Creating a Data Source Name for an Oracle Database

Note: Silk Test Workbench cannot use 64-bit DSNs. To create a DSN for a 64-bit machine, click (in Microsoft Windows 7) Start > Silk > Silk Test > Administration > Data Sources (ODBC) or (in Microsoft Windows 10) Start > Windows Administrative Tools > ODBC Data Sources (32-bit) and create a 32-bit DSN. You can also use the WOW64 tools located at C:\WINDOWS\SysWOW64\odbcad32.exe.

On each client computer connecting to an Oracle database, perform the following steps to set up a DSN:

  1. Navigate (in Microsoft Windows 7) to Start > Silk > Silk Test > Administration > Data Sources (ODBC) or (in Microsoft Windows 10) to Start > Windows Administrative Tools > ODBC Data Sources (32-bit). The ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog box opens.
  2. Click the System DSN tab, then click Add. The Create New Data Source dialog box opens. This dialog box lists the available ODBC drivers.
  3. From the list of drivers, select the appropriate Oracle ODBC driver for the version of Oracle database being used (not the Microsoft ODBC for Oracle driver), and then click Finish. The Oracle ODBC Driver Configuration dialog box opens.
  4. In the Oracle Data Source Name text box, type the data source name.

    Enter a logical name as this name appears as the database name in the logon dialog box.

  5. In the Description text box, type a description for the data source. For example, Connection to Silk Test Workbench database.
  6. In the TNS Service Name text box, select the service name for the database you want to connect to in the format ORACLE_TNS.DOMAIN, where ORACLE_TNS is usually the Oracle SID that was assigned to the database upon creation and DOMAIN is the domain to which you are connecting. The domain is usually optional.
    Note: To connect Silk Test Workbench, the TNS service name is mandatory.
  7. If using Oracle authentication, type a valid user ID for the database being connected to in the User ID text box. Otherwise, leave the User ID text box empty.
  8. To test the connection, click Test Connection.
    Note: When using Oracle database authentication, type a username, and then a password. For Oracle OS authentication, do not specify a username.

    A message box appears stating the connection was successful.

  9. Click OK.
Parent topic: Creating a Data Source Name
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