PhixFlow automatically uses the appropriate driver class to communicate with its own database. You can use these driver classes in a datasource. However, you cannot update their properties or see their driver class files.

You may need to configure additional database drivers to support:

• other types of database
• different versions a database.

How to Configure a Driver Class

1. Find out which JDBC database drivers you require. This information is available in the documentation for your database. Also check the System Requirements and Compatibility page for supported versions. Communication to a database may require multiple JDBC driver files. 
2. Download the required JDBC driver files from:
   • either the database supplier (recommended)
   • or an open source repository, such as https://mvnrepository.com/.
3. Save the files to the Driver Class File Directory. You need permission to add system files to do this.
   
   • If it has been set in the PhixFlow database, it will be listed in the System Configuration.
   • If it has not been set:
     To set the database driver file directory in the PhixFlow database, use an SQL statement, for example:

     update system_configuration set driver_class_file_dir = '/opt/phixflow-drivers';
commit;

     Restart Tomcat to make the change visible to the PhixFlow application.

4. In the PhixFlow application, for each type of database, create one Driver Class; see Adding or Changing a Driver Class, below.
5. In the driver class properties → Driver Class File section, add all the JDBC driver files that the database requires; see Driver Classes and Driver Class File Properties, below.
6. For each driver class file, specify the full path to the file, which is stored in the Driver Class File Directory, or a sub-directory of it.

Adding or Changing a Driver Class 

To create a driver class, in the full repository scroll down to the

To add a new driver, right-click Driver Classes and select  Create New. PhixFlow opens a property tab where you can enter the details for the new driver.

To open an existing driver class, in the repository click on its name.

Driver Classes and Driver Class File Properties 

The driver classes configured in the repository populate the drop-down list in Datasource properties Basic Settings → Driver Class. 

For information about the properties toolbar, and about the sections Parent Details, Analysis Models, Description and Audit Summary, see Common Properties.  We recommend you always add a Description that explains the purpose of the item you are creating. 

For a full list of all the PhixFlow property tabs and windows, see Properties, Windows, Menus and Toolbars.

Parent Details

If this item is within or belongs to another, its parent name is shown here. See the Parent Details section on the Common Properties page for more details.

Basic Settings

Advanced

Driver Class File

This section has a toolbar with standard buttons. 

The grid lists the jar files for this driver class. Each database usually requires multiple jar files. To add a jar file to the list:

1. Click  Create New to open a the properties for a new Driver Class File Location.
   (Driver Class File Location properties are only available from this grid. They are not listed in the repository.)

2. In the Basic Settings section, set:

   Field	Description
   Name	Enter a unique name for the driver.
   Connector Jar File Location	The root Driver Class File Directory, must be specified in System Configuration.  Specify a path, relative to the root Driver Class File Directory: either to a specific driver class jar file or to a sub-directory that contains multiple driver class jar files. For example: if the file is /opt/phixflow-drivers/BigQueryJDBC/driverfile.jar and the Driver Class File Directory is set to /opt/phixflow-drivers/ then enter: for Linux: BigQueryJDBC/driverfile.jar Windows:  BigQueryJDBC\driverfile.jar If you specify a sub-directory, all jar files will be loaded but further sub-directories will be ignored.

3. Click  Apply and Close to save and close the properties and return to the driver class properties.

To remove a jar file from the grid, use the toolbar button  Delete. 

Using Drivers Across Multiple Instances

If you run multiple instances of PhixFlow, you must ensure that:

• a custom driver class used by a datasource, is moved with the datasource to another PhixFlow instance
• AND the driver class has access to the database driver jar file from the other instance.

This ensures that all datasource objects continue to work in other instances. 

You cannot move the following system database drivers into a package:

• MariaDB
• MS SQL Server
• Oracle.

This is because they are installed on all PhixFlow instances.

How PhixFlow Decides Which Driver to Use

PhixFlow is configured with a class path for finding drivers. This will use the first appropriate driver it finds in:

1. The Connector Jar File Location configured for the driver classes file. 
2. tomcat/webapps/phixflow/WEB-INF/lib
3. tomcat/lib.

Deprecated Driver Classes

The repository includes the following, deprecated driver classes, for backwards compatibility. 

• DB2
• Debug JDBC
• Google Big Query
• Hadoop Hive
• MySQL
• Netezza
• Sun ODBC Bridge
• Teradata