Connection pools are used to enhance the performance of executing commands on a database. Opening and maintaining a database connection for each user, especially requests made to a dynamic database-driven Web application, is costly and wastes resources. In connection pooling, after a connection is created, it is placed in the pool and it is used over again so that a new connection does not have to be established. If all the connections are being used, a new connection is made and is added to the pool. Connection pooling also cuts down on the amount of time a user must wait to establish a connection to the database.

Connection Pooling With ASP  
Connection pooling with ASP, ISAPI, IDC, and Visual Basic applications. Included is a discussion of ODBC 3.0 and the newest bug fix for ODBC.

Connection Pooling and Introduction to Application Servers
A 2000 article from Web Developers Virtual Library.

Improved Performance with a Connection Pool
A 1999 article from Web Developers Journal.