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ODBC driver

Note

This feature is available in Lite, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions only.

ODBC lets you connect to almost any database in DBeaver using ODBC drivers. Use it when DBeaver doesn't have a dedicated driver for your database, or when you prefer an ODBC-based workflow.

DBeaver's native drivers use JDBC and generally perform better and support more database-specific features. Use ODBC only when no JDBC driver exists for your database.

Tip

ODBC is a generic interface. Some database-specific features may not be available through it. If you need full database functionality, use a dedicated driver for your specific database instead.

The following databases have been tested with ODBC in DBeaver:

Other ODBC drivers may also work but haven't been officially tested.

Important

DBeaver does not and will not support 32-bit ODBC drivers due to the technical limitations of the 64-bit Java Virtual Machine (JVM).

Install the ODBC driver manager

DBeaver connects to ODBC drivers through an ODBC driver manager - a component installed at the OS level.

Windows

The driver manager is pre-installed on Windows. Open it with WIN+R and type odbcad32.

Linux

Install unixODBC for your distribution, for example:

macOS

Install unixODBC through Homebrew:

brew install unixodbc

Alternatively, download unixODBC from the official site and build it from source.

Important

DBeaver needs to know where unixODBC's library files are. Add this line to dbeaver.ini, then restart DBeaver:

-Djna.library.path=/opt/homebrew/lib

Use /usr/local/lib instead on an Intel Mac.

Install ODBC drivers

  • Windows: Install the driver using Windows Installer (.msi) - same as any other software.
  • Linux/macOS: Install from a package manager or build manually. Then register the driver with the driver manager by adding it through the driver manager UI, or by editing odbcinst.ini directly.

Info

Additionally, you can configure a data source (DSN) after installing the driver. See the unixODBC documentation for details.

Configure ODBC data sources

  1. Open the driver manager.

  2. Go to the User DSN or System DSN tab:

    • User DSN - accessible only to the current user.
    • System DSN - accessible to all users on this machine.

  3. Click Add and choose the appropriate driver.

  4. Configure the data source settings and click OK.

Create ODBC connections in DBeaver

Open the New Database Connection dialog and select ODBC. You can connect in two ways:

Connection type When to use
Data Source A DSN is already configured in your OS driver manager
Manual Configure the connection only in DBeaver

Use a configured data source

Use this if you already configured a DSN in your OS driver manager. A DSN (Data Source Name) is a saved configuration that stores the driver and connection parameters. Switch to Data Source connection type and choose your DSN from the drop-down.

Use manual configuration

Use this if you want the connection settings to live only in DBeaver, without creating a DSN in the OS. Switch to Manual connection type, choose the driver from the drop-down, and fill in the connection parameters.

Make existing connections use the ODBC driver

Use this if you already have a database connection configured in DBeaver and want it to communicate through an ODBC driver instead. This keeps all database-specific features intact - unlike creating a new ODBC connection from scratch.

Note

Database-specific authentication methods and settings aren't available in this mode.

To switch, open an existing connection and choose ODBC from the driver type drop-down.

Troubleshooting

Driver not found or Cannot load driver

  • Make sure you installed a 64-bit driver. 32-bit drivers won't work.
  • On Linux/macOS, check that the driver is registered in the driver manager.
  • On macOS, make sure dbeaver.ini has -Djna.library.path pointing to your driver manager's lib directory. See Install the ODBC driver manager above.

Data source name not found

  • Verify the DSN exists in the driver manager under User DSN or System DSN.
  • On Linux/macOS, make sure you registered the driver with the same driver manager that DBeaver is using.

Connection fails for another reason

Check DBeaver's own log files for the underlying error. See Log files for where to find them.