32-bit ODBC DSN for vSphere

When you get around to installing vSphere,  if on a 64-bit Windows host in x86 compatibility mode, a 32-bit DSN is required for the database connection.

If a DSN has been set up through Start > Administrative Tools > Data Sources (ODBC) the vSphere installer won’t be able to use this DSN.

The 64-bit ODBC Administrator tool can be invoked from Control Panel to manage user DSNs and system DSNs that are used by 64-bit processes, but for 32-bit datasources, the 32-bit ODBC Administrator tool is used for Windows on Windows 64 (WOW64) processes.

To set up a 32-bit DSN launch the 32-bit version of the Data Source Administrator. It is located at:
%systemdrive%\Windows\SysWoW64\Odbcad32.exe

The vSphere installer will then be able to detect the DSN and continue the installation.

Please see Microsoft KB article http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/942976/en-us for more information.

If you get the error: DSN is pointing to a unsupported ODBC driver

then see KB article: http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1015804

VMware, vCenter, vSphere April 30th. 2009, 8:51am

4 Responses to “32-bit ODBC DSN for vSphere”

  1. buckmaster Says:

    Looking at the supported OS for VC srv, 64 bit is not supported. I guess you could run VC svr on 2008 64 bit in capatibility mode but I am wondering why you would do so? Is 2008 64 bit in capatibility mode that much faster than 2008 32 bit?

  2. Welcome to vSphere-land! » vCenter Server Links Says:

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  3. vCenter 4 on Windows x64 and 32 bit DSN « ICT-Freak.nl Says:

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  4. Dan Says:

    thank you so much. could not figure out why this wasn’t working!