ODBC -- Overview

ListManager may synchronize its data with other databases using ODBC (Open DataBase Connectivity).

To use ODBC, the administrator must first install the correct ODBC 3.51 compliant driver for the datasource on the ListManager server. UNIX users should use unixODBCalong with the vendor-specific ODBC 3.51-compatible driver.

Next, the server administrator must create a Database Connection in Utilities: Administration: Server: Database: Database Connections, specifying the connection string and SQL query to be used to connect to the external database.

Once the database connection has been created, a list, site or server administrator may enable the database synchronization for a particular list in Members: Synchronization Settings, and further specify how ListManager should handle data from the external data source, and with what frequency.

The server administrator may also specify the default frequency for database synchronization in Utilities: Administration: Server: Server Settings: Scheduled Tasks: Synchronize Lists.

Administrators may also opt to have ListManager synchronize data before sending a mailing in Mailings: New Mailing: Recipients, to ensure that ListManager is using the most updated information before sending mail.

See Database: Add Member Column for information about how to add additional columns to the ListManager members_ database.

Important ODBC Notes

• ODBC in ListManager has been tested against Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, and MySQL. Other databases should also work, but are not supported.
• ListManager checks the entire members_ table each time it synchronizes its data; it does not only look for new or changed data.
• ListManager does not check to see if there is sufficient space in the database before performing synchronizations.
• Synchronization can take a long time. In our internal tests, a synchronization against a list of one million members took three hours. If you are synchronizing large amounts of data, you may opt to use methods other than ODBC to keep it in sync.
• Synchronization requires more space on your ListManager database server. The amount of space depends on how much data your are synchronizing against.
• Do not update the password_ field. The ListManager password_ field is encrypted.