Re: Microsoft's Entity Framework and the IBMi

I was just checking on this the other day to see where IBM was at. If
IBM's website is correct, then the Entity Framework is yet supported as
IBM only supports up to NET 2.0:

"The 6.1 and 7.1 versions of the .NET Provider target the Microsoft 2.0
Framework. The 2.0 Framework provides the System.Data.Common base class
model, allowing ADO.NET applications to implement provider-independent
code more easily. While support for the newer Entity Framework is not
provided, applications written to the 2.0 specification will run on newer
.NET Framework versions without modification."

http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/i/software/access/windows/dotnet/index.html

It's better than it was, so they are making improvements. Regardless,
their data provider is not a pure .NET driver, but requires an underlying
IBM i Access install and DLL. Third party providers are available, which
also integrate with the latest versions of Visual Studio, like:

http://www.datadirect.com/products/net/net-for-db2/index.html

Blake



date: Wed, 27 Jun 2012 22:51:25 +0000
from: "Graap, Kenneth" <Kenneth.Graap@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
subject: [SystemiDotNet] Microsoft's Entity Framework and the IBMi

Hi Everyone

I am trying to figure something out and I thought one of you might be

able to help me$B!D(B

Our company$B!G(Bs Web Support Team has been wanting to use

Microsoft$B!G(Bs

Entity Framework http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/data/ef.aspx to

access data on our IBMi (IBMi DB2 V7R1 on a Power6 box).

Apparently the IBM Navigator ODBC driver isn$B!G(Bt providing the

connectivity they require.

Has anyone implemented something like this successfully? If so,

I$B!G(Bd

sure like to know how you did it.

I have read in places something about a product called DB Connect, but

it isn$B!G(Bt cheap and there wasn$B!G(Bt any specific information

relating to

DB2 on IBMi $B!D(B

Kenneth
$B9NFt;W(B
Kenneth E. Graap
System Administrator
503.226.4211 x5537
http://www.linkedin.com/in/kennethgraap