You can switch the connection of a relational data object or customized data object to use a different relational database connection. You can also simultaneously switch the connections for multiple data objects. Switching the connection saves time and effort because you do not have to update each mapping to use the new connection.
After you switch the connection, the Developer tool updates the connection details for the data object in all Read, Write, and Lookup transformations that are based on the data object. The Developer tool also updates the database type for the data object based on the database that the new connection points to.
You can switch a connection to one of the following connection types:
IBM DB2
Microsoft SQL Server
ODBC
Oracle
When the Developer tool switches a connection, it does not validate the metadata compatibility. Therefore, before you switch the connection, you must ensure that the database that the new connection points to contains a table with the same columns and metadata as the data object for which you are switching the connection. Otherwise, data loss or inconsistencies can occur.
Example
You have created an Oracle relational data object in the Developer tool and added it as a Write transformation in multiple mappings.
You migrate the Oracle database to an IBM DB2 database. You want to update the existing mappings in the Developer tool to write data to the IBM DB2 database.
Instead of replacing the data object that the Write transformation is based on in each mapping, you can switch the connection of the Oracle data object to an IBM DB2 connection. The new connection points to the IBM DB2 database to which you want to write data. When you run mappings that contain the Oracle relational data object, the Data Integration Service uses the new IBM DB2 connection to run the mappings.