Analyze Azure Synapse Data with Power Pivot

The ODBC protocol is used by a wide variety of Business Intelligence (BI) and reporting tools to get access to different databases. The CData ODBC Driver for Azure Synapse brings the same power and ease of use to Azure Synapse data. This article uses the driver to import Azure Synapse data into Power Pivot.

Connect to Azure Synapse as an ODBC Data Source

If you have not already, first specify connection properties in an ODBC DSN (data source name). This is the last step of the driver installation. You can use the Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator to create and configure ODBC DSNs.

Connecting to Azure Synapse

In addition to providing authentication (see below), set the following properties to connect to a Azure Synapse database:

• Server: The server running Azure. You can find this by logging into the Azure portal and navigating to Azure Synapse Analytics -> Select your database -> Overview -> Server name.
• Database: The name of the database, as seen in the Azure portal on the Azure Synapse Analytics page.

Authenticating to Azure Synapse

Connect to Azure Synapse using the following properties:

• User: The username provided for authentication with Azure.
• Password: The password associated with the authenticating user.

Connect from Power Pivot

Follow the steps below to connect to the DSN in Power Pivot.

1. In Excel, click the Power Pivot Window icon on the Power Pivot tab to open Power Pivot.
2. Launch the Table Import Wizard: Click the Get External Data from Other Data Sources button.
3. Select the OLEDB/ODBC source option.
4. Click Build to open the Data Link Properties dialog.
5. In the Provider tab, select the Microsoft OLEDB Provider for ODBC Drivers option.
6. In the Connection tab, select the Use Data Source Name option and then select the Azure Synapse DSN in the menu.

Select and Filter Tables and Views

Follow the steps below to use the wizard to import Azure Synapse tables. As you use the wizard to select, filter, and sort columns of Azure Synapse tables, Power Pivot generates the query to be executed.

1. After selecting the DSN in the Table Import Wizard, select the option to select from a list of tables.

2. Click Preview & Filter to select specific columns, sort data, and visually build filters. To include or exclude columns, select and clear the option next to the column name.

   To filter based on column values, click the down arrow button next to the column name. In the resulting dialog, select or clear the column values you want to filter. Alternatively, click Number Filters or Text Filters and then select a comparison operator. In the resulting dialog, build the filter criteria.

3. Return to the Select Tables and Views page of the wizard. You can access filters by clicking the Applied Filters link in the Filter Details column.

Import and Filter with SQL

You can also import with an SQL query. The driver supports the standard SQL, allowing Excel to communicate with Azure Synapse APIs.

1. After selecting the DSN in the Table Import Wizard, select the option to write a query.

2. In the SQL Statement box, enter the query. Click Validate to check that the syntax of the query is valid. Click Design to preview the results and adjust the query before import.

3. Finish the wizard to import the data for your chosen query.

Refresh On Demand

Connectivity to Azure Synapse APIs enables real-time analysis. To immediately update your workbook with any changes, click Refresh.