Creating Database Connections in Web

In MicroStrategy Web, users can import data from different data sources, such as a database or the results of a Freeform query, then create reports, documents, and dashboards to report on their imported data. You can define a new database connection directly from Web for users to import data from, or edit, delete, rename, or duplicate an existing connection.

To Create a New Database Connection

1. In MicroStrategy Web, navigate to any folder page, such as Shared Reports or My Reports.
2. From the navigation bar on the left, go to Create > Access External Data > Database. The Select Import Options dialog box opens.
3. Select Pick Tables to select single or multiple tables to import data from.
• If you want to use a graphical interface to build the SQL query to use to import your data, select Build a Query.
• If you want to manually type or paste a query to import your data, select Type a Query.
4. Click OK.
5. From the Data Sources panel, click Add.
6. Select the type of connection to your database, as follows:
• To connect to a data source using a DSN, select DSN Connections. Select the DSN of the database that you want to connect to from the DSN drop-down list, then select the appropriate database management system (DBMS) from the DBMS drop-down list.
• To connect directly to a data source, select DSNless Connections.
• If you clear the Show databases whose drivers were not found check box, only databases that have an installed and configured driver are available for selection. These databases can be connected to by selecting the required Database and Version from the drop-down lists, and supplying the required connection information. For a detailed list of the information required for each database type, see Creating DSNs for Specific Data Sources.
• If you select the Show databases whose drivers were not found check box, additional databases that do not have a configured driver are available for selection. These databases can be connected to by selecting the required Database and Version from the drop-down lists, and then configuring a connection to the database by completing the following steps:
1. Click Show connection string.
2. Type the value for each configuration requirement listed. Depending on the database you are connecting to, this includes the server name, port number, and database name. For a detailed list of the information required for each database type, see Creating DSNs for Specific Data Sources.
3. Select the Edit connection string check box.
4. Modify the Driver={DriverName} part of the connection string, where DriverName is the default name used for the driver. Replace the default DriverName with the name of the driver that your administrator installed for the database.
5. If there were any optional configuration parameters that you chose not to define, modify the connection string to remove the parameters completely from the string. These parameters are listed with an equal sign (=) followed immediately by a semicolon (;), indicating no value is provided. For example, if the connection string includes AlternateServers=; remove this text from the connection string.
7. Type a user name and password with access to the database in the User and Password fields.
8. Type a name for the database connection in the Data Source Name field.
9. Do one of the following:
• To allow other users to import data using the database connection, select the Share this connection with everybody check box.
• To deny other users the ability to import data using the database connection, clear the Share this connection with everybody check box.
10. Click OK.