Creating a Data Source Name

Typically, after installing the Simba ServiceNow ODBC Connector, you need to create a Data Source Name (DSN).

Alternatively, for information about DSN-less connections, see Using a Connection String.

To create a Data Source Name:

  1. Choose one:
    • If you are using Windows 7 or earlier, click StartWindows Start button, then type regedit in the Search field, and then click regedit.exe in the search results.
    • Or, if you are using Windows 8 or later, on the Start screen, type regedit, and then click the regedit search result.
  2. Navigate to the appropriate registry key for the bitness of your connector and your machine:
    • If you are using the 32-bit connector on a 64-bit machine, then browse to the following registry key:

      • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\ODBC\ODBC.INI

    • Otherwise, browse to the following registry key:

      • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ODBC\ODBC.INI

  3. Create a subkey for your DSN by doing the following:
    1. Right-click the ODBC.INI key and then select New > Key.
    2. Type a name for your DSN and then press Enter.
  4. Create the Driver value by doing the following:
    1. Right-click the DSN subkey and then select New > String Value.
    2. Type Driver, and then press Enter.
    3. Right-click the Driver value and then click Modify.
    4. In the Edit String dialog box, type SimbaServiceNowODBC Driver in the Value Data field, and then click OK.
  1. Repeat the process described in the previous step to create the following string values in the DSN subkey:
    2. Value Name Value Data

    Host

    The URL of the ServiceNow instance that you are connecting to.

    Description

    (Optional) Information about the DSN.

  2. Configure authentication by doing one of the following:
    • To authenticate using your ServiceNow user name and password, create the following string values in the DSN subkey:
      • PropertyValue

      Auth_Type

      Basic

      UID

      The user name that you use to access ServiceNow.

      PWD

      The password associated with your user name.

    • Or, to provide information about your ServiceNow app so that the connector obtains and uses an access token, create the following string values in the DSN subkey:
      • PropertyValue

      Auth_Type

      OAuth_2.0

      Auth_Client_ID

      The client ID associated with your ServiceNow app.

      Auth_Client_Secret

      The client secret associated with your ServiceNow app.

      UID

      The user name that you use to access ServiceNow.

      PWD

      The password associated with your user name.

    • Or, to provide access token information directly, create the following string values in the DSN subkey:
      • PropertyValue

      Auth_Type

      Access Token

      Auth_AccessToken

      The access token associated with your ServiceNow app.

      Note:

      During an OAuth 2.0 authentication flow, the connector also retrieves a refresh token, which is required for refreshing the access token as described below.

  3. Create key values to configure SSL as needed. For more information seeConfiguring SSL VerificationConfiguring SSL Verification on Windows.
  4. Optionally, create additional key values as needed to specify other optional connection settings. For detailed information about all the configuration options supported by the Simba ServiceNow ODBC Connector, see Connector Configuration Properties

You can now use the DSN in an application to connect to the data store.