connecting-to-a-data-source-or-driver.md

title	Connecting to a Data Source or Driver
description	Connecting to a Data Source or Driver
author	dlevy-msft-sql
ms.author	dlevy
ms.reviewer	davidengel, sunilbs, mcimfl
ms.date	01/19/2017
ms.service	sql
ms.subservice	connectivity
ms.topic	concept-article

Connecting to a Data Source or Driver

An application can be connected to any number of drivers and data sources. These can be a variety of drivers and data sources, the same driver and a variety of data sources, or even multiple connections to the same driver and data source.

This section contains the following topics.

• Allocating the Environment Handle

• Declaring the Application's ODBC Version

• Choosing a Data Source or Driver

• Allocating a Connection Handle

• Connection Attributes

• Establishing a Connection

• Driver Manager Connection Pooling

• Disconnecting from a Data Source or Driver

• The Driver Manager's Role in the Connection Process