE and select Generic Oracle DB App as application and Oracle Generic Gateway Connectivy as application version (or an Oracle DB), I get a Java NullPointerExeption when using the DB-Link for my ODBC connection.
Anyone outside who has an idea.
Regards
Ulrich

Answer 1

Dear all
The following is taken from one of our internal documents on how to set up ODBC connections to an AS/400. Hope this helps. This would apply to OWB 3i and 9i.
Configuring Oracle Heterogeneous Services to Connect to a Non-Oracle Database
=============================================================================
This document is intended to describe how to connect to a non-oracle source using Oracle’s Heterogeneous Connections. (Generic Connectivity)
1.     Install the data dictionary tables and views for Heterogeneous Services.
- Login as sys and run the script caths.sql
This script is located in $ORACLE_HOME/rdbms/admin
2.     Set up an ODBC connection to the target database
- Select Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Data Sources (ODBC)
NB This must be a system DSN not a User DSN
3.     Add the following entry to Tnsnames.ora in the $Oracle_home\network\admin directory
hsas400 =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = tcp)(host=<hostname>)(port=1521))
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SID = as400)
(HS=OK)
•     N.B The address information is based on the Oracle connection and not the target database. The SID name can be chosen but must be identical to the SID configured later on in the listener.ora
4.     Add the following entry to Listener.ora in the $Oracle_home\network\admin directory
SID_LIST_LISTENER =
(SID_LIST =
(SID_DESC=
(SID_NAME=as400)
(ORACLE_HOME=c:\oracle\ora81)
(PROGRAM=hsodbc)
- NB The SID_NAME must be identical to the SID used in tnsnames.ora. The Program must be hsodbc (this is an executable program)
5.     Stop and Start the Oracle Listener
- Select Control Panel, Administrative Tasks, Services
- Select the Oracle_HomeTNSListener and stop
- Restart the service
6.     Check the Service is running
- From a command prompt type ‘ lsnrctl status’
- Check that a service handler for the new sid is running
7.     Create the initialisation file
- Navigate to the directory $Oracle_Home\hs\admin
- A sample file inithsodbc.ora file exists. Copy this file into the same directory using the format init<SID>.ora. In my example the SID used is as400 so the file name will be initas400.ora
8.     Initialisation File configuration
- Configure the newly create file to with the following information
HS_FDS_CONNECT_INFO = RENSQL <name of ODBC connection created in step 2>
     HS_FDS_TRACE_LEVEL = 0
9.     Create a database link to access target database
     SQL> create public database link as400
     SQL> connect to “user” identified by “password” <optional
     SQL> using 'hsas400'; < the connection name created in tnsnames.ora
10.     Test the connection
     SQL > select * from products@as400
- N.B Use a known table that exists on the target database
To check the creation of the database link run:
     Select * from all_db_links
Connecting to OWB using HS
Do not deploy the Database link code to the server as the package deployment will fail. This is because the database link created takes priority over the public DB Link created and as it is owned by the OWB schema can only be used by system and the OWB schema.
regards
Mark Rittman
Plus Consultancy