Within the ODBC stack, which component serves as the intermediary layer between applications and specific DBMS drivers, routing calls and managing driver selection?

Introduction / Context:
ODBC abstracts database connectivity via a layered model. Applications call standard ODBC APIs; behind the scenes, a driver manager routes those calls to the correct DBMS-specific driver, which in turn communicates with the database engine.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• An application calls ODBC functions like SQLConnect and SQLExecute.
• Multiple drivers may be installed (for example, SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle).
• The system needs a component to select and dispatch to the right driver based on the data source.

Concept / Approach:
The driver manager is the dispatcher. It interprets the data source configuration (DSN or DSN-less connection string), loads the appropriate driver library, and forwards ODBC API calls. This indirection enables portability and reduces application coupling to specific DBMS implementations.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
On Windows, the ODBC Administrator and ODBCINST configurations demonstrate how DSNs and drivers are registered and how the driver manager sits between app and driver.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Data source: A configuration object, not the intermediary layer.
• Driver: Executes DBMS-specific logic but is not the dispatcher across drivers.
• OLE DB Provider / ADO Recordset: Different technologies; not part of ODBC's core dispatch mechanism.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing the DSN (configuration) with the driver manager (runtime dispatcher). The DSN specifies what the manager uses to pick a driver.

Final Answer:
Driver manager