Specifying data source connections for visual dashboards

You set up the connection information alias for each data source that will be used in the visual dashboard.

About this task

Visual dashboards are intended to be shared across the enterprise. In order to facilitate sharing and distributing visual dashboards, QMF for Workstation does not tie the queries that are included in a visual dashboard to a specific data source. Instead, it ties the query to a connection information alias. The connection information is saved with the visual dashboard and can be easily modified to point to any data source.

The connection information includes a name for the connection and the name of the data source to which it will point. When you add the queries that will be used in the visual dashboard, you will specify what connection information alias will be associated with the query.

To change the data source that will be used for a query, you edit the connection information and point to the data source that you want to use. This feature allows users to easily share visual dashboards and use their own data sources. In addition, it facilitates moving between test and production data sources.

To specify connection information for a data source:

Procedure

  1. You can open the Insert Connection window in one of the following ways:
    • From the Project Explorer view, right-click the Connections node. Select Insert Connection from the pop-up menu. The Insert Connection window opens.
    • From the Project Explorer view, double-click the Connections node. The Insert Connection window opens.
  2. From the list of available data sources, select the data source that will be associated with this connection information alias.
  3. Specify a unique name for this connection information in the Connection name field.
  4. Click Finish. The Project Explorer view lists the new connection information alias under the Connections node in the tree.
    Note: You can also set up a connection information alias for a data source by using one of the following methods:
    • Drag a data source from the Workspaces view to the Connections folder of the visual project in the Project Explorer view.
    • Drag a query from the Workspaces or Repository Explorer view to the Queries node of the visual project in the Project Explorer view.

      A new data source connection is automatically added to the Connections folder of the Project Explorer view.

Results

Note: The connection information alias is added with the name ConnectionN. You can edit the name of the connection information alias by right-clicking on the entry and selecting Rename.