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EZproxy 7.x (64-bit) cannot authenticate via ODBC when only a 32-bit database driver is installed

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Symptom

After upgrading to a 64-bit EZproxy 7.x binary, EZproxy starts  but patron/customer login via ODBC (e.g., an Oracle-backed ILS such as Bibliotheca) fails. The prior 32-bit EZproxy 6.x build authenticated the same users without issue on the same server.

 

Applies to

  • EZproxy for Windows 7.x (64-bit binary)
  • ODBC authentication against an Oracle (or other) database
  • Servers where only a 32-bit ODBC/Oracle driver is installed

Resolution

EZproxy 7.x is 64-bit software and requires a 64-bit ODBC driver/DSN. A 32-bit-only driver worked with 32-bit EZproxy 6.x but is incompatible with the 64-bit 7.x process.

Important: OCLC provides deprecated support for ODBC authentication, and it is not supported on Hosted EZproxy. 

  1. Confirm ODBC is the authentication method in user.txt (an ::ODBC block) and enable the Debug directive to capture ODBC diagnostics. Debug is an optional directive which directs EZproxy to record additional diagnostic messages to messages.txt and is normally used only while developing or diagnosing SQL configurations. 

  2. Verify the driver bitness matches the EZproxy binary. Historically, the documentation guidance targeted 32-bit EZproxy: if EZproxy is running on a 64-bit version of Windows, you must have the 32-bit database driver installed and set up the DSN as 32-bit using either the "ODBC Data Sources (32-bit)" control panel tool, or if that tool does not appear, by running the 32-bit control panel manually from C:\Windows\SysWow64\odbcad32.exe. With a 64-bit EZproxy 7.x binary, this must be inverted — a 64-bit driver and a 64-bit System DSN are required for the 64-bit process to load them. 

  3. Install a 64-bit Oracle Instant Client / ODBC driver and create the System DSN with the 64-bit ODBC 

  4. If the server must also retain the 32-bit driver for another application (e.g., the ILS), confirm with the database vendor (Oracle) whether the 32-bit and 64-bit Oracle Instant Client / ODBC drivers can run side by side on the same host. This is outside OCLC's support scope and should be confirmed with the driver vendor.

  5. Alternatives if a 64-bit driver cannot be provided:

    • Remain on the current (32-bit) EZproxy version, or
    • Move to a supported, non-deprecated authentication method for EZproxy.

Verification: With a 64-bit driver/DSN in place, restart EZproxy 7.x, reproduce a login, and confirm the ODBC block returns Allow in messages.txt and the patron authenticates.

Additional information

Page ID

69668