08 November,2019 by

Question: I’m setting up a User DSN on a ODBC Data Source Administrator – and configuring the IBM i Access for Windows ODBC Setup.    The default is Use ODBC access mode , but should we use Limit to Read Only (Select Statements) .   btw – the intention for this  DSN config is to read only.

Which option should I choose?

Answer: Before we get into connection types – I want to establish the basic principle – which is that the main security focus should be on securing the data rather than access to the data .

Of course , it is important to secure access to the data , but if the data is not secured – there is an issue where the system administrator is forced to consider every access method.

The IBM i Access for Windows ODBC does have the option of read-only access . This option will block delete and update processes – but referring to the principle stated above – the data should already be secured – and the system preferably  should not rely on ODBC settings to block accidental delete updates.

Another common scenario is where menu – security andor command line security is set up.ODBC will bypass this security and access the data correctly.

These same issues arise for any direct access method (SQL Server Linked Server,JDBC,.Net)

The answer to your question is to use Limit to Read Only (Select Statements) but ensure the underlying data accessible by this user profile is secured

If the IBM i Access for Windows ODBC  doesn’t fulfill your purposes consider investigating  alternative methods for AS/400 DB2 connection. 

Author: Jack Vamvas