3 Creating Datasources and Database Collectors

By the end of this page you will be able to:

Create a new datasource

You will now add a new datasource to your Introduction to Modelling analysis model to connect to an external database.

  1. Hover your mouse over   Databases in the toolbar to show the list of options.

  2. Drag a  Datasource onto the model.

     Can't see this?
    1. You may need to press  More Options, next to  Database Collector in the toolbar, to show the  Datasource option.
  3. In the new datasource settings form that opens, enter the Name: CRM
  4. In the settings, click  Apply.
  5. PhixFlow adds the new datasource to your model. In the model toolbar, click  Save.
  6. You will now add more settings to the datasource.
  7. In the Basic Settings section:
    • Enabled
    • Database Driver: Select MariaDB
  8. The Datasource Instances section has its own toolbar. Click  Insert. PhixFlow opens the settings for a new datasource instance. Set:
    • Name: Default
    • Enabled
    • Authorisation Type: Local
    • For the following settings see your training welcome email:
      • URL:           See welcome email
      • UsernameSee welcome email
      • Password:  See welcome email
    • Click  Apply and Close to finish and close the datasource instance settings.
  9. Back in the datasource settings, click  Apply and Close to finish and close.

Create a database collector from the datasource schema browser

  1. In your model, hover your mouse pointer over the CRM  Datasource icon you just created. In the popup toolbar, click   Show Tables
  2. In the list of tables that PhixFlow opens, scroll down to the SOURCE_CUSTOMER_PHONE_NUMBERS table name.
    1. To have a look at the data in this table, double-click its name.
    2. You can see there are columns for ##CUSTOMER_REF and ##PHONE_NUMBER.
    3. Close this data form
  3. Right-click SOURCE_CUSTOMER_PHONE_NUMBERS and in the popup menu, select Create a Collector. PhixFlow adds a new  Database Collector to your model, which reads data from the table SOURCE_CUSTOMER_PHONE_NUMBERS.
    1. If the database collector settings are not already open on the right, double-click on the new database collector to open its settings.
  4. In the Basic Settings section → Statement Expression field, you can see that PhixFlow has added a database query.
  5. Close the database collector settings.
  6. In the model toolbar, click  Save.

Create a table automatically from a database collector

  1. Hover your mouse pointer over the SOURCE_CUSTOMER_PHONE_NUMBERS  Database Collector you just created.
  2. In the popup toolbar, click  Create a new Table using the attributes returned from the query. PhixFlow adds the new table to your model.
  3. In the model window, click  Save.

Run analysis and view the table data

  1. Hover your mouse pointer over your new SOURCE_CUSTOMER_PHONE_NUMBERS table, and in the popup toolbar click  Run Analysis.
  2. To view the data you just loaded, hover over the table and click  Show the list of Views.
  3. The SOURCE_CUSTOMER_PHONE_NUMBERS (Default View) window will show like the image below:
  4. In the model window, click  Save.

Check Point

At this point your screen should look like this: