Problems connecting an existing php interface to an existing SQL Server DB - odbc error

Question

I am having enormous trouble connecting an existing (not programmed by myself) PHP interface to an existing SQL Server DB. I have been accessing a copy of this SQL Server DB for testing purposes on my local machine from my own self-programmed PHP interface using odbc "system DSN" interfaces. But probably, the odbc interface on my local testing environment will be looking different than on the real server, I guess.

I am establishing the odbc connection using code that looks like this:

$db_server ="localhost"; 
$db_name  ="testdb"; 
$db_user    ="testuser";   
$db_pass    ="test";

$conn = odbc_connect($db_name, $db_user, $db_pass) or die ('Can not connect '. $db_name);

This works fine - I can access the db and everything works as it should.

The PHP interface that I am trying to integrate in my testing environment does the connection this way:

$db_server = "localhost"; # I changed that one from the original server name
$db_user   = "testuser";
$db_pass   = "test";
$db_name   = "testdb";
$connection_id = odbc_connect($dbserver, $dbuser, $dbpass);

So it seems the connection on the server is done without mentioning the $db_name field. Sounds strange to me, but I am only a novice concerning SQL via odbc - normally I only use MySQL.

So when the PHP code tries accessing the db, the following error occurs:

Warning: odbc_connect() [function.odbc-connect]: SQL error: [Microsoft][ODBC Driver Manager] Data source name not found and no default driver specified, SQL state IM002 in SQLConnect in D:\xampp\xampp\htdocs\testdb\global.include on line xxx

xxx is the line containing "$connection_id = odbc_connect($dbserver, $dbuser, $dbpass); "

Any ideas how to get that thing working? I am nearly absolutely sure it's got something to do with the odbc datainterfaces defined on my machine, but I have no idea right now.

Any kind of help is highly appreciated!

Thanks, Sasha

Your second snippet initialises $db_server etc and then uses $dbserver-- is that right? — araqnid
– araqnid, Commented Jan 9, 2011 at 18:42

araqnid · Accepted Answer · 2011-01-09 18:41:37Z

2

When you connect via ODBC, you don't actually specify the target details of the database, you specify a data source name. This data source name is looked up in the data source registry, and the connection details are obtained from there. So you need to set $db_server to be the data source name, not the actual host name.

answered Jan 9, 2011 at 18:41

araqnid

135k25 gold badges163 silver badges138 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

3 Comments

Sasha Over a year ago

Hi araqnid, thanks a billion! That was what confused me that much! Aaaargh, so much wasted time and such a simple and idiotic mistake - just as always... Solved.

user50049 Over a year ago

@Sasha - If this answer solved your problem, consider marking it as accepted and providing an up vote. It not only thanks @araqnid, but also shows the community that the answer was valuable in the context of your problem.

Jason Turan Over a year ago

I just figured out that you have to specify a SYSTEM datasource and not a user datasource. Took me an hour to figure that one out.

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Problems connecting an existing php interface to an existing SQL Server DB - odbc error

1 Answer 1

3 Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

1 Answer 1

3 Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related