Definition of DSN

A Data Source Name (DSN) is a simple method of connecting to databases. A DSN contains the information about a specific database that an Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) driver needs in order to connect to it.

The data included in the DSN consists of:

Database name
Directory of the database

Driver of the database
ID and password of the user (depending on the type of DSN used).

ODBC, an open standard API for accessing databases, handles SQL requests and converts them into requests that the individual database systems understands. DSNs are also used by applications and Active Server Pages (ASP) to query databases and retrieve information.