Windows 8 includes an updated version of ODBC 3.8. ODBC 3.8 in Windows 8 includes the following features:

• Driver-Aware Connection Pooling

• Asynchronous Execution (Notification Method)

• Data Access Tracing (Windows 8)

• PowerShell commands have been added to help you manage ODBC data sources, ODBC drivers, ODBC Performance Counter, and data access tracing at the command line. For more information about the WDAC PowerShell commands, see the PowerShell reference documentation on TechNet for the following commands:

  • Wdac.Add-OdbcDsn

  • Wdac.Disable-OdbcPerfCounter

  • Wdac.Disable-WdacBidTrace

  • Wdac.Enable-OdbcPerfCounter

  • Wdac.Enable-WdacBidTrace

  • Wdac.Get-OdbcDriver

  • Wdac.Get-OdbcDsn

  • Wdac.Get-OdbcPerfCounter

  • Wdac.Get-WdacBidTrace

  • Wdac.Remove-OdbcDsn

  • Wdac.Set-OdbcDriver

  • Wdac.Set-OdbcDsn

Windows 7 includes an updated version of ODBC, ODBC 3.8. ODBC 3.8 includes the following features:

• Executing connection operations asynchronously. For more information, see Asynchronous Execution (Polling Method).

• Streamed output parameters. For more information, see Retrieving Output Parameters Using SQLGetData.

• ODBC C data type extensibility. For more information, see C Data Types in ODBC.

Driver writers should read Upgrading a 3.5 Driver to a 3.8 Driver.

Asynchronous connection operations can be used by ODBC 3.x and ODBC 2.x applications with an ODBC 3.8 driver.

For more information, see Compatibility Matrix.