This section defines example OysterSourceDescriptor files that can be used to read reference sources that are store in various database tables. OYSTER can connect to data base tables through ODBC connections and also has the functionality to allow for connection strings to be defined inside the SourceDescriptor file to form direct connections to other DBMSs.

2.1.1 Creating ODBC Connections

ODBC connections are simple to create with Windows XP or a newer Windows OS. The following instructions will guide you through creating an ODBC connection to an Access Database that can be used as an OYSTER source.

1. Open your control panel: Click on Start, then click on Control Panel.

2. Next, double click on the Administrative Tools icon.

3. Then, double click on the Data Sources (ODBC) icon.

4. In the ODBC Data Source Administrator Window, click on the ADD button on the right side of the screen.

5. In the Create New Data Source window, scroll the list and click on Microsoft Access Driver (.mdb, .accdb)

6. Click Finish

7. In the ODBC Microsoft Access Setup window, enter OYSTER in the Data Source Name field.

8. In the Database section click Select.

9. Browse to the folder in which your OYSTER source database is located and select the Access Database file from the list.

10. Click OK for each Window until all windows are closed. The ODBC connection is now set up.

ODBC can be used to create connection too many different types of data sources. For more information about ODBC connections please refer to this Microsoft knowledge base article: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/110093.  

2.1.2 Example from ODBC

The SourceDescriptor illustrated in Figure 5 can be used by OYSTER if the input source is stored in a database, such as Microsoft Access, in which an ODBC connection has been established