I am trying to learn how to use datasources to get connections, and I am successful in doing this for the MysqlDataSource in this way: connection = mysqlDataSource.getConnection(); However, I want to try to retrieve the connection via a Context, and am unsuccessful in creating the initial association, like this: MysqlDataSource dataSource = new MysqlDataSource(); dataSource.setUrl ( "jdbc:mysql://127.0.0.1:3306/test" ); dataSource.setUser( stringUser ); dataSource.setPassword( stringPass ); // String stringDataSourceMYS = "com.mysql.jdbc.jdbc2.optional.MysqlDataSource"; Properties properties = new Properties(); properties.put( Context.INITIAL_CONTEXT_FACTORY, stringDataSourceMYS ); properties.put( Context.PROVIDER_URL , "jdbc:mysql://127.0.0.1:3306/test" ); // Context context = new InitialContext( properties ); context.bind( "jdbc/mySql" , dataSource ); It renders the following error: javax.naming.NoInitialContextException: Cannot instantiate class: com.mysql.jdbc.jdbc2.optional.MysqlDataSource [Root exception is java.lang.ClassCastException] I do not think this is a path issue (since it works w/o using the context bind). I do not know what I need to make it "bind" properly. Can anyone help with this? Thank You.

hey George, using the Context, is a way to obtain the database Connection factory via JNDI, via the Context. ..the "stringDataSourceMYS", would point to the registered ConnectionFactory in the application Server, then create the DataSource.

Thanks, Jeryl. I also noticed this: The properties of the Context did not show an appropriate provider url for the hosting of the datasource. I was avoiding an App server (for a blackbox demo), so I needed to create an RMI registry server, create the datasource (with its own URL), and bind the datasource to the context with the provider url of the RMI server: LocateRegistry.createRegistry( intPortRMI ); // MysqlDataSource mysDataSource = new MysqlDataSource(); mysDataSource.setUrl ( stringUrlMYS ); // setPort setServerName mysDataSource.setUser ( stringUser ); mysDataSource.setPassword ( stringPass ); DataSource dataSource = ( DataSource ) mysDataSource ; // Properties properties = new Properties(); properties.put( Context.INITIAL_CONTEXT_FACTORY, stringFactRmi ); properties.put( Context.PROVIDER_URL, stringUrlRmi ); // InitialContext context = new InitialContext( properties ); context.rebind( "anyLookupName" , mysDataSource );