If you have a valid OEM license file and try to connect with a branded driver, but either your application is not coded to unlock the driver or another application tries to access it, the driver generates an error similar to the following:

The DataDirect ODBC driver you are attempting to access has been provided
to you by Company_ABC for exclusive use with Application_ABC. You are
not licensed to use this driver with any application other than Application_ABC.

where Company_ABC and Application_ABC are the names from the Company Name and Product Name fields, respectively, of the installer.

If the driver cannot locate the OEM license file, it generates a warning about the missing file that advises the user that the driver can be used for a period of 15 days. In addition, the driver writes the following line to the Windows Registry, or on UNIX and Linux, the [ODBC Data Sources] section of the system information file:

QEWSD=aaaaaa

where aaaaaa is a 6-digit, encrypted code. This entry serves as an indicator that the license warning has been displayed.

Fifteen days after the first appearance of this warning, the message is generated again as an error instead of a warning.

If you want to generate an error initially, as opposed to a warning, you can enable the hidden connection option DriverExpirationBehavior (DEB) using the syntax:

DriverExpirationBehavior={0|1}

When set to 1, the message is returned as an error instead of a warning. When set to 0, the option is disabled. You can set the option through the Registry on Windows, through the [ODBC Data Sources] section of the system information file on UNIX and Linux, or by using the short name, via a connection string. For example:

DSN=OracleSCfile;DEB=1;