To use native connectivity, you must install and configure the database client software for the database that you want to access. To ensure compatibility between the application service and the database, install a client software that is compatible with the database version and use the appropriate database client libraries. To increase performance, use native connectivity.

The Informatica installation includes DataDirect ODBC drivers. If you have existing ODBC data sources created with an earlier version of the drivers, you must create new ODBC data sources using the new drivers. Configure ODBC connections using the DataDirect ODBC drivers provided by Informatica or third party ODBC drivers that are Level 2 compliant or higher.

The Informatica installation includes DataDirect JDBC drivers. You can use these drivers without performing additional steps. You can also download JDBC Type 4 drivers from third-party vendors to connect to sources and targets. You can use any third-party JDBC driver that is JDBC 3.0 or later.

You must configure a database connection for the following services in the Informatica domain:

PowerCenter Repository Service
Model Repository Service
Data Integration Service
Analyst Service