Data sources you can access - Help and How-to

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Data sources you can access

Applies to: Microsoft Office Excel 2003

Microsoft Office provides drivers that you can use to retrieve data from the following data sources (data source: A stored set of "source" information used to connect to a database. A data source can include the name and location of the database server, the name of the database driver, and information that the database needs when you log on.):

Microsoft SQL Server OLAP (OLAP: A database technology that has been optimized for querying and reporting, instead of processing transactions. OLAP data is organized hierarchically and stored in cubes instead of tables.) Services (OLAP provider (OLAP provider: A set of software that provides access to a particular type of OLAP database. This software can include a data source driver and other client software that is necessary to connect to a database.))
Microsoft Access
dBASE
Microsoft FoxPro
Microsoft Excel
Oracle
Paradox
SQL Server
Text file databases
Third-party providers

You can use ODBC drivers (Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) driver: A program file used to connect to a particular database. Each database program, such as Access or dBASE, or database management system, such as SQL Server, requires a different driver.) or data source drivers (data source driver: A program file used to connect to a specific database. Each database program or management system requires a different driver.) from other manufacturers to get information from data sources that are not listed here, including other types of OLAP databases. For information about other drivers, see the xlreadme.htm file. For information about installing an ODBC driver or data source driver that is not listed here or in the xlreadme.htm file, check the documentation for the database, or contact your database vendor.

The Data Connection Wizard also provides access to a data source called a data retrieval service. A data retrieval service is a Web service installed on Windows SharePoint Services for connecting to and retrieving data. A data retrieval service can provide access to the following data sources:

list and document libraries on Windows SharePoint Services
Microsoft SQL Server
Microsoft Business Solutions