FAQ for Sybase ODBC Drivers on Windows
What ODBC drivers are available for Sybase Adaptive Server Enterprise?
Our company has a licensed Adaptive Server - how do I get an ODBC driver?
We've lost the Sybase installation disks - how do I get an ODBC driver?
We don't have a Sybase license - where can I purchase an ODBC driver?
Where do I get a free ODBC driver for trial/development purposes?
Whatever happened to Baby Jane - or Intersolv and Merant?
What ODBC drivers are available for Sybase Adaptive Server Enterprise?
The most popular ODBC drivers for Sybase Adaptive Server Enterprise are provided by Sybase Inc itself and from DataDirect.
DataDirect provides drivers that connect to ASE versions 11.5, 11.9.x, 12.x and 15.x.
Sybase Inc provides its own driver that connects to ASE versions 12.5.3, 12.5.4 and 15.x. Note that up to the release of 12.5.3, Sybase Inc bundled the DataDirect drivers with its client software. But the company now intends to provide its own drivers exclusively.
Since ODBC is a standard, there are alternative drivers available via other vendors.
Our company has a licensed Adaptive Server - how do I get an ODBC driver?
Companies who have a licensed installation of Adaptive Server get an ODBC driver bundled with the database engine software. The DBA should have the installation disks. If there are two installation disks, the ODBC driver is on the "Client" disk.
For Adaptive Server versions 15.X, the ODBC driver on the Sybase disks is the version from Sybase Inc.
For Adaptive Server version 12.5.3 there are two different ODBC drivers on the disk - one from DataDirect and one from Sybase Inc.
For versions prior to 12.5.3, the ODBC driver is from DataDirect.
We've lost the Sybase installation disks - how do I get an ODBC driver?
lf you've lost the disks for 15.X already (!), get your Sybase Customer Support contact to send you either the Software Development Kit or the full ASE disk.
The DBA or "licensed contact" can also download the "Software Developer Kit" from the download page on www.sybase.com. The kit comes with an ODBC driver.
Getting drivers from Sybase Inc for prior versions of ASE depends on whether they've End-Of-Lifed. For example, there are no certified drivers for 11.9.2. Discuss the matter with Customer Support, who will of course tell you to upgrade the Adaptive Server. Alternatively, contact DataDirect at www.datadirect.com.
We don't have a Sybase license - where do I purchase an ODBC driver?
Sybase doesn't give away ODBC drivers meant for Production purposes. You can buy the "Software Developer Kit" from Sybase Inc - the Windows version includes an ODBC driver.
Alternatively, DataDirect also provide an ODBC driver for purchase.
Where do I get a free ODBC driver for trial/development purposes
You can download the Developers Edition of Adaptive Server Enterprise, which comes with an ODBC driver. See our article on Software Editions of Sybase Adaptive Server Enterprise on this web site for more details and a link to the Sybase download page. Note that there are no time limits for usage of the Sybase driver - but they stipulate that it should only be used for development purposes.
DataDirect also provide a trial version of their ODBC driver for a time-limited period.
Whatever happened to Baby Jane - or Intersolv and Merant?
People with long memories may wonder where the Intersolv or Merant drivers disappeared to. Actually, those technologies are now part of DataDirect. Back in 1995 Intersolv bought a company whose technology was branded as DataDirect. In 1999 after a merger, the company was renamed MERANT. In 2001, the DataDirect unit set up as a separate company which was then bought in 2003 by Progress Software Company.
Submitted: 10 Nov 2006
Author: Caroline Walsh, Five Salmon Consultancy
(c) Five Salmon 2006