Define a database connection data source

You can define a database connection as a data source for a process.

Define a database connection data source in Planning Analytics Workspace

About this task

To use a database connection as a data source for a process, the following conditions must be met:

  • For both Planning Analytics Workspace on cloud and Planning Analytics Workspace Local, you must be using IBM® Planning Analytics version 2.0.4 or later.
  • For Planning Analytics Workspace Local, the client software for your relational database must be running on the same computer on which your TM1 database resides. For example, an ODBC Excel data source cannot be located on a mapped network drive; it must exist on the computer where the TM1 database resides.
  • Regardless whether you are working with Planning Analytics Workspace on cloud or Planning Analytics Workspace Local, the ODBC data source must already be established before you can use it as a process data source.

Procedure

  1. Open the process in the process editor.
  2. Click the Data Source tab on the process editor.
  3. Click the Data source menu, then click Database connection.
  4. If required, enter a Username and Password to connect to the database.

    Password length is constrained only by the buffer limit, which is 2499 characters.

  5. Enter a Database connection query to extract data from the source. The syntax and format of the query will vary depending on which type of database you are accessing.

    If the query references a table name that contains spaces, you must enclose the name in double quotes.

  6. Click Preview to view the variables in your data source.
    You can click View more if you want to review additional rows in your data source.
  7. Click Set variables to initially set variable names and types based on a review of the data source.

    If the variable names that are assigned are not meaningful or familiar to you, you can click a variable name and type a new name. Variable names can contain only letters, numbers, and underscore and must start with a letter.

    It's good practice to give the variables a meaningful name. Having meaningful names makes the process scripts easier to read and troubleshoot.

    Similarly, if the data type for any variable is misidentified, you can click the data type and pick a different type.

  8. Click Save to save the process.