Create Reports from DB2 Data in Looker Studio

Looker Studio, formerly known as Google Data Studio, empowers users to craft customized reports featuring data visualizations that can be shared with clients while reflecting your brand identity. When combined with CData Connect AI, you gain immediate cloud-to-cloud access to DB2 data to create visualizations, dashboards, and more. This article provides step-by-step instructions on establishing a virtual database for DB2 and generating reports from DB2 data within Looker Studio.

CData Connect AI offers a seamless cloud-to-cloud interface tailored for DB2, making it straightforward to construct reports directly from live DB2 data within Looker Studio without the need for data replication. As you create visualizations, Looker Studio generates queries to retrieve data. With its inherent optimized data processing capabilities, CData Connect AI efficiently channels all supported query operations, including filters, JOINs, and more, directly to DB2. This leverages server-side processing to swiftly provide the requested DB2 data.

Configure DB2 Connectivity for Looker Studio

Connectivity to DB2 from Looker Studio is made possible through CData Connect AI. To work with DB2 data from Looker Studio, we start by creating and configuring a DB2 connection.

1. Log into Connect AI, click Sources, and then click Add Connection

2. Select "DB2" from the Add Connection panel

3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to DB2.

   Set the following properties to connect to DB2:

   • Server: Set this to the name of the server running DB2.
   • Port: Set this to the port the DB2 server is listening on.
   • Database: Set this to the name of the DB2 database.
   • User: Set this to the username of a user allowed to access the database.
   • Password: Set this to the password of a user allowed to access the database.

   You will also need to install the corresponding DB2 driver:

   • Windows: Install the IBM Data Server Provider for .NET.

     On Windows, installing the IBM Data Server Provider is sufficient, as the installation registers it in the machine.config.

   • Java: Install the IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC.

     In the Java version, place the IBM Data Server Driver JAR in the www\WEB-INF\lib\ folder for this application.

   
4. Click Save & Test
5. Navigate to the Permissions tab in the Add DB2 Connection page and update the User-based permissions.

With the connection configured, you are ready to connect to DB2 data from Looker Studio.

Visualize Live DB2 Data from Looker Studio

The steps below outline connecting to CData Connect AI from Looker Studio to create a new DB2 data source and build a simple visualization from the data.

1. Log into Looker Studio, click data sources, create a new data source, and choose CData Connect AI Connector.

2. Click Authorize and allow access to your Google account.
3. Click Authorize to authenticate with your CData Connect AI instance
4. In the CData Connect AI Connector in Looker Studio select Connections to import from the dropdown and click Next

5. Now select a Connection (e.g. DB21) and click Next
6. Select a Table (e.g. Orders) or use a Custom Query and click Connect to continue
7. If needed, modify columns, click Create Report, and add the data source to the report.

8. Select a visualization style and add it to the report.
9. Select Dimensions and Measures to customize your visualization.

Live Access to DB2 Data from Cloud Applications

Now you have a direct, cloud-to-cloud connection to live DB2 data from your Looker Studio workbook. You can create more data sources and new visualizations, build reports, and more — all without replicating DB2 data.

Try CData Connect AI and get real-time data access to hundreds of SaaS, Big Data, and NoSQL sources directly from your cloud applications.