How to Create ODBC DSN on multiple SQL server machines


by MAK [Muthusamy Anantha Kumar]

In
a typical Client – Server environment it is often necessary to create ODBC DSN
on many client machines or servers for front-end applications such as VB, or MS-Access,
which uses ODBC DSN for linked tables. Even for creating linked servers to heterogeneous
systems like Oracle, Sybase and mainframe DB2 we need to create ODBC DSN. This
is usually a tedious job for the Network Administrators since they must log on
to every machine to create those ODBC DSN. The following script helps in
creating ODBC DSN (for SQL server) on multiple machines.

Understanding ODBC DSN creation

Whenever we create an ODBC DSN for SQL Server, it
creates a list of entries in the registry. For example, if we create ODBC DSN
“CRCUE_ODBC,” for the database “CRCUE” of the SQL Server “WINSQL2K” with trusted
connection, the corresponding ODBC keys will be created in the registry.

In the registry under the
following folder, it creates a list of key entries.

In this article, I am going to
demonstrate how to create the same ODBC DSN in three separate machines: XYZ123,
WINSQL2K and WINSYBASE2K

Step1: Create a text file
c:\pclist.txt with a list of the client machine names.

Example:

XYZ123

WINSQL2K

WINSYBASE2K

Step 2: Open notepad, copy
the code below and save it as c:\createsqlodbclist.vbs

Option Explicit
‘Constants
Const HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT = &H80000000
Const HKEY_CURRENT_USER = &H80000001
Const HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE = &H80000002
Const HKEY_USERS = &H80000003
Const HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG = &H80000005

‘Variables
On Error resume next
Dim DataSourceName
Dim DatabaseName
Dim Description
Dim DriverPath
Dim LastUser
Dim Server
Dim Trusted_connection
Dim DriverName
Dim InputFile
Dim iFSO
Dim ifile
Dim sComputer
Dim sPath

‘Value assignment

DataSourceName = “CRCUE_ODBC”
DatabaseName = “Crcue”
DriverPath = “C:\WINNT\System32\sqlsrv32.dll”
LastUser=”sa”
Server=”WINSQL2k”
Trusted_connection=”Yes”
Description=”ODBC DSN for the Database:” & DatabaseName
DriverName=”SQL Server”
InputFile=”c:\pclist.txt”
Set iFSO = CreateObject(“Scripting.FilesyStemObject”)
Set ifile = iFSO.OpenTextFile(inputfile)
sPath = “SOFTWARE\ODBC\ODBC.INI\” & DataSourceName

‘Read and loop through the input file
Do until ifile.AtEndOfLine
sComputer = ifile.ReadLine
If (0 = CreateRegKey(sComputer, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, sPath)) Then
SetRegKeyStrValue sComputer, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, sPath, “Database”, DatabaseName
SetRegKeyStrValue sComputer, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, sPath, “Description”, Description
SetRegKeyStrValue sComputer, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, sPath, “Driver”, DriverPath
SetRegKeyStrValue sComputer, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, sPath, “LastUser”,LastUser
SetRegKeyStrValue sComputer, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, sPath, “Server”,Server
SetRegKeyStrValue sComputer, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, sPath, “Trusted_Connection”,Trusted_connection
Else
Exit Do
End If
‘Write in “ODBC Data Sources” Key to allow ODBC Manager list & manage the new DSN
SetRegKeyStrValue sComputer, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, “SOFTWARE\ODBC\ODBC.INI\ODBC Data Sources”,
DataSourceName , DriverName
MsgBox (sComputer & ” DONE!”)
Loop
ifile.Close
Set ifile = Nothing
Set iFSO = Nothing

‘Create RegKey Function

Function CreateRegKey (sComputer, hTree, sKey)
Dim oRegistry
Dim lResult
Set oRegistry = GetObject(“winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}//”
& sComputer & “/root/default:StdRegProv”)
lResult = oRegistry.CreateKey(hTree, sPath)
If (lResult = 0) And (Err.Number = 0) Then
CreateRegKey = 0
Else
CreateRegKey = 1
msgbox(“Create Key ” & sKey & ” Failed”)
End If
Set oRegistry = Nothing
End Function

‘set RegKey Function

Function SetRegKeyStrValue (sComputer, hTree, sKey, sValueName, sValue)
Dim oRegistry
Dim lResult
Set oRegistry = GetObject(“winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}//”
& sComputer & “/root/default:StdRegProv”)
lResult = oRegistry.SetStringValue(hTree, sKey, sValueName, sValue)
If (lResult = 0) And (Err.Number = 0) Then
SetRegKeyStrValue = 0
Else
SetRegKeyStrValue = 1
msgbox(“Set Value for ” & sKey & ” Failed”)
End If
Set oRegistry = Nothing
End Function

Step3:

Double click the c:\createsqlodbclist.vbs
file. It will create ODBC DSNs on all of the machines listed in the text file
“pclist.txt.” After it creates the ODBC DSN on every computer, it displays a
message similar to those below.


Execute the above .VBC file by changing the values under Value assignment with
a new SQL server name, database name for creating another ODBC DSN for a
different SQL Server.

Note:

This article is based in
the assumption that all related drivers have been installed on al ofl the
client machines and also the login used for creating and running this VBScript
have administrator access to all the machines.

Conclusion:

The above VBScript code can be used not only for creating
ODBC DSN but also for creating any registry key entries on multiple machines.

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