Referrers http://www.infoq.com/news/2009/12/agile-project-delays

A delay, in general, is getting something done later than it was scheduled for thereby causing distress and inconvenience. Likewise, delay is considered to be a waste in the Agile terminology. In an Agile project, a delay causes discontinuity and thereby causes other wastes like relearning, task switching etc.

Jack Milunsky, attributed some of the common delays to

• Project approvals - waiting for projects to get approved with developers sitting around thus leading to waste of time and money.
• Waiting for a proper prioritized list of requirements - so that work can get started.
• Waiting for resources to become available – this is usually a sign to introspect if the organization is taking too much work.
• Change approval processes – this is a wasteful process itself. If this happens too often then it might be easier to reduce the sprint length.
• Increases in work-in-progress - the more work-in-process, the more developers have to wait before they can deploy their code to production.
• Delays getting client to sign-off on acceptance tests – this is true not only for sign-off but also getting client time for resolving requirement issues, give feedback on demos etc.

Jack mentioned that there are many delays in between the sprints too. The team should identify and eradicate the delays by putting in some hard work. He suggested,

You have to ensure that the backlog is properly groomed. So you need an effective PO who understands the market, the client etc. You need well written stories. You need estimates from developers early so the PO can make decisions ahead of the planning meeting. It's all about designing delays out of the system so that there are smooth hand-offs at all the transition points. And it's worth mapping this end-to-end process and identifying delays at each of these points.

Likewise Wouter Baars, mentioned top causes of delays in IT projects. Some of them include,

• Gold Plating – when a team spends too much time on enhancing a functionality which has not been requested by the client.
• Neglecting quality control - time pressure can sometimes cause programmers or project teams to be tempted to skip testing. This frequently causes more delays than it prevents.
• Working on too many projects at the same time – Task switching leads to more problems than solutions
• The ‘one-solution-fits-all’ syndrome – trying to fit an existing solution to any new problem.
• Mediocre personnel – technical or process insufficiency causes delays at multiple levels.
• Customers fail to fulfill agreements - when customers do not react in a timely manner to areas in which they must be involved, projects can come to a standstill.
• Tension between customers and developers - If the project is not proceeding well enough, the tension can cause additional delays. It disturbs the feeling of trust and the working atmosphere.

Another interesting reason for delays was suggested by Robert Neri when he pointed out that the difference of Agile adoption within an enterprise might also cause delays. He mentioned,

One of the things we often encounter is that Support organizations cannot move as fast as the project sprints and tend to delay Agile projects. Similarly, non-Agile projects have a difficult time addressing the integrations with Agile projects.

Thus, if your Agile project is getting delayed try to map the reasons to one of the common causes of delays. Once you identify the cause, it would be wise to start working on it to resolve it immediately. This would reduce one of the biggest waste in the project.

Also included are ADO.NET connection strings for each .NET Managed Provider
(SQLClient, OLEDB, and ODBC).

These sample connection strings are compiled
by Carl Prothman, a Microsoft Visual Basic MVP
Enjoy!

　
Table of Contents
ODBC DSN Connections DSN
File DSN


ODBC DSN-Less Connections　 ODBC Driver for AS/400
ODBC Driver for Access
ODBC Driver for dBASE
ODBC Driver for Excel
ODBC Driver for MySQL
ODBC Driver for Oracle
ODBC Driver for Paradox
ODBC Driver for SQL Server
ODBC Driver for Sybase
ODBC Driver for Sybase SQL Anywhere
ODBC Driver for Text
ODBC Driver for Teradata
ODBC Driver for Visual FoxPro


OLE DB Data Link Connections Data Link File (UDL)


OLE DB Data Provider Connections　 OLE DB Provider for AS/400
OLE DB Provider for Active Directory Service
OLE DB Provider for DB2
OLD DB Provider for Internet Publishing
OLE DB Provider for Index Server
OLE DB Provider for Microsoft Jet
OLE DB Provider for ODBC Databases
OLE DB Provider for Oracle (From Microsoft)
OLE DB Provider for Oracle (From Oracle)
OLE DB Provider for Simple Provider
OLE DB Provider for SQL Server


Remote Data Service (RDS) Connections RDS Data Control - Connect Property
RDS Data Control - URL Property


ADO URL Connections ADO Recordset


MS Remote Provider Connections MS Remote - Access (Jet)
MS Remote - SQL Server


Data Shape Provider Connections　 MS DataShape - SQL Server


.NET Managed Provider Connections SQL Client .NET Managed Provider (System.Data.SqlClient)
OLE DB .NET Managed Provider (System.Data.OleDb)
ODBC .NET Managed Provider (System.Data.ODBC)


　

ODBC DSN Connections
Using an ODBC DSN (Data Source Name) is a two step process.

1) You must first create the DSN via the "ODBC Data Source Administrator" program
found in your computer's Control Panel (or Administrative Tools menu in Windows 2000).
Make sure to create a SYSTEM DSN (not a USER DSN) when using ASP.
Note: You can also create the DSN via VB code.

2) Then use the following connection string - with your own DSN name of course.　 ;-)

ODBC - DSN
　
oConn.Open "DSN=AdvWorks;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Uid=Admin;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Pwd=;

You can also create and use a File DSN. Then use the following ADO Connection string:

ODBC - File DSN
　
oConn.Open "FILEDSN=c:/somepath/mydb.dsn;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Uid=Admin;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Pwd=;"

For more information, see: About ODBC data sources and
How to Use File DSNs and DSN-less Connections

Note: The problem with DSN is that Users can (and will) modify them (or delete by mistake),
then your program won't work so well... So it's better to use a DSN-Less or OLE DB Provider
connection string with a Trusted Connection if possible!

ODBC DSN-Less Connections
ODBC Driver for AS/400
　
oConn.Open "Driver={Client Access ODBC Driver (32-bit)};" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "System=myAS400;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Uid=myUsername;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Pwd=myPassword;"

For more information, see:　 A Fast Path to AS/400 Client/Server

ODBC Driver for Access
　
For Standard Security:

oConn.Open "Driver={Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb)};" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Dbq=c:/somepath/mydb.mdb;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Uid=Admin;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Pwd=;"

If you are using a Workgroup (System database):

oConn.Open "Driver={Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb)};" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Dbq=c:/somepath/mydb.mdb;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "SystemDB=c:/somepath/mydb.mdw;", _
　　　　　　　　　 "admin", ""

If MDB is located on a network share:

oConn.Open "Driver={Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb)};" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Dbq=//myServer/myShare/myPath/myDb.mdb;"

For more information, see: Microsoft Access Driver Programming Considerations

ODBC Driver for dBASE
　
oConn.Open "Driver={Microsoft dBASE Driver (*.dbf)};" & _
　　　　　　　　 "DriverID=277;" & _
　　　　　　　　 "Dbq=c:/somepath;"

Note: Specify the filename in the SQL statement. For example:
　　　　 oRs.Open "Select * From user.dbf", oConn, , ,adCmdText

Note: MDAC 2.1 (or greater) requires the Borland Database Engine (BDE) to update dBase DBF files. (Q238431).

For more information, see: dBASE Driver Programming Considerations

ODBC Driver for Excel
　
oConn.Open "Driver={Microsoft Excel Driver (*.xls)};" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "DriverId=790;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Dbq=c:/somepath/mySpreadsheet.xls;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "DefaultDir=c:/somepath;"

For more information, see: Microsoft Excel Driver Programming Considerations

ODBC Driver for MySQL (via MyODBC)
　
To connect to a local database

oConn.Open "Driver={mySQL};" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Server=MyServerName;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Option=16834;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Database=mydb;"

To connect to a remote database

oConn.Open "Driver={mySQL};" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Server=db1.database.com;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Port=3306;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Option=131072;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Stmt=;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Database=mydb;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Uid=myUsername;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Pwd=myPassword;"

For more information, see: Programs Known to Work with MyODBC

ODBC Driver for Oracle
　
For the current Oracle ODBC Driver from Microsoft:

oConn.Open "Driver={Microsoft ODBC for Oracle};" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Server=OracleServer.world;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Uid=myUsername;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Pwd=myPassword;"

For the older Oracle ODBC Driver from Microsoft:

oConn.Open "Driver={Microsoft ODBC Driver for Oracle};" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "ConnectString=OracleServer.world;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Uid=myUsername;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Pwd=myPassword;"

For more information, see: Connection String Format and Attributes

ODBC Driver for Paradox
　
oConn.Open "Driver={Microsoft Paradox Driver (*.db)};" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "DriverID=538;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Fil=Paradox 5.X;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "DefaultDir=c:/dbpath/;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Dbq=c:/dbpath/;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "CollatingSequence=ASCII;"

Note: MDAC 2.1 (or greater) requires the Borland Database Engine (BDE) to update Paradox ISAM fDBF files. (Q230126).

For more information, see: Paradox Driver Programming Considerations

ODBC Driver for SQL Server
　
For Standard Security:

oConn.Open "Driver={SQL Server};" & _
　　　 　　　　　 "Server=MyServerName;" & _
　　　　　　　　 "Database=myDatabaseName;" & _
　　　　　　　　 "Uid=myUsername;" & _
　　 　　　　　　 "Pwd=myPassword;"

For Trusted Connection security:

oConn.Open "Driver={SQL Server};" & _
　　　 　　　　　 "Server=MyServerName;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Database=myDatabaseName;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Uid=;" & _
　　 　　　　　　 "Pwd=;"

' or

oConn.Open "Driver={SQL Server};" & _
　　　 　　　　　 "Server=MyServerName;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Database=myDatabaseName;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Trusted_Connection=yes;"

To Prompt user for username and password

oConn.Properties("Prompt") = adPromptAlways
oConn.Open "Driver={SQL Server};" & _
　　　 　　　　　 "Server=MyServerName;" & _
　　　 　　　　　 "DataBase=myDatabaseName;"
　　

For more information, see: SQLDriverConnect (ODBC)

ODBC Driver for Sybase
　
If using the Sybase System 11 ODBC Driver:

oConn.Open "Driver={SYBASE SYSTEM 11};" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Srvr=myServerName;" & _
　　　　　　　　 "Uid=myUsername;" & _
　　 　　　　　　 "Pwd=myPassword;"

If using the Intersolv 3.10 Sybase ODBC Driver:

oConn.Open "Driver={INTERSOLV 3.10 32-BIT Sybase};" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Srvr=myServerName;" & _
　　　　　　　　 "Uid=myUsername;" & _
　　 　　　　　　 "Pwd=myPassword;"

For more information, see: Sybase System 10 ODBC Driver Reference Guide

ODBC Driver for Sybase SQL Anywhere
　
oConn.Open "ODBC; Driver=Sybase SQL Anywhere 5.0;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "DefaultDir=c:/dbpath/;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Dbf=c:/sqlany50/mydb.db;" & _
　　　　　　　　 "Uid=myUsername;" & _
　　 　　　　　　 "Pwd=myPassword;"
　　　　　　　　　 "Dsn="""";"

Note: Including the DSN tag with a null string is absolutely critical or else you get the dreaded -7778 error.

For more information, see: Sybase SQL Anywhere User Guide

ODBC Driver for Teradata
　
oConn.Open "Provider=Teradata;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "DBCName=MyDbcName;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Database=MyDatabaseName;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Uid=myUsername;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Pwd=myPassword;"

For more information, see Teradata ODBC Driver

ODBC Driver for Text
　
oConn.Open "Driver={Microsoft Text Driver (*.txt; *.csv)};" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Dbq=c:/somepath/;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Extensions=asc,csv,tab,txt;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Persist Security Info=False"

Note: Specify the filename in the SQL statement. For example:

oRs.Open "Select * From customer.csv", _
　　　　　　　 oConn, adOpenStatic, adLockReadOnly, adCmdText

For more information, see: Text File Driver Programming Considerations

ODBC Driver for Visual FoxPro
　
With a database container:

oConn.Open "Driver={Microsoft Visual FoxPro Driver};" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "SourceType=DBC;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "SourceDB=c:/somepath/mySourceDb.dbc;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Exclusive=No;"

Without a database container (Free Table Directory):

oConn.Open "Driver={Microsoft Visual FoxPro Driver};" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "SourceType=DBF;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "SourceDB=c:/somepath/mySourceDbFolder;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Exclusive=No;"

For more information, see: Visual FoxPro ODBC Driver and Q165492

OLE DB Data Link Connections
Data Link File (UDL)
　
For Absolute Path:

oConn.Open "File Name=c:/somepath/myDatabaseName.udl;"

For Relative Path:

oConn.Open "File Name=myDatabaseName.udl;"
　

For more information, see: HOWTO: Use Data Link Files with ADO

Note: Windows 2000 no longer contains the "New | Microsoft Data Link" menu　
anymore. You can add the Data Link menu back in the menu list by running the
"C:/Program Files/Common Files/System/Ole DB/newudl.reg" reg file,
then right-click on the desktop and select "New | Microsoft Data Link" menu.　
Or you can also create a Data Link file by creating a text file and change it's
file extension to ".udl", then double-click the file.

OLE DB Provider Connections
OLE DB Provider for AS/400
　
oConn.Open "Provider=IBMDA400;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Data source=myAS400;"
　　　　　　　　　 "User Id=myUsername;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Password=myPassword;"

For more information, see:　 A Fast Path to AS/400 Client/Server

OLE DB Provider for Active Directory Service
　
oConn.Open "Provider=ADSDSOObject;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "User Id=myUsername;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Password=myPassword;"
　

For more information, see: Microsoft OLE DB Provider for Microsoft Active Directory Service

OLE DB Provider for DB2
　
oConn.Open = "Provider=DB2OLEDB;" &
　　　　　　　　　　 "Network Transport Library=TCPIP;" &
　　　　　　　　　　 "Network Address=MyServer;" & _
　　　　　　　　　　 "Package Collection=MyPackage;" &
　　　　　　　　　　 "Host CCSID=1142"
　　　　　　　　　　 "Initial Catalog=MyDB;" &
　　　　　　　　　　 "User ID=MyUsername;" & _
　　　　　　　　　　 "Password=MyPassword;"

For more information, see: OLE DB Provider for DB2
and INF: Configuring Data Sources for the Microsoft OLE DB Provider for DB2

OLE DB Provider for Index Server
　
oConn.Open "Provider=msidxs;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Data source=MyCatalog;"
　

For more information, see: Microsoft OLE DB Provider for Microsoft Indexing Service

OLE DB Provider for Internet Publishing
　
oConn.Open "Provider=MSDAIPP.DSO;" & _
　　　　　 "Data Source=http://mywebsite/myDir;" & _
　　　　　 "User Id=myUsername;" & _
　　　　　 "Password=myPassword;"
　

For more information, see: Microsoft OLE DB Provider for Internet Publishing and Q245359

OLE DB Provider for Microsoft Jet
　
For standard security:

oConn.Open "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Data Source=c:/somepath/myDb.mdb;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "User Id=admin;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Password=;"

If using a Workgroup (System Database):

oConn.Open "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Data Source=c:/somepath/mydb.mdb;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Jet OLEDB:System Database=MySystem.mdw;", _
　　　　　　　　　 "admin", ""

Note, remember to convert both the MDB and the MDW to the 4.0 database format when using the 4.0 OLE DB Provider.

If MDB has a database password:

oConn.Open "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Data Source=c:/somepath/mydb.mdb;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Jet OLEDB:Database Password=MyDbPassword;", _
　　　　　　　　　 "admin", ""

If MDB is located on a network share:

oConn.Open "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Data Source=//myServer/myShare/myPath/myDb.mdb;

If want to open up the Access database exclusively:

oConn.Mode = adModeShareExclusive
oConn.Open "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Data Source=c:/somepath/myDb.mdb;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "User Id=admin;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Password=;"

For more information, see: OLE DB Provider for Microsoft Jet, Q191754, Q225048, Q239114, and Q271908

You can also open an Excel Spreadsheet using the "OLE DB Provider for Microsoft Jet"

oConn.Open "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Data Source=c:/somepath/myExcelSpreadsheet.xls;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Extended Properties=""Excel 8.0;HDR=Yes;"";"

Where "HDR=Yes" means that there is a header row in the cell range
(or named range), so the provider will not include the first row of the
selection into the recordset. If "HDR=No", then the provider will include
the first row of the cell range (or named ranged) into the recordset.

For more information, see: Q278973

You can also open a Text File using the "OLE DB Provider for Microsoft Jet"

oConn.Open "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Data Source=c:/somepath/;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Extended Properties=""text;HDR=Yes;FMT=Delimited;"";"

' Then open a recordset based on a select on the actual file
oRs.Open "Select * From MyTextFile.txt", oConn, adOpenStatic, adLockReadOnly, adCmdText

For more information, see: Q262537

OLE DB Provider for ODBC Databases
　
For Access (Jet):

oConn.Open "Provider=MSDASQL;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Driver={Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb)};" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Dbq=c:/somepath/mydb.mdb;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Uid=myUsername;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Pwd=myPassword;"

For SQL Server:

oConn.Open "Provider=MSDASQL;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Driver={SQL Server};" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Server=myServerName;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Database=myDatabaseName;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Uid=myUsername;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Pwd=myPassword;"

For more information, see: Microsoft OLE DB Provider for ODBC

OLE DB Provider for Oracle (from Microsoft)
　
oConn.Open "Provider=msdaora;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Data Source=MyOracleDB;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "User Id=myUsername;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Password=myPassword;"

For more information, see: Microsoft OLE DB Provider for Oracle

OLE DB Provider for Oracle (from Oracle)
　
For Standard Security:

oConn.Open "Provider=OraOLEDB.Oracle;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Data Source=MyOracleDB;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "User Id=myUsername;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Password=myPassword;"

For a Trusted Connection:

oConn.Open "Provider=OraOLEDB.Oracle;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Data Source=MyOracleDB;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "User Id=/;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Password=;"
' Or

oConn.Open "Provider=OraOLEDB.Oracle;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Data Source=MyOracleDB;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "OSAuthent=1;"
　

Note: "Data Source=" must be set to the appropriate Net8 name which is known to the naming method in use. For example, for Local Naming, it is the alias in the tnsnames.ora file; for Oracle Names, it is the Net8 Service Name.

For more information, see: Connecting to an Oracle Database
(Note, if you get a Logon dialog, then click Cancel, then perform a one-time free signup with Oracle's TechNet system)

OLE DB Provider for Simple Provider
　
The Microsoft OLE DB Simple Provider (OSP) allows ADO to access any data for which a provider has
been written using the OLE DB Simple Provider Toolkit. Simple providers are intended to access data
sources that require only fundamental OLE DB support, such as in-memory arrays or XML documents.

OSP in MDAC 2.6 has been enhanced to support opening hierarchical ADO Recordsets over arbitrary
XML files. These XML files may contain the ADO XML persistence schema, but it is not required. This
has been implemented by connecting the OSP to the MSXML2.DLL, therefore MSXML2.DLL or newer is
required.

oConn.Open "Provider=MSDAOSP;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Data Source=MSXML2.DSOControl.2.6;"

oRS.Open "http://WebServer/VirtualRoot/MyXMLFile.xml", oConn

For more information, see: Microsoft OLE DB Simple Provider

OLE DB Provider for SQL Server
　
For Standard Security:

oConn.Open "Provider=sqloledb;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Data Source=myServerName;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Initial Catalog=myDatabaseName;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "User Id=myUsername;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Password=myPassword;"

For a Trusted Connection:

oConn.Open "Provider=sqloledb;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Data Source=myServerName;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Initial Catalog=myDatabaseName;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Integrated Security=SSPI;"

To connect to a "Named Instance" (SQL Server 2000)

oConn.Open "Provider=sqloledb;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Data Source=myServerName/Inst2;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Initial Catalog=myDatabaseName;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "User Id=myUsername;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Password=myPassword;"

To Prompt user for username and password:

oConn.Provider = "sqloledb"
oConn.Properties("Prompt") = adPromptAlways
oConn.Open "Data Source=myServerName;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Initial Catalog=myDatabaseName;"

To connect via an IP address:

oConn.Open "Provider=sqloledb;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Data Source=xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx,1433;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Network Library=DBMSSOCN;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Initial Catalog=myDatabaseName;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "User ID=myUsername;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Password=myPassword;"

Note:
- xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx is an IP address
- "Network Library=DBMSSOCN" tells OLE DB to use TCP/IP rather than Named Pipes (Q238949)
- 1433 is the default port number for SQL Server
- You can also add "Encrypt=yes" for encryption

For more information, see: Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL Server

Remote Data Service (RDS) Connections
The following examples show how to connect to a remote database using the RDS Data Control.
When using the RDS DataControl's Server/SQL/Connect properties, the RDS DataControl uses the
RDS DataFactory on the remote server. If you use the RDS DataControl's URL property,
then the RDS DataFactory is not used at all.

WARNING: The RDS DataFactory can be a major security hole if not setup and configured correctly!
For more information, see RDS FAQ #24

RDS DataControl - Connect Property
　
With the RDS default handler disabled (not recommend due to security risks):

With oRdc
　 .Server = "http://carl2"
　 .Sql = "Select * From Authors Where State = 'CA'"
　 .Connect = "Provider=sqloledb;" & _
　　　　　　　　　　 "Data Source=(local);" & _
　　　　　　　　　　 "Initial Catalog=pubs;" & _
　　　　　　　　　　 "User Id=sa;" & _
　　　　　　　　　　 "Password=;"
　 .Refresh
End With

With the RDS default handler enabled (recommend):

With oRdc
　 .Server = "http://carl2"
　 .Handler = "MSDFMAP.Handler"
　 .Connect = "Data Source=MyConnectTag;"
　 .Sql = "MySQLTag(""CA"")"
　 .Refresh
End With

The corresponding CONNECT and SQL sections in the default handler /WINNT/MSDFMAP.INI file would be:

[connect MyConnectTag]
Access = ReadWrite
Connect = "Provider=sqloledb;Data Source=(local);Initial Catalog=pubs;User Id=sa;Password=;"

[sql MySQLTag]
Sql = "Select * From Authors Where State = '?'"

For more information about the RDS Default Handler, see:
Q243245, Q230680, and RDS Customization Handler Microsoft articles

RDS DataControl - URL Property
　
To get records from a remote database:

With oRdc
　 .URL = "http://carlp0/Authors_GetByState.asp?state=CA"
　 .Refresh
End With

To save, set the URL property to an ASP web page:

With oRdc
　 .URL = "http://carlp0/rdsdatacontrol/Authors_Save.asp"
　 .SubmitChanges
End With

For more information, see: RDS URL Property

ADO URL Connections
ADO 2.5+ allows you to open up a Recordset based on XML returned from an ASP file over HTTP.　
This feature doesn't use RDS at all.

ADO Recordset
　
To get records from a remote database:

oRs.Open "http://carlp0/Authors_GetByState.asp?state=CA", , _
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 adOpenStatic, adLockBatchOptimistic

To save changes, you must use the MSXML's XMLHTTP object to POST back the updated XML.　
The Recordset's Update and UpdateBatch methods will not work in this case.

' Save Recordset into Stream
Set oStm = New ADODB.Stream
oRs.Save oStm, adPersistXML

' Use MSXML's XMLHTTP object to open ASP and post a XML stream
Set oXMLHTTP = New MSXML2.XMLHTTP30
oXMLHTTP.Open "POST", "http://carlp0/Authors_Save.asp", False
oXMLHTTP.Send oStm.ReadText

' If an error occurred
If oXMLHTTP.Status = 500 Then
　 Debug.Print oXMLHTTP.statusText
End If

For more information, see: ADO Recordset's Open Method

MS Remote Provider Connections
The following connections strings use Microsoft's remote provider (MS Remote). The MS Remote
provider tells ADO to communicate with the remote server (via the RDS DataFactory) and to use
the remote provider that is installed on the remote server.

WARNING: The RDS DataFactory can be a major security hole if not setup and configured correctly!　
For more information, see RDS FAQ #24
　　

MS Remote - Access (Jet)
　
If you want to use an ODBC DSN on the remote machine:

oConn.Open "Provider=MS Remote;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Remote Server=http://myServerName;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Remote Provider=MSDASQL;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "DSN=AdvWorks;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Uid=myUsername;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Pwd=myPassword;"

If you want to use an OLE DB Provider on the remote machine:

oConn.Open "Provider=MS Remote;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Remote Server=http://myServerName;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Remote Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Data Source=c:/somepath/mydb.mdb;", _
　　　　　　　　　 "admin", ""

If you want to use an OLE DB Provider on the remote machine (via RDS DataFactory Default Handler):

oConn.Open "Provider=MS Remote;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Remote Server=http://myServerName;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Handler=MSDFMAP.Handler;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Data Source=MyAdvworksConn;"

The corresponding entry in the /winnt/Msdfmap.ini file would be:

[connect MyAdvworksConn]
Access = ReadWrite
Connect = "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;" & _
　　　　　　　 "Data Source=mydb.mdb;" & _
　　　　　　　 "User Id=admin;" & _
　　　　　　　 "Password=;"
　

MS Remote - SQL Server
　
If you want to use an ODBC DSN on the remote machine:

oConn.Open "Provider=MS Remote;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Remote Server=http://myServerName;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Remote Provider=MSDASQL;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "DSN=myDatabaseName;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Uid=myUsername;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Pwd=myPassword;"

If you want to use an OLE DB Provider on the remote machine:

oConn.Open "Provider=MS Remote;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Remote Server=http://myServerName;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Remote Provider=SQLOLEDB;" & _
　　　　　　　　 "Data Source=myServerName;" & _
　　　　　　　　 "Initial Catalog=myDatabaseName;" & _
　　　　　　　　 "User ID=myUsername;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Password=myPassword;"

If you want to use an OLE DB Provider on the remote machine (via RDS DataFactory Default Handler):

oConn.Open "Provider=MS Remote;" & _
　　　　　　　　 　"Remote Server=http://myServerName;" & _
　　　　　　　　 　"Handler=MSDFMAP.Handler;" & _
　　　　　　　　 　"Data Source=MyPubsConn;"

The corresponding entry in the /winnt/Msdfmap.ini file would be:

[connect MyPubsConn]
Access = ReadWrite
Connect = "Provider=SQLOLEDB;" & _
　　　　　　　 "Data Source=myServerName;" & _
　　　　　　　 "Initial Catalog=myDatabaseName;" & _
　　　　　　　 "User ID=myUsername;" & _
　　　　　　　 "Password=myPassword;"

For more information, see: Microsoft OLE DB Remoting Provider　 and Q240838

Data Shape Provider Connections
MS DataShape - SQL Server
　
oConn.Open "Provider=MSDataShape;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Data Provider=SQLOLEDB;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Data Source=mySQLServerName;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Initial Catalog=myDatabase;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "User ID=myUsername;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Password=myPassword;"

Then use a Shape command with SQL strings:
sSQL = "SHAPE {select * from authors} " & _
　　　　　 "APPEND ({select * from titleauthor} AS chapter " & _
　　　　　 "RELATE au_id TO au_id)"

Or use a Shape command that calls Stored Procedures:
sSQL = "SHAPE {exec spAuthors_LoadAll} " & _
　　　　　 "APPEND ({exec spTitleAuthor_LoadAll} AS chapter " & _
　　　　　 "RELATE au_id TO au_id)"

For more information, see: Microsoft Data Shaping Service for OLE DB and Q288409

.NET Managed Provider Connections
SQL Client .NET Managed Provider (System.Data.SqlClient)
　
The SQL Client .NET Managed Provide allows you to connect to a Microsoft SQL Server 7.0
or 2000 database. For Microsoft SQL Server 6.0 or earlier, use the OLE DB .NET Data Provider
with the "SQL Server OLE DB Provider" (SQLOLEDB).

Dim oSQLConnection As SqlClient.SqlConnection
Dim sConnString As String

sConnString = "Data Source=(local);" & _
　　　　　　　　　　 "Initial Catalog=NorthWind;" & _
　　　　　　　　　　 "Integrated Security=SSPI;" & _
　　　　　　　　　　 "Pooling=True;" & _
　　　　　　　　　　 "Min Pool Size=10;" & _
　　　　　　　　　　 "Max Pool Size=50;" & _
　　　　　　　　　　 "Connection Lifetime=30;" & _
　　　　　　　　　　 "Connection Reset=True;" & _
　　　　　　　　　　 "Enlist=True;"
oSQLConnection = New SqlClient.SqlConnection(sConnString)
oSQLConnection.Open()

For more information, see: System.Data.SQL Namespace and .NET Data Providers
Note: 'SQL' namespace got renamed to 'SQLClient'

OLE DB .NET Managed Provider (System.Data.OleDb)
　
The OLE DB .NET Data Provider uses native OLE DB through COM interop to enable data access.　
To use the OLE DB .NET Data Provider, you must also use an OLE DB provider (e.g. SQLOLEDB,
MSDAORA, or Microsoft.JET.OLEDB.4.0).

For SQL Server OLE DB Provider (for SQL Server 6.0 or earlier)

Dim oOleDbConnection As OleDb.OleDbConnection
Dim sConnString As String

sConnString = "Provider=sqloledb;" & _
　　　　　　　　　　 "Data Source=myServerName;" & _
　　　　　　　　 　 "Initial Catalog=myDatabaseName;" & _
　　　　　　　　 　 "User Id=myUsername;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Password=myPassword;"
oOleDbConnection = New OleDb.OleDbConnection(sConnString)
oOleDbConnection.Open()

For JET OLE DB Provider:

Dim oOleDbConnection As OleDb.OleDbConnection
Dim sConnString As String

sConnString = "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;" & _
　　　　　　　　　　 "Data Source=C:/Work/nwind.mdb;" & _
　　　　　　　　　　 "User ID=Admin;" & _
　　　　　　　　　　 "Password="";"
oOleDbConnection = New OleDb.OleDbConnection(sConnString)
oOleDbConnection.Open()

For more information, see: System.Data.OleDb Namespace and .NET Data Providers
Note: 'ADO' namespace got renamed to 'OleDb'

ODBC .NET Managed Provider (System.Data.ODBC)
　
The ODBC .NET Data Provider is an add-on component to the .NET Framework SDK Beta 2.
It provides access to native ODBC drivers the same way the OLE DB .NET Data Provider
provides access to native OLE DB providers.

For SQL Server ODBC Driver:

Dim oODBCConnection As Odbc.OdbcConnection
Dim sConnString As String

' Create and open a new ODBC Connection
sConnString = "Driver={SQL Server};" & _
　　　　　　　　　　 "Server=MySQLServerName;" & _
　　　　　　　　　　 "Database=MyDatabaseName;" & _
　　　　　　　　　　 "Uid=MyUsername;" & _
　　　　　　　　　　 "Pwd=MyPassword;"

oODBCConnection = New Odbc.OdbcConnection(sConnString)
oODBCConnection.Open()

For Oracle ODBC Driver:

Dim oODBCConnection As Odbc.OdbcConnection
Dim sConnString As String

' Create and open a new ODBC Connection
sConnString = "Driver={Microsoft ODBC for Oracle};" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Server=OracleServer.world;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Uid=myUsername;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Pwd=myPassword;"

oODBCConnection = New Odbc.OdbcConnection(sConnString)
oODBCConnection.Open()

For Access (JET) ODBC Driver:

Dim oODBCConnection As Odbc.OdbcConnection
Dim sConnString As String

' Create and open a new ODBC Connection
sConnString = "Driver={Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb)};" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Dbq=c:/somepath/mydb.mdb;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Uid=Admin;" & _
　　　　　　　　　 "Pwd=;"

oODBCConnection = New Odbc.OdbcConnection(sConnString)
oODBCConnection.Open()

For all other ODBC Drivers:

Dim oODBCConnection As Odbc.OdbcConnection
Dim sConnString As String

' Create and open a new ODBC Connection
sConnString = "Dsn=myDsn;" & _
　　　　　　　　　　 "Uid=myUsername;" & _
　　　　　　　　　　 "Pwd=myPassword;"

oODBCConnection = New Odbc.OdbcConnection(sConnString)
oODBCConnection.Open()