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{{Short description|Microsoft API for uniform access from heterogeneous data sources}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2019}}
{{primary sources|date=April 2012}}
'''OLE DB''' (''Object Linking and Embedding, Database'', sometimes written as '''OLEDB''' or '''OLE-DB''') is an [[Application programming interface|API]] designed by [[Microsoft]] that allows accessing [[data]] from a variety of sources in a uniform manner.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Foxall |first=James D. |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/MCSD_in_a_Nutshell/SUDQfzTnctgC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=OLE+DB&pg=PA259&printsec=frontcover |title=MCSD in a Nutshell: The Visual Basic Exams |date=2000 |publisher="O'Reilly Media, Inc." |isbn=978-1-56592-752-0 |pages=259 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Agarwal |first=Vidya Vrat |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Beginning_VB_2008_Databases/eUMnCgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=OLE+DB&pg=PA154&printsec=frontcover |title=Beginning VB 2008 Databases: From Novice to Professional |last2=Huddleston |first2=James |date=2008-06-17 |publisher=Apress |isbn=978-1-4302-0560-9 |pages=154 |language=en}}</ref> The API provides a set of interfaces implemented using the [[Component Object Model]] (COM); it is otherwise unrelated to [[Object Linking and Embedding|OLE]]. Microsoft originally intended OLE DB as a higher-level replacement for, and successor to, [[ODBC]], extending its feature set to support a wider variety of non-[[relational database]]s, such as [[object database]]s and [[spreadsheet]]s that do not necessarily implement. 

== Methodology ==
OLE DB separates the data store from the application that needs access to it through a set of abstractions that include the datasource, session, command, and rowsets. This was done because different applications need access to different types and sources of data, and do not necessarily want to know how to access functionality with technology-specific methods. OLE DB is conceptually divided into ''[[OLE DB consumer|consumers]]'' and ''[[OLE DB provider|providers]]''. The consumers are the applications that need access to the data, and the providers are the software components that implement the interface and thereby provides the data to the consumer. OLE DB is part of the [[Microsoft Data Access Components]] (MDAC). 

== Support status ==
Microsoft's release of [[Microsoft SQL Server|SQL Server 2012]] (internal code: 'Denali') is the last to include an OLE DB provider for SQL Server, but support will continue for 7 years.<ref>[http://blogs.msdn.com/b/sqlnativeclient/archive/2011/08/29/microsoft-is-aligning-with-odbc-for-native-relational-data-access.aspx Microsoft SQLNCli team blog: Microsoft is Aligning with ODBC for Native Relational Data Access]</ref> According to a related Microsoft FAQ,<ref>[http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/sqldataaccess/thread/e696d0ac-f8e2-4b19-8a08-7a357d3d780f SQL Server Forums - SQL Server Data Access: Microsoft is Aligning with ODBC for Native Relational Data Access]</ref> "Providers like [[ADO.NET]] which can run on top of OLE DB will not support OLE DB once the latter is [[Deprecation|deprecated]]", but the same answer in the FAQ states that the original post relates only to the OLE DB provider for SQL Server, so the position of OLE DB itself remains unclear. The same FAQ states that ODBC performs better than OLE DB in most cases.

However, during subsequent reviews it was determined that deprecation was a mistake because substantial scenarios within SQL Server still depend on OLE DB and changing those would break some existing customer scenarios. On Oct 6, 2017 Microsoft announced that OLE DB was undeprecated, and a new version to maintain dependencies would be released in early 2018.<ref>[https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/sqlnativeclient/2017/10/06/announcing-the-new-release-of-ole-db-driver-for-sql-server/ Microsoft SQLNCli team blog: Announcing the new release of OLE DB Driver for SQL Server]</ref>

==OLE DB providers==
An OLE DB provider is a software component that enables an OLE DB consumer to interact with a data source. OLE DB providers are analogous to [[ODBC driver]]s, [[JDBC driver]]s, and [[ADO.NET data provider]]s.

OLE DB providers can be created to access such simple data stores as a text file and spreadsheet, through to such complex databases as [[Oracle database|Oracle]], [[Microsoft SQL Server]], [[Adaptive Server Enterprise|Sybase ASE]], and many others. It can also provide access to hierarchical data stores such as email systems.

However, because different data store technologies can have different capabilities, every OLE DB provider cannot implement every possible interface available in the OLE DB standard. The capabilities that are available are implemented through the use of COM objects; an OLE DB provider will map the data store technologies functionality to a particular COM interface. Microsoft describes the availability of an interface as "provider-specific," as it may not be applicable depending on the data store technology involved. Providers may augment the capabilities of a data store; these capabilities are known as ''services'' in Microsoft parlance.

==References==
{{Reflist}}
* {{cite web |url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms709836%28v=vs.85%29.aspx |title=OLE DB Providers Overview |publisher=Microsoft. MSDN: Data Developer Center |access-date=23 March 2011}}

{{Microsoft APIs}}

[[Category:Database APIs]]
[[Category:Microsoft application programming interfaces]]
[[Category:SQL data access]]