[resolved] How to connect to COBOL tables DB

[AlessandroCic]

Hi forum
I have to connect to some COBOL archives by an ODBC driver on Windows 7 OS 64bit.
I'm using TOS 5.5.1.
The driver is installed on OS and is an 32bit ODBC.
When I try to create the connection it fails with the message

Connection failed. Change connection settings on database 
 Incorrect match of architecture between the driver and the 
application on specified DSN

So, some years ago I had already developed job on TOS 5.0 with connection on the same Cobol DB.
The main difference between the two environment are:

in the connection definition on TOS 5.5 now I have to define the mapping file (attachment TOSConnection5.5) not present in the previous version (TOSConnection5.0)
I tried to use blank or MSODBC but the result is the same. Is it a possible problem?

I'm using TOS 64bit on OS 64bit but with an ODBC driver 32bit. Can it to be a problem?
Or can it to be other elements to evaluate or set?
Regards
Alessandro

[Anonymous]

You are trying to use an 32bit driver with a 64 bit application. This cannot work. If you only have an 32bit ODBC driver you have to use the 32bit Studio version. But I would say it is a bad idea using ODBC!
Actually COBOL tables does not exists. COBOL is a programming language. Could you please explain to which system and which database you want to connect. I have never seen someone tries to connect to an host based database with an ODBC driver.
Most of my customers uses IBM Mainframe systems and on these servers runs DB2 databases (written by COBOL code). DB2 can be connected with JDBC drivers delivered with the database and also available from Talend.
Another often use method is to read from such tables with COBOL programs and create EBCDIC files which can be read from Talend.
On Siemens host servers often runs SESAM databases (also written by COBOL programs) and Siemens provides a JDBC driver to connect to theses databases. 

[AlessandroCic]

Hi jlolling
Thanks for the suggestion, using an 32bit ODBC driver and 32bit Studio version it works.
About Cobol data: there are file data how data structure is defined on the program. To access by ODBC there are some .xfd file that having the same name of file data and thar it replicate the descriptors of structure of fields.
I do not know if there are also JDBC driver, if you have notice about this...
Regards
Alessandro

[Anonymous]

Once again, COBOL is a programming language and NOT a file format. A very typical format written by COBOL programs is EBCDIC. Talend provides components to read and write this format.
On a host you could also write databases like SESAM or IBM-DB2 with COBOL programs and there are indeed JDBC driver to access these databases. 

[AlessandroCic]

Hi jlolling
Thanks for your replay.
Maybe the terms that I used to define the DB is not correct, ok.
The driver that I used to access to this data is an AcuODBC driver.
I don't know if the the format used is the same of EBCDIC but I would like to try it.
Can you indicate the name of Db type to choose in the section "DB connections"? I not find a connection with this name...
Regards
Alessandro

[Anonymous]

If you want to stick with ODBC you have to take care you have installed an 64bit driver. EBCDIC is not a database format or table layout it is a file which is typically created by COBOL programs and downloaded from a main frame server per FTP to a Talend job server where a job can read it. AcuODBC is an ODBC driver made by Microfocus, perhaps you can get here the 64-bit version. I am a bit surprised about the attempt to connect to a main frame via ODBC. I have never seen such connection.