OLE DB
QlikView supports the OLE DB interface for connection to external data sources. A great number of external databases can be accessed via the Microsoft OLE DB Provider for ODBC Drivers.
Is the Correct OLE DB Provider Installed?
When you select File, Edit Script, Connect to OLE DB you will arrive at the Data Link Properties page, if the OLE DB provider is correctly installed. Otherwise you will receive an error message indicating that a connection cannot be made, in which case you will need to install it.
When Is the ODBC Interface Needed?
To access a general database, it is necessary to have the ODBC (Open DataBase Connectivity) interface installed. The alternative is to export data from the database into a file that is readable to QlikView.
Normally some ODBC drivers are installed with the operating system. Additional drivers can be bought from software retailers, found on the Internet or delivered from the DBMS manufacturer. Some drivers are redistributed freely.
The ODBC interface described here is the interface on the client computer. If the plan is to use ODBC to access a multi-user relational database on a network server, additional DBMS software that allows a client to access the database on the server might be needed. Contact the DBMS supplier for more information on the software needed.
QlikView works with 32-bit and 64-bit ODBC drivers.
Is the Correct ODBC Driver Installed?
On a 64-bit platform it is possible to use both 32-bit and 64-bit applications. It is also possible to run both 32-bit and 64-bit ODBC drivers.
When using the 64-bit versions of ODBC and QlikView, the ODBC Data Source Administrator is found in the Control Panel, Administrative Tools.
When using the 32-bit versions of ODBC and QlikView, you must start the 32-bit administrator via the executable file, odbcad32.exe that is located in the SysWOW64 folder, usually c:\windows\SysWOW64.
According to Microsoft, in the 64-bit versions of the operating systems, the system32 folder, usually c:\windows\system32, contains only 64-bit files. If there is also a 32-bit version of the file, it resides in the syswow64 folder. See http://technet.microsoft.com for more information.
On a 32-bit operating system the configuration is very straightforward since all files and drivers are 32-bit.
There should be an ODBC Data Source Administrator installed on the system. (For 32-bit ODBC on a 64-bit operating system start odbcad32.exe).
Go to the ODBC Drivers tab to find out what drivers are installed.
If the driver needed is not found on the ODBC Drivers tab, contact the software supplier to obtain the correct driver.
Creating ODBC Data Sources
An ODBC data source must be created for the database you wish to access. This can be done during the ODBC installation or at a later stage.
Before the start of creating data sources, a decision must be made whether they should be user or system data sources. User data sources cannot be reached unless the correct user id was used when logging on. To share the data sources with other users, system data sources must be created.
- Open the ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog again.
- Go to the tab User DSN to create user data sources, or to the tab System DSN to create system data sources.
- Click the Add button. The Add Data Source dialog should appear, showing a list of the ODBC drivers installed.
- If the correct ODBC driver is listed, select it and click the OK button. A dialog specific to the selected database driver will appear. Name the data source and set the necessary parameters. Click the OK button when ready.
