Oracle Business Intelligence Infrastructure Installation and Configuration Guide > Preparing to Install Oracle Business Intelligence > Installation Requirements for Windows >

Installing the Microsoft Data Access Components for Windows

Operating System: Windows only.

This topic is part of a roadmap. See the topic Oracle BI Installation Requirements.

If your DBMS is Microsoft SQL Server, and the version is prior to MS SQL 2005, this section may be applicable to you.

Earlier versions of SQL Server did not use connectivity software. Instead, it was necessary to configure an ODBC data source. The ODBC driver had to be installed on the machine on which you install the Oracle BI Server. Before you install Oracle BI Server components, you must have Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) installed on the Oracle BI Server machine where it connects to SQL Server database.

MDAC is considered a Windows system component and is included with many applications, so MDAC may already be installed. If you are installing the Oracle Business Intelligence Cluster Server feature, MDAC is not required on machines that host only Cluster Controllers.

TIP:   If you do not need to install MDAC, proceed to the topic, Configuring Oracle BI Presentation Services.

Checking for an Existing Installation of MDAC

Operating System: Windows only.

Use the following procedure to determine if the appropriate version of MDAC is already installed. If it is not installed, complete the MDAC installation before beginning the Oracle BI software installation. For the appropriate version to use, see System Requirements and Supported Platforms for Oracle Business Intelligence on Oracle Technology Network.

NOTE:  Oracle BI Server components are described in the topic Oracle BI Component Installation Options.

To check for an existing installation of Microsoft Data Access Components

1. Search for the files msdadc.dll and oledb32.dll (optional).

   These files are generally located in the C:\Program Files\Common Files\System\OLE DB folder.

2. When you locate the files, right-click and select Properties from the context-sensitive menu.

   The version information is shown on the Version tab.

If the version is not the one specified in System Requirements and Supported Platforms, you need to install MDAC according to the following procedure. Refer to the Microsoft Web site for further instructions or any problems during installation.

Installing MDAC

Operating System: Windows only.

If MDAC is not installed, install it using the following procedure.

To install Microsoft Data Access Components

1. Point your browser to the Microsoft Web site.

   In the Search box, type the words MDAC download and press Enter.

2. Navigate to and select the MDAC type that conforms with the type specified in System Requirements and Supported Platforms.

   Click Download.

3. After the program has downloaded, locate the file mdac_typ.exe and click it.

   This starts the MDAC installer.

4. Follow the prompts to complete the MDAC installation.