Database Connection Options

One of the benefits of Acctivate's database is the ability for external connections to be made.

Read on to learn more about options for connecting external apps to Acctivate's database.

ODBC Connection to SQL Server

Acctivate uses a Microsoft SQL Server database. The most common method for connecting to a SQL Server database is via Open Database Connectivity (ODBC).

ODBC allows other software, such as the UPS or FedEx shipping workstation to connect to the Acctivate database. The following procedure must be performed on the workstation where the connecting application resides.

Note

In 64-bit versions of Windows, there are two ODBC Data Source Administrators: a 32-bit and a 64-bit variant. Many programs still use the 32-bit variant so you should perform the following steps using the 32-bit version of the ODBC Data Source Administrator. If you type "ODBC" in the Windows search bar or Start menu you will likely be presented with both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions, however you can also locate the 32-bit ODBC in C:\WINDOWS\SysWOW64\odbcad32.exe

Note

Users who are using Acctivate in a hosted environment may need to contact the hosting provider for assistance.

  1. Log in to the workstation as a user with Windows Administrator privileges.
  2. Open the Administrative Tools section of the Windows Control Panel (in the System and Security category) or search for ODBC and select ODBC Data Sources (32-bit) and skip to step 4.
  3. Open Data Sources (ODBC).
  4. Click Add… on the System DSN tab.
  5. In the Create New Data Source screen, choose SQL Server from the list and click Finish.
  6. Enter a Name, such as Acctivate, and optionally enter a Description. Select the Microsoft SQL Server for this data source connection. The SQL Server name is usually the server’s computer name followed by \ACCTIVATE (e.g., SERVER\ACCTIVATE).
  7. Click Next to proceed.
  8. On the "How should SQL Server verify the authenticity of the login ID?" screen, select With SQL Server authentication using a login ID and password entered by the user.
  9. In the Login ID field, enter sa, the Microsoft SQL Server system administrator login. The password may have been changed during the installation or configuration of SQL Server. Please contact the Acctivate support team or your database or network administrator for credentials for the database.
  10. Click Next to continue.
  11. Check the box next to Change the default database to: and select the company database (e.g., Acctivate$YourCompany) that you wish to connect to and click Next.
  12. Do not adjust any settings on this screen (e.g., Change the language of SQL Server…), simply click Finish.
  13. Click Test Data Source… to confirm everything is working. Ensure that the TESTS COMPLETED SUCCESSFULLY! message appears. You are now finished and can close all the ODBC windows.

SQL Server

While most programs support an ODBC connection, connecting directly to SQL Server is often also an option. For example, SQL connection information is used when connecting Crystal Reports to the Acctivate database.

Note

The following steps are a guideline that applies to the default SQL configuration used by Acctivate. Users who are using Acctivate in a hosted environment may need to contact the hosting provider for assistance. Likewise, users who rely on a third-party IT team may need to request assistance from their IT team in order to complete a connection to SQL Server.

The SQL Connection interface may vary, but you'll be presented with the following fields:

  • Server Name: This is the name of the SQL Server Instance. The default Acctivate instance will be {YourServerName}\Acctivate, where {YourServerName} is the name of the computer/server where the server version of Acctivate is installed.
  • Authentication Type: If prompted with an option between "Windows authentication" and "SQL authentication", you should choose "SQL authentication". If you have an IT company managing your SQL configuration you should check with them before making a selection.
  • User ID: If "SQL Server authentication" is selected, the user will be "sa". Again, if you have an IT company managing your SQL configuration you should check with them before proceeding.
  • Password: This is the SQL Server password for the "sa" user. If you need this, contact the Acctivate support team.

Crystal Reports

Refer to the Crystal Reports Resources page for information on connecting Crystal Reports to an Acctivate database.