Supported Platforms

On the mainframe platform, IBM offers a target DDM server implementation in IBM Distributed File Manager (DFM), a component of IBM Data Facility Storage Management Subsystem (DFSMS). The Microsoft® OLE DB Provider for AS/400 and VSAM requires DFSMS version 1 release 2 or later for MVS/ESA and OS/390.

On midrange AS/400 computers, IBM has implemented target DDM servers directly in OS/400 version 2 release 1 and later. The Microsoft OLE DB Provider for AS/400 and VSAM requires OS/400 V2R2 or later.

On the AS/400 platform, the OLE DB Provider for AS/400 and VSAM supports physical and logical files with an associated external record description file. For specific limitations, please see the AS/400 DDM User's Guide.

On the mainframe platform, the OLE DB Provider for AS/400 and VSAM supports the following data set types:

Sequential Access Method (SAM) data sets:

• Basic Sequential Access Method data sets (BSAM)
• Queued Sequential Access Method data sets (QSAM)

Virtual Storage Access Method (VSAM) data sets:

• Entry-Sequenced Data Sets (ESDS)
• Key-Sequenced Data Sets (KSDS)
• Fixed-length Relative Record Data Sets (RRDS)
• Variable-length Relative Record Data Sets (VRRDS)
• Relative Record Data Set (RRDS)
• VSAM Alternate Indexes for ESDS and KSDS data sets

Basic Partitioned Access Method (PDS) data sets:

• Partitioned Data Set Extended members (PDSE)
• Partitioned Data Set members (PDS)
• Read-only support for PDSE directories
• Read-only support for PDS directories

The preceding data set types are supported by IBM DFM/MVS.

The following data set types are not supported by DFM/MVS and cannot be accessed using the OLE DB Provider for AS/400 and VSAM:

• VSAM Linear Data Sets (LDS)
• Generation Data Groups (GDG)
• Generation Data Sets (GDS)
• Basic Direct Access Method data sets (BDAM)
• Indexed Sequential Access Method data sets (ISAM)
• Sequential Data Striping data sets
• OpenEdition MVS Hierachical File System (HFS) files
• Tape Media

All mainframe data sets accessible through IBM Distributed File Manager must be cataloged in an ICF catalog and reside on direct access storage devices (DASD).

The OLE DB Provider for AS/400 and VSAM requires the following PC-to-host connectivity software:

• Microsoft® SNA Server version 4.0
• Microsoft® Windows NT® Client version for SNA Server 4.0
• Microsoft® Windows® 95 Client version for SNA Server 4.0

The OLE DB Provider for AS/400 and VSAM supports the following PC operating systems:

• Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0 with Service Pack 3
• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0 with Service Pack 3
• Microsoft Windows 95

The OLE DB Provider for AS/400 and VSAM supports both Intel and Alpha Windows NT platforms.

The OLE DB Provider for AS/400 and VSAM supports the following OLE DB and ADO versions:

• OLE DB version 1.1, available on Microsoft Developer Network CD-ROMs and as a downloadable Software Development Kit from the Microsoft World Wide Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/data/oledb/download.htm.
• OLE DB version 1.5. The Microsoft SNA Server 4.0 CD-ROM includes the run-time libraries for OLE DB 1.5. These libraries must be installed prior to installing the SNA OLE DB provider. The SNA Client Setup automatically installs these files by running the Microsoft Data Access Components version 1.5 from the MSDAC directory on the CD-ROM when the OLE DB provider is installed as part of the SNA client. A version of OLE DB version 1.5 SDK is available as a downloadable Software Development Kit from the Microsoft World Wide Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/data/oledb/download.htm.
• Microsoft® ActiveX® Data Objects (ADO) version 1.0, available as part of the OLE DB version 1.1 Software Development Kit on Microsoft Developer Network CD-ROMs and from the Microsoft World Wide Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/data/oledb/download.htm. For more information on ADO version 1.0, see http://www.microsoft.com/data/ado.
• ADO version 1.5. The Microsoft SNA Server 4,0 CD-ROM includes the run-time libraries for ADO version 1.5. These libraries must be installed prior to installing the OLE DB provider. The SNA Client Setup automatically installs these files by running the Microsoft Data Access Components version 1.5 from the MSDAC directory on the CD-ROM. A copy of the MSDAC 1.5 release is also available as downloadable software from the Microsoft World Wide Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/data/ado.

Both OLE DB version 1.5 and ADO version 1.5 are required to support indexed record access from an ADO consumer application. Indexed support through OLE DB is supported with either OLE DB version 1.1 or 1.5.