How to Use a Microsoft Access Database to Update IBM Informix Data in Real Time



Update IBM Informix data by creating a linked table in Microsoft Access with the CData IBM Informix ODBC Driver.

CData ODBC drivers connect your data to any database management tool that supports Open Database Connectivity (ODBC). This includes many of the most popular productivity tools, adding new capabilities for document sharing and collaboration. Using the CData ODBC driver for IBM Informix, you can update live IBM Informix data in Microsoft Access; for example, you can make updates that can be immediately seen by other users.

Connect to IBM Informix as an ODBC Data Source

If you have not already, first specify connection properties in an ODBC DSN (data source name). This is the last step of the driver installation. You can use the Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator to create and configure ODBC DSNs.

Set the following properties to connect to IBM Informix

  • Server: Set this to the name of the server running IBM Informix.
  • Port: Set this to the port the IBM Informix server is listening on.
  • Database: Set this to the name of the IBM Informix database.
  • User: Set this to the username of a user allowed to access the database.
  • Password: Set this to the password of a user allowed to access the database.

Create a Linked Table to Books Data

Follow the steps below to create a linked table, which enables you to access live Books data.

  1. On the External Data tab in Access, click ODBC Database.
  2. Select the option to link to the data source. A linked table will enable you to read from and write data to the Books table.
  3. Select the CData IBM Informix data source from the Machine Data Source tab.

  4. Select the Books table. For more information on this table, see the "Data Model" chapter in the help documentation.
  5. Double-click the linked table to make edits. The linked table will always have up-to-date data and any changes will be reflected back to the underlying table.

Ready to get started?

Download a free trial of the IBM Informix ODBC Driver to get started:

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IBM Informix Icon IBM Informix ODBC Driver

The IBM Informix ODBC Driver is a powerful tool that allows you to connect with live data from IBM Informix, directly from any applications that support ODBC connectivity.

Access IBM Informix data like you would a database - read, write, and update IBM Informix databases through a standard ODBC Driver interface.