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Get the Report →Connect to and Query MongoDB Data in QlikView over ODBC
Create data visualizations with MongoDB data in QlikView.
The CData ODBC drivers expand your ability to work with data from more than 200 data sources. QlikView is a business discovery platform that provides self-service BI for all business users in an organization. This article outlines simple steps to connect to MongoDB data using the CData ODBC driver and create data visualizations in QlikView.
The CData ODBC drivers offer unmatched performance for interacting with live MongoDB data in QlikView due to optimized data processing built into the driver. When you issue complex SQL queries from QlikView to MongoDB, the driver pushes supported SQL operations, like filters and aggregations, directly to MongoDB and utilizes the embedded SQL engine to process unsupported operations (often SQL functions and JOIN operations) client-side. With built-in dynamic metadata querying, you can visualize and analyze MongoDB data using native QlikView data types.
About MongoDB Data Integration
Accessing and integrating live data from MongoDB has never been easier with CData. Customers rely on CData connectivity to:
- Access data from MongoDB 2.6 and above, ensuring broad usability across various MongoDB versions.
- Easily manage unstructured data thanks to flexible NoSQL (learn more here: Leading-Edge Drivers for NoSQL Integration).
- Leverage feature advantages over other NoSQL drivers and realize functional benefits when working with MongoDB data (learn more here: A Feature Comparison of Drivers for NoSQL).
MongoDB's flexibility means that it can be used as a transactional, operational, or analytical database. That means CData customers use our solutions to integrate their business data with MongoDB or integrate their MongoDB data with their data warehouse (or both). Customers also leverage our live connectivity options to analyze and report on MongoDB directly from their preferred tools, like Power BI and Tableau.
For more details on MongoDB use case and how CData enhances your MongoDB experience, check out our blog post: The Top 10 Real-World MongoDB Use Cases You Should Know in 2024.
Getting Started
Connect to MongoDB 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.
Set the Server, Database, User, and Password connection properties to connect to MongoDB. To access MongoDB collections as tables you can use automatic schema discovery or write your own schema definitions. Schemas are defined in .rsd files, which have a simple format. You can also execute free-form queries that are not tied to the schema.
When you configure the DSN, you may also want to set the Max Rows connection property. This will limit the number of rows returned, which is especially helpful for improving performance when designing reports and visualizations.
Populate a Chart with MongoDB Data
The steps below supply the results of an SQL query to a visualization in QlikView. In this article, you will create a bar chart with the query below:
SELECT borough, cuisine FROM restaurants
- Click File -> Edit Script (or click the Edit Script button in the Toolbar).
- On the Data tab, select ODBC in the Database menu and click Connect.
- Select the DSN (CData MongoDB Sys) in the resulting dialog.
A command like the following is generated:
ODBC CONNECT TO [CData MongoDB Sys];
- Enter the SQL query directly into the script with the SQL command (or click Select to build the query in the SELECT statement wizard).
SQL SELECT borough, cuisine FROM restaurants;
Where possible, the SQL operations in the query, like filters and aggregations, will be pushed down to MongoDB, while any unsupported operations (which can include SQL functions and JOIN operations) will be managed client-side by the CData SQL engine embedded in the driver.
- Close the script editor and reload the document to execute the script.
- Click Tools -> Quick Chart Wizard. In the wizard, select the chart type. This example uses a bar chart. When building the chart, you have access to the fields from MongoDB, typed appropriately for QlikView, thanks to built-in dynamic metadata querying.
- When defining Dimensions, select borough in the First Dimension menu.
- When defining Expressions, click the summary function you want and select cuisine in the menu.
Finish the wizard to generate the chart. The CData ODBC Driver for MongoDB connects to live MongoDB data, so the chart can be refreshed to see real-time changes. Live connections are possible and effective, thanks to the high-performance data processing native to CData ODBC Drivers.