Installation Guide: OpenLink ODBC to ODBC Bridge Connector (Driver) for Windows (Lite Edition)

OpenLink · October 27, 2025, 10:09pm

This installation guide walks you through installation of the OpenLink Lite (Single-Tier) Edition ODBC to ODBC Bridge Driver to a Personal or Application Server host functioning as a client to a database that’s accessible via its native ODBC Driver.

Step 1: Download the Installer Archive

Visit the OpenLink ODBC Lite Edition Driver Download Page to download the appropriate ODBC to ODBC Bridge Driver.
Alternatively, curl can be used to download the installer archives and install.sh script directly:

curl -O https://download3.openlinksw.com/uda/components/8.0/x86_64-generic-win-64/wal8odbc.msi

Step 2: Pre-Installation Configuration

You must possess third-party or native ODBC drivers that connect to your target data source. A client portion of these drivers must be installed on the same machine as the Multi-Tier “Enterprise” Edition Request Broker and Bridge Agent(s) for ODBC Data Sources.
You must know whether the local ODBC components are 32-bit or 64-bit. The Multi-Tier server components must match the bit format of the local ODBC components, not the OS.
A system ODBC DSN must be created for the third-party or native ODBC driver.

Step 3: Installation

Log onto the target machine for the installation
Copy or downloaded the windows MSI installers to the target machine, which is the wal8odbc.msi MSI file.
Run the MSI installer to install the Lite Single-Tier ODBC-ODBC Bridge.
Take care to enter correct information when prompted pertaining to ports, passwords, etc and ensure that you note these down for future use.
The installation should complete without error.

Step 4: Configuration

The installer would have setup all the environment variables etc required to use the OpenLink drivers.
Place the License file (odbc_lt.lic) either purchased or obtain during the evaluation download process in the {OPENLINK_INSTALL}/bin directory.

Step 5: Create Data Source Name (DSN)

Open the ODBC Data Source Administrator program.

Click on the Add button and select the OpenLink Lite for ODBC (Unicode)(8.0) driver.

Enter the {ODBC DSN Name}.

Select the {Third Party ODBC DSN Name} from either the list of available User, Systemor File DSNs; Login ID{Username}, Password. Select the Connect now to verify that all settings are correct and click the Next button to verify connection to the target database.