What is a DSN?

A DSN (Data Source Name) is an identifier which defines a data source for an ODBC driver.

A DSN consists of information such as:

Database name
Directory
Database driver
User ID
Password
Under Unix, DSN configuration is usually stored in /etc/odbc.ini.


Under Microsoft Windows, DSN configuration is normally stored in the registry, although it may also be stored in configuration files with a .dsn extension.