Connect to Live EnterpriseDB Data in MicroStrategy through CData Connect Server

MicroStrategy is an analytics and mobility platform that enables data-driven innovation. When you pair MicroStrategy with CData Connect Server, you gain database-like access to live EnterpriseDB data from MicroStrategy, expanding your reporting and analytics capabilities. In this article, we walk through creating a virtual database for EnterpriseDB in Connect Server and connecting to Connect Server in MicroStrategy to create a simple visualization of EnterpriseDB data.

As a hosted integration platform, Connect Server is ideal for working with cloud-based BI and analytics tools. With no servers to configure or data proxies to set up, you can simply use the web-based UI to create a virtual database for EnterpriseDB and connect from MicroStrategy to start performing analytics based on live EnterpriseDB data.

Connect to EnterpriseDB from MicroStrategy

To work with live EnterpriseDB data in MicroStrategy, we need to create a virtual database for EnterpriseDB in Connect Server.

Create a Virtual SQL Server Database for EnterpriseDB Data

CData Connect Server uses a straightforward, point-and-click interface to connect to data sources and generate APIs.

1. Login to Connect Server and click Connections.
2. Select "EnterpriseDB" from Available Data Sources.
3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to EnterpriseDB.

   The following connection properties are required in order to connect to data.

   • Server: The host name or IP of the server hosting the EnterpriseDB database.
   • Port: The port of the server hosting the EnterpriseDB database.

   You can also optionally set the following:

   • Database: The default database to connect to when connecting to the EnterpriseDB Server. If this is not set, the user's default database will be used.

   Connect Using Standard Authentication

   To authenticate using standard authentication, set the following:

   • User: The user which will be used to authenticate with the EnterpriseDB server.
   • Password: The password which will be used to authenticate with the EnterpriseDB server.

   Connect Using SSL Authentication

   You can leverage SSL authentication to connect to EnterpriseDB data via a secure session. Configure the following connection properties to connect to data:

   • SSLClientCert: Set this to the name of the certificate store for the client certificate. Used in the case of 2-way SSL, where truststore and keystore are kept on both the client and server machines.
   • SSLClientCertPassword: If a client certificate store is password-protected, set this value to the store's password.
   • SSLClientCertSubject: The subject of the TLS/SSL client certificate. Used to locate the certificate in the store.
   • SSLClientCertType: The certificate type of the client store.
   • SSLServerCert: The certificate to be accepted from the server.
4. Click Save Changes
5. Click Privileges -> Add and add the new user (or an existing user) with the appropriate permissions.

With the virtual database created, you are ready to connect to EnterpriseDB data from MicroStrategy.

Connect to and Visualize EnterpriseDB Data Using MicroStrategy

You can connect to EnterpriseDB in MicroStrategy by adding a data source based on the native SQL Server functionality. Once you have created a data source, you can build dynamic visualizations of EnterpriseDB data in MicroStrategy.

1. Open MicroStrategy and select your account.
2. Click Add External Data, select Databases, and use Select Tables as the Import Option.
3. In the Import from Tables wizard, click to add a new Data Source.
4. Select "SQL Server" in the Database menu and select "SQL Server 2017" in the Version menu.
5. Sat the connection properties as follows:
   • Server Name: e.g. connect_server_url
   • Port Number: 1433
   • Database Name: the name of your EnterpriseDB connection (e.g. EnterpriseDB1)
   • User: a Connect Server user
   • Password: a Connect Server password
   • Data Source Name: a name for the new external data source, like "CData Connect EnterpriseDB"
6. Expand the menu for the new data source and choose "Edit Catalog Options"
7. Edit the "SQL statement retrieve columns ..." query to include TABLE_SCHEMA = '#?Schema_Name?#' in the WHERE clause, and click Apply and then OK (the complete query is below).
   
   

   SELECT DISTINCT 
     TABLE_SCHEMA NAME_SPACE, 
     TABLE_NAME TAB_NAME, 
     COLUMN_NAME COL_NAME, 
     (CASE 
       WHEN 
         (DATA_TYPE LIKE '%char' AND (CHARACTER_SET_NAME='utf8' OR CHARACTER_SET_NAME='usc2')) 
       THEN 
         CONCAT('a',DATA_TYPE) 
       ELSE 
         DATA_TYPE 
     END) DATA_TYPE, 
     CHARACTER_MAXIMUM_LENGTH DATA_LEN, 
     NUMERIC_PRECISION DATA_PREC, 
     NUMERIC_SCALE DATA_SCALE 
   FROM 
     INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS 
   WHERE 
     TABLE_NAME 
   IN 
     (#TABLE_LIST#) AND TABLE_SCHEMA='#?Schema_Name?#' 
   ORDER BY 
     1,2,3
   

8. Select the new data source and select the Namespace that corresponds to your virtual EnterpriseDB database (like EnterpriseDB1).
9. Drag tables into the pane to insert then. Note: Since we create a live connection, we can insert whole tables and utilize the filtering and aggregation features native to the MicroStrategy products to customize our datasets.
10. Click Finish, choose the option to connect live, save the query, and choose the option to create a new dossier. Live connections are possible and effective, thanks to high-performance data processing native to CData Connect Cloud.
11. Choose a visualization, choose fields to display, and apply any filters to create a new visualization of EnterpriseDB data. Data types are discovered automatically through dynamic metadata discovery. Where possible, the complex queries generated by the filters and aggregations will be pushed down to EnterpriseDB, while any unsupported operations (which can include SQL functions and JOIN operations) will be managed by the CData SQL engine embedded in Connect Cloud.
12. Once you have finished configuring the dossier, click File -> Save.

Using CData Connect Server with MicroStrategy, you can easily create robust visualizations and reports on EnterpriseDB data. For more information on creating virtual databases for EnterpriseDB (and more than 200 other data sources), visit the Connect Server page. Sign up for a free trial and start working with live EnterpriseDB data in MicroStrategy.