Add data connections

This topic describes how to add a data connection directly from the Data connections pane. You can also add a data connection during the creation of a dataset. You can also duplicate a data connection and edit its details, if necessary.

Prerequisites
  • You have appropriate user rights for the data source to which you want to connect.
Procedure

  1. On the sidebar, click Data connections.

    The Data connections pane appears.

  2. Click New connection.

  3. Click the type of data connection that you want to create.

    The Add data connection dialog appears.

  4. On the Connection details tab, specify the data connection details. The available fields depend on the type of data connection that you selected.

    Specify the data connection details as follows:

    • URL – Specify the package URL.
    • Namespace – Specify the namespace for the package.
    • Username – Specify the username for the package.
    • Password – Specify the password for the package.
    • Package – Click Search and select the package.

    • Ask user for credentials – Switch to On if you want to share this connection or a dataset based on it without sharing your credentials. In this case, recipients will need to provide their own credentials to access data from this connection.

    • Connection name – Specify a name for this connection.

    1. Select the authentication mode. You can choose one of the following options:

      • Username and password
      • Cognos namespace, username, and password

    2. Specify the connection details as follows:

      • URL – Specify the cube's URL.
      • Namespace – Specify the namespace for the cube. This field is available only if you selected Cognos namespace, username, and password as the authentication mode.

      • Username – Specify the username for the cube.

      • Password – Specify the password for the cube.

      • Cube name – Select the cube name. Click Load list to see the list of cubes.
      • Measure dimension – Select the dimension that contains the measures for the dataset.

      • Ask user for credentials – Switch to On if you want to share this connection or a dataset based on it without sharing your credentials. In this case, recipients will need to provide their own credentials to access data from this connection.

      • Connection name – Specify a name for this connection.

    Specify the connection details as follows:

    • Server – Specify the address of the server where the cube view is stored.
    • Port – Specify the port used for the cube view.

    • Username – Specify the username for the cube view.

    • Password – Specify the password for the cube view.

    • Cube name – Select the cube view name. Click Load list to see the list of cube views.

    • Ask user for credentials – Switch to On if you want to share this connection or a dataset based on it without sharing your credentials. In this case, recipients will need to provide their own credentials to access data from this connection.

    • Connection name – Specify a name for this connection.

    1. Select the authentication mode. You can choose one of the following options:

      • Username and password
      • Windows authentication

    2. Specify the connection details as follows:

      • Server – Specify the address of the Microsoft SQL server.
      • Port – Specify the port used for the database.
      • Database – Specify the name of the database.
      • Username – Specify the username for the database.
        This field is available only if you selected Username and password as the authentication mode.
      • Password – Specify the password for the database.
        This field is available only if you selected Username and password as the authentication mode.
      • Ask user for credentials – Switch to On if you want to share this connection or a dataset based on it without sharing your credentials. In this case, recipients will need to provide their own credentials to access data from this connection.
      • Connection name – Specify a name for this connection.

    1. Select the authentication mode. You can choose one of the following options:

      • Username, password, and SID
      • Username, password, and service name

    2. Specify the connection details as follows:

      • Server – Specify the address of the server where the Oracle data source is stored.
      • Port – Specify the port used for the database.
      • Service ID – Specify the service ID for the database.
        This field is available only if you selected Username, password, and SID as the authentication mode.
      • Service name – Specify the service name for the database.
        This field is available only if you selected Username, password, and service name as the authentication mode.
      • Username – Specify the username for the database.
      • Password – Specify the password for the database.
      • Schema – Specify the name of the database schema. Click Load list to see available schemas.
      • Ask user for credentials – Switch to On if you want to share this connection or a dataset based on it without sharing your credentials. In this case, recipients will need to provide their own credentials to access data from this connection.
      • Connection name – Specify a name for this connection.

    Depending on the database type, the following fields may be available:

    • Server – Specify the address of the server where the database is stored.

    • Port – Specify the port used for the database.

    • Database – Specify the name of the database.

    • Username – Specify the username for the database.

    • Password – Specify the password for the database.

    • Host – Specify the host for the database.

    • Instance – Specify the instance of the database.

    • Cube name – Specify the name of the cube (for Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services).

    • Ask user for credentials – Switch to On if you want to share this connection or a dataset based on it without sharing your credentials. In this case, recipients will need to provide their own credentials to access data from this connection.

    • Connection name – Specify a name for this connection.

  5. By default, metadata is cached for each new connection.

    To change the setting, click the Caching tab, and turn off Cache metadata for this connection.

  6. Click Test Connection.

    A message indicates whether the connection to the data source was successful.

  7. If the connection was successful, click Save.

    The data connection is saved and is available in the Data connections pane.

    You can use this connection to create other datasets.

    Tip: In the Data connections pane, click a connection tile to create a dataset based on it.