This page is for data modellers who want to connect to an external database, either to load data or to export processed data back to it.

Overview

A datasource is a modelling object whose properties provide the information needed to connect to an external database and transfer data to and from it. You must have one datasource for each type of database to which you need to connect. Optionally, you can configure several datasources for the same type of database.

The datasource properties are affected by:

the Privilege Allow anonymous updates on datasources. Only a user with this privilege can change the Allow Anonymous Export tick box.
the System Configuration option Allow anonymous export by default. When selected, this system option sets Allow Anonymous Export to be ticked by default on new datasources.

Sections on this page

Datasource Properties

For information about the properties toolbar, and about the sections Parent Details, Analysis Models, Description and Audit Summary, see Common Properties. For a full list of all the PhixFlow property tabs and windows, see Property Tabs.

In addition to the standard icons, the properties toolbar includes Show Tables, which opens a list of tables visible for this datasource using the default login details; see the Table Details window.

Basic Settings

Field	Description
Name	Enter the name for this datasource object. You will use this name to specify this datasource in other collector and exporter objects.
Enabled	Tick when the configuration is complete and the datasource is ready to be used.
URL	Enter the URL to connect to the datasource; see Connection URLs below. This option has gone. How does the datasource know where the database is?
Allow Anonymous Export	Use this option when a datasource is connected to an exporter that will be run by a task, such as a scheduled task. Tick to allow anonymous export of data via the datasource. The target database must permit anonymous updates. The datasource uses the anonymous username and password configured ...where?. The datasource can only use the logged in user's credentials (see Use user credentials below). (This statement from the orginal paragraph makes no sense with the sentence above.) You must have the Allow anonymous updates on datasources privilege to change this option.
Use User Credentials on Export	Use this option when a datasource is connected to an exporter being run interactively. This may be via an application action or when a user clicks Run Analysis. Tick to connect to the target database using the PhixFlow username and password of the current user. The target database must already have the same username and password with the required permissions. Contact the database administrator to do this.
Protect during import	Tick to prevent this datasource being updated or deleted during import. When a parent application is deleted by the import, its datasources will also be deleted. This prevents orphaned datasources persisting in PhixFlow.
Driver Class	Required. Select the driver class for the type of database to which the datasource connects. The drop-down list may contain driver classes that are deprecated and do not have the necessary database drivers; see Driver Classes.

Advanced have these gone away? I don't see an Advanced section?

Field

Description

Check Query

Use this field when connections to the target database might go "stale", e.g. if the target database disconnects long running connections. Setting this field causes PhixFlow to run the query against the database just before each use of a "pooled" connection. If the query does not return a row, the connection is discarded and a new connection is created. To avoid any performance impact, the query should execute quickly. See also database collectors for guidance on writing SQL queries in PhixFlow.

Datasource Profile

Use this field when connections to the target database have certain requirements that are not covered by PhixFlow's default external Datasource configuration. The value entered in this field will determine which external datasource connection profile that this datasource instance will use to connect to the target database.

Connection URLs Still needed if URL option has gone away?

A datasource instance must have a name, a URL, and a username and password used to connect to the external datasource. The URL should be in one of the following formats:

Example connection strings

Platform	Connection String
Oracle	jdbc:oracle:thin:@hostname:1521:phixflow
Oracle (> 12c with PDB containers)	jdbc:oracle:thin:@hostname:1521/phixflow
Sql Server	jdbc:sqlserver://hostname\myservice;databaseName=phixflow
MySQL	jdbc:mysql://hostname/phixflow
Big Query	jdbc:bigquery://@hostname:@port;ProjectId=@Project;