CompareData uses a small database to store user settings. This database is referred to as the application repository. Please note that CompareData requires connecting to the application repository to work.
Firebird Embedded Repository
When you install CompareData, the option to install Firebird ODBC driver is checked by default. Firebird ODBC driver allows the application to use its embedded repository.
On application first startup, the application creates an internal <Embedded Repository> data source to connect to the embedded repository and by default uses the embedded Firebird repository as the application repository.
<Embedded Repository> Considerations
- Single process. The embedded repository supports connections from a single process only (the current instance of CompareData application).
- High-performance, since it is local to your machine.
Network Repository
If you need access to the same repository from multiple machines, you can host the application repository on a network or cloud database server. CompareData performs many short repository transactions so it is best to host the application repository on a fast OLTP database server. You can use the application data synchronization feature to move the repository from the embedded database to another supported DBMS database as described in the application Move Repository help topic.
DBMS Repository Support
Hosting the application repository is supported on a recent version of the following DBMSs and drivers:
- Firebird
- Microsoft SQL Server
- MySQL
- MariaDB
- PostgreSQL
- Oracle
- IBM Db2
- Informix IDS
- SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise
- SAP HANA
- SAP SQL Anywhere
To create a repository, you create an ODBC data source to connect the app to the DBMS database you want to host the application repository and then use CompareData repository wizard to create the repository.
Sharing the Repository
For best performance it is recommended to host the application repository on the same machine CompareData is running on using an OLTP DBMS server. However, you can host the repository on a network DBMS server where multiple CompareData users can share the same repository schema. Please see the application help for details about sharing the repository schema.
Please note that if you share the repository schema with other CompareData users, then each CompareData user should login to the repository using a different login ID to avoid overwriting other users data.