Microsoft Data Access Components 2.8

Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) is a software framework provided by Microsoft for communication between various data sources and client software applications. MDAC is used to connect desktop applications to databases and other remote data sources. It was bundled with Windows operating systems until Windows 7 when it was replaced by Windows Data Access Components.

MDAC includes several drivers and providers that enable access to various database systems such as Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, and IBM DB2. It also includes ActiveX Data Objects (ADO), a common interface for accessing both relational and non-relational databases.

MDAC was first released in 1996 and has undergone several updates since then. It played an important role in the development of Windows-based database applications, allowing developers to create rich, data-driven applications with relative ease.

While MDAC has been deprecated for some time, many legacy applications still rely on it for database connectivity. However, it is recommended that developers who are building new applications use newer data access technologies such as ADO.NET or Entity Framework.