Data Sources

This topic applies to the Admin Console > Data > Sources settings.

Data Sources establish the connection between Exago and a database or a web service. Although typically only one database is used, Exago can join data from different sources into a single report.

To utilize some types of data sources, the appropriate driver may need to be downloaded and installed separately from the Exago install process. Refer to Data Source Drivers.

Creating, Editing or Deleting Data Sources

• To add a new data source click  Sources in the Main Menu and either:
  • click the Add icon at the top of the main menu
  • right-click and select Add from the context menu
• To edit a source either:
  • double click it
  • select it and click the Edit  icon at the top of the main menu
  • right-click it and select Edit from the context menu
• To delete a source either:
  • select it and click the Delete  icon at the top of the main menu
  • right-click it and select Delete from the context menu
• To save changes and new objects click the Apply or Okay buttons.

Data Source Properties

Each data source must have the following:

Name

A friendly name for the Data Source that will be referenced in the application.

Type

The type of source being used. Valid types include:

• Relational databases
  • SQL Server — Microsoft SQL Server
  • MySQL
  • Oracle
  • Postgres — PostgreSQL
  • DB2 — IBM db2
  • Informix — IBM Informix
  • ODBC — ODBC Driver
  • SQLitev2021.1.8+
• Other
  • File — XML or Excel file (For more information see Excel and XML Files.)
  • .NET Assembly — .NET Assembly DLL (For more information see .NET Assemblies.)
  • MS OLAP — OLAP (For more information OLAP and MDX Queries.)

Not currently supported:

• • • ElasticSearchv2018.2+ — ElasticSearch/ELK database (For more information see CData Drivers.)
      
    • Google BigQueryv2021.1.10+ (For more information see CData Drivers.)
      
    • Data warehouses
      • Redshiftv2019.1.11+
      • Snowflakev2019.1.9+
      • Non-relational databases
        • MongoDBv2018.2+

Important:

As of v2024.2.1, CData drivers are no longer available for use in Exago BI products. See CData Drivers.

Schema/Owner Name (blank for default)

If using schema to provide multi-tenant security, provide a database schema. Otherwise, leave this field blank. For more information, review Multi-Tenant Environment Integration.

Connection String Input

Describes how Exago shall connect to the Data Source. Typically, a server name or IP address, database name and login credentials are specified here. Different Data Source types have different connection string requirements, although the most common connection string parameters are:

• Server — the server host name or IP address where the database is physically located
• Database — the name of the database on the Server
• User ID and Password — the user name and password credentials to access the Database

Choose either the integrated Connection String Builder (Parameterized mode), or to provide a connection string manually (String mode) from the Connection String Input dropdown. Switching between Parameterized and String is possible, and Exago will remember the last mode selected. The Data Source connection is still stored as a standard connection string in the configuration file regardless of mode selected.

Some Data Source types only support Parameterized or String mode. In these cases, Exago will select the correct mode and disable the Connection String Input dropdown.

In Parameterized mode, Exago queries the database driver for all of the available connection string options/parameters. Then, these parameters may be added one at a time in key-value format to build a complete connection string.

If the database driver does not return any connection string parameters, the parameter names must be manually typed instead of chosen from a dropdown list.

 

• To add a new connection string parameter to the Data Source:
  1. Click the Add Connection Parameter button.
  2. Enter the name of, or choose the name of a parameter from the dropdown list.
  3. Provide a value for the parameter in the space provided.
• To hide/show a connection string parameter, click the Make Connection String Visible  or Connection String Hide icons accordingly.
• To remove a connection string parameter, click the Delete  icon at the end of the line. This icon is only visible when there are two or more parameters for a Data Source.

Connection strings vary by type:

Important:

As of v2024.2.1, CData drivers are no longer available for use in Exago BI products. See CData Drivers.

• Click the Test Connection icon to verify the connection succeeds.
• Click the Make Connection String Visible or Connection String Hide icons to show/hide the connection string in the Data Source tab.

Data Source Drivers

This content has been moved to Data Source Drivers.

.NET Assemblies

.NET Assemblies can be used as data sources. This is possible when the .NET Assemblies underlying methods are setup as data objects.

An advantage of doing this is being able to use high-level language to manipulate the data being reported on at run-time. The main disadvantage is not being able to take advantage of the database to perform joins with other data objects; data from methods can still be joined, but the work to do this is done within Exago.

Parameters

Parameters are passed from Exago to .NET Assemblies. Three types of parameters can be passed but only Call Type is required.

Call Type (required)

Integer that specifies what Exago needs at the time of the call. There are three possible values. You may specify the name of this parameter in the Programmable Object Settings of the  General section.

• 0 : Schema –  returns a DataSet with no rows.
• 1 : Data – returns a full DataSet.
• 2 : Filter Dropdown Values – returns data for the filter dropdown list. The Data Field being requested is passed in the column parameter. The filter type is passed in the filter parameter (see below).

Column, Filter and Sort Strings

To optimize performance Exago can pass user-specified sorts and filters to the .NET Assembly. This process reduces the amount of data sent to Exago. If these parameters are not used, all of the data will be sent to Exago to sort and filter. Column, filter and sort strings are sent as standard SQL. You may specify the name of these parameters in the General > Programmable Object Settings section.

Custom Parameter Values (optional)

Additional parameters can be specified to be sent to individual methods in the Data Object Menu.

To increase performance, when a .NET Assembly is first accessed it is compiled and cached within Exago. Therefore, Exago will not be aware of any changes within .NET Assembly. If the assembly is subsequently changed, reset the internal cache by clicking the Test Connectionicon restarting the web server.

If an Exago .NET API application needs to access reports with an assembly data source, it must include a reference to the assembly WebReportsAsmi.dll.

SessionInfo (optional) v2016.2+

Session state variables. See SessionInfofor more information.

.NET Assemblies

It is important to note that when a connection string for .NET Assembly is set the class name must match the name of the class where the static methods will be searched. UNC or absolute paths may be used. Make sure that the assembly has read privileges for the IIS user running Exago. Below is an example of a .NET Assembly connection string:

assembly=MyServerNameMyShareNameMyAssembly.dll;class=Main

.NET Assembly methods must be static. Below is an example of a .NET Assembly method.

public class Main {
	public static DataSet dotnet_optionees(int callType, string columnStr, string filterStr, int myCustomParameter)  {
		switch (callType) { 
			case 0:        // return schema    
			case 1:        // return data    
			case 2:        // return filter values for dropdown    
		}
	}
}

Method signature using SessionInfo (v2016.2+):

public class Main {
	public static DataSet dotnet_optionees(WebReports.Api.Common.SessionInfo sessionInfo, int callType, string columnStr, string filterStr, int myCustomParameter)  {    
		switch (callType)    ...  
	}
}

Excel and XML Files

Exago can read Microsoft Excel workbooks and XML files as Data Sources.

Excel workbooks and XML files will have less speed, performance, and security of a database. Using Excel and XML files is recommended only if the data set is small or if the information is only available in this format.

Excel

Each worksheet in the Excel file will be read as a separate table with the sheet name as the table’s name. The top row will be read as the column headers, and the remaining cells will be read as the data. Do not leave any blank rows or columns.

Connection String Example

File=C:\example.xls;Type=excel;

XML

The XML document must begin with the schema. After defining the schema the data must be placed into the appropriate tags. For reference see the working example below:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<ExagoData>
   <xs:schema xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:msdata="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:xml-msdata" id="ExagoData">
      <xs:element name="ExagoData" msdata:IsDataSet="true" msdata:UseCurrentLocale="true">
         <xs:complexType>
            <xs:choice minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded">
               <xs:element name="Call">
                  <xs:complexType>
                     <xs:sequence>
                        <xs:element name="CallID" type="xs:unsignedInt" minOccurs="0" />
                        <xs:element name="StaffID" type="xs:string" minOccurs="0" />
                        <xs:element name="VehicleUsed" type="xs:unsignedInt" minOccurs="0" />
                     </xs:sequence>
                  </xs:complexType>
               </xs:element>
               <xs:element name="Staff">
                  <xs:complexType>
                     <xs:sequence>
                        <xs:element name="StaffID" type="xs:unsignedInt" minOccurs="0" />
                        <xs:element name="Rank" type="xs:string" minOccurs="0" />
                        <xs:element name="LastName" type="xs:string" minOccurs="0" />
                        <xs:element name="FirstName" type="xs:string" minOccurs="0" />
                     </xs:sequence>
                  </xs:complexType>
               </xs:element>
            </xs:choice>
         </xs:complexType>
      </xs:element>
   </xs:schema>
   <Call>
      <CallID>890</CallID>
      <StaffID>134</StaffID>
      <VehicleUsed>12</VehicleUsed>
   </Call>
   <Call>
      <CallID>965</CallID>
      <StaffID>228</StaffID>
      <VehicleUsed>4</VehicleUsed>
   </Call>
   <Call>
      <CallID>740</CallID>
      <StaffID>1849</StaffID>
      <VehicleUsed>2</VehicleUsed>
   </Call>
   <Staff>
      <StaffID>134</StaffID>
      <Rank>Captain</Rank>
      <LastName>Reynolds</LastName>
      <FirstName>Malcom</FirstName>
   </Staff>
   <Staff>
      <StaffID>228</StaffID>
      <Rank>Lieutenant</Rank>
      <LastName>Brown</LastName>
      <FirstName>Bill</FirstName>
   </Staff>
   <Staff>
      <StaffID>1849</StaffID>
      <Rank>Sergeant</Rank>
      <LastName>John</LastName>
      <FirstName>Pepper</FirstName>
   </Staff>
</ExagoData>

File=C:\example.xml;Type=xml;

Data Source=SERVER1MSSQLSERVER2014;Catalog=AdventureWorksDWAnalysis;

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