In the ColdFusion Administrator, you configure your data sources to communicate with ColdFusion. After you add a data source to the Administrator, you access it by name in any CFML tag that establishes database connections; for example, in the cfquery tag. During a query, the data source tells ColdFusion which database to connect to and what parameters to use for the connection.

The ColdFusion Administrator organizes all the information about a ColdFusion server's database connections in a single, easy-to-manage location. In addition to adding new data sources, you can use the Administrator to specify changes to your database configuration, such as relocation, renaming, or changes in security permissions.