A connection string is a list of information that tells a computer how to access specific data on a network. It includes server address, SSL information, database, user ID, password, and connection timeout. The driver file receives the connection string and establishes a connection between the computer and the remote server or database. The location for specifying a connection string varies depending on the software program being used.
When accessing information from the Internet or any other network, a user must give the computer commands to tell where and how to access the requested data. While the only step for the end user is typing in a web address, much more happens inside the computer. The connection string for the computer is a string, a list of characters and information, that gives the computer the parameters for accessing a specific piece of data.
Think of a connection string as a note containing the address of a particular restaurant along with information about a reservation and any other relevant information about the dining experience, such as table size and dress code. A typical connection string contains information such as the address of the server containing the information, whether the server containing the information operates using the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) standard, the specific type of SSL mode used, the specific database containing the requested information, user identification information, password information, and connection timeout number.
While the process is completely transparent to most end users, the connection string information is transferred from where it is stored, either on the specific computer or on another computer on the same network, to the driver file for the net. A driver file is a file that tells the computer’s operating system how to use a specific piece of hardware, such as the computer’s graphics or network card. Once the driver file receives the file containing the connection string information, it can use the information to establish a connection between the computer’s Ethernet or other type of network adapter and the remote server or database containing the information you wish.
The location for specifying a particular type of connection string varies depending on the software program being used. For example, some database programs allow users to enter command-line connection strings (manually entering specific connection string information). Alternatively, the user can store the connection string information in a specific file, automating the input process. In both cases, the actual process of using the connection string remains the same: the computer passes data to the driver which uses network devices on the computer to connect and retrieve the required data. The only difference is whether the end user wants to use a static string, in a stored file, or enter the string on the fly, as might be required for a database with a frequently changing password.
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