an open specification that has been developed by Microsoft for accessing both relational and nonrelational data. OLE DB interfaces can provide much of the same functionality that is provided by database management systems. OLE DB evolved from the Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) application programming interface.
A set of interfaces that exposes data from a variety of data sources using COM. OLE DB enables standards-based access to both relational and nonrelational data stores through reusable components. For detailed information on OLE DB, refer to the Microsoft programming documentation on OLE DB.
Object-Linking-and-Embedding Data Base. "A set of Component Object Model (COM) interfaces that provide applications with uniform access to data stored in diverse information sources and that also provide the ability to implement additional database services. [ OLEDB20: p.5
Data-access interfaces providing consistent access to SQL and non-SQL data sources across the enterprise and the Internet.
A COM-based application programming interface (API) for accessing data. OLE DB supports accessing data stored in any format (databases, spreadsheets, text files, and so on) for which an OLE DB provider is available.
A Microsoft specification introduced in the mid-1990s as a complementary technology to Open Database Connectivity (ODBC). OLE DB was designed to provide access to multiple types of data, regardless of its location or type.
A set of interfaces that expose data from a variety of sources using COM. OLE DB interfaces provide applications with uniform access to data stored in diverse information sources. These interfaces support the amount of DBMS functionality appropriate to the data source, enabling it to share its data. See also COM.
A Microsoft technology that allows access to data from various, multiple data sources.
Superceding ODBC as Microsoft's universal data access method. It allows users to view data from a wide range of devices, databases, Web data sources, applications and relational mainframes as if the data resided at a single source. It is the infrastructure component that ensures complete access to system data by all "clients".
A universal method developed by Microsoft to query and update data in all databases of an enterprise, regardless of where and how the data is stored. Both SQL and non-SQL databases are supported by the OLE DB specifications. For example, when OLE DB is implemented, Microsoft Project can directly access data stored in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.
OLE DB (Object Linking and Embedding Database, sometimes written as OLEDB or OLE-DB) is an API designed by Microsoft for accessing different types of data stores in a uniform manner. It is a set of interfaces implemented using the Component Object Model (COM); it is otherwise unrelated to OLE. It was designed as a higher-level replacement for, and successor to, ODBC, extending its feature set to support a wider variety of non-relational databases, such as object databases and spreadsheets that do not necessarily implement SQL.