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With Sun ONE Active Server Pages, ASP developers can specify the connection information for a database by using either system DSNs (data source names), file DSNs, or DSN-less connection strings. The appropriate method depends on user preferences and the environment in which Sun ONE ASP is running.
In enterprises and other dedicated hosting environments, it is recommended that ASP developers use system DSNs. The system administrator uses the Sun ONE ASP Administration Console to create system DSNs, which then can be referenced from within an ASP application for initializing a database connection. For more information, see Configuring Data Source Names (DSNs).
However, in a shared Web hosting environment, such as with an Internet Service Provider, system DSNs pose two problems:
A DSN that includes a username and password for the database makes the data source accessible from any ASP page on the server, representing a security risk.
Creating DSNs for each customer can be a significant administrative burden for the Web hosting provider. Because Web developers can create them and the database username and password information can be restricted to a specific ASP application, using file DSNs and DSN-less connection strings is more appropriate in a Web hosting environment.
See also:
Creating Database Connections (ASP Server)
Using DSN-less Connection Strings
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