Using the Data Source Browser
Last updated
Last updated
© Copyright 2023, Astera Software
Astera Data Integrator integrates multiple databases into a single user interface. With this application, you can interact with various types of databases simultaneously. The application is designed to make it easy for you to configure and access your data.
This section includes:
Overview of the Data Source Browser - enables you to launch the Data Source Browser and helps you get familiarized with it.
Connecting to Single Database - provides step-by-step instructions on how to connect to a single database.
Connecting to Multiple Databases - helps you work with multiple databases.
Disconnecting from a Database - provides information on how to disconnect from a database.
The Data Source Browser helps you connect to and query data on a database server. You can click the Add Database Server button to disconnect from the selected database server.
The Data Source Browser is also used while working with queries.
Steps:
Click View > Data Source Browser or press Ctrl + Alt + D. The Data Source Browser is displayed.
The Data Source Browser can be used to import data from a Microsoft Excel Worksheet, a delimited file or a fixed length file, into the connected database server in the form of a table. You can right-click the (+) in front of the connected database server to view the available options.
Steps:
Right-click (+) in front of the connected database server. The shortcut menu is displayed.
Click Import From Excel Worksheet. A new transfer starts with the MS Excel file selected as the source and a database table as the destination.
Click the Refresh button to refresh the database server.
Expand the database server tree by clicking (+).
The new database table is displayed in the list of tables.
You can follow the same steps to import data from a Delimited file or a Fixed length file.
The Data Source Browser can also be used to start a query. The connected database servers are displayed in the database browser window. You can right-click the (+) in front of the connected database server to view the available options.
Steps:
Right-click (+) in front of the connected database server. The shortcut menu is displayed.
Click New Query. A new query starts with a database connection already established.
The Data Source Browser provides a number of options for working with the tables displayed in the connected database server. You can right-click (+) in front of the table to view the available options.
Option
Helps to
Action
Display Table Records
Display all the fields and records in the selected table.
Right-click (+) in front of the table and select Display Table Records
Display Table Schema
Displays the schema of the table, i.e. the structure and all the contents of the elements of the table
Right-click (+) in front of the table and select Display Table Schema
Copy/Export
Transfer the contents of a selected table to a Delimited file/Microsoft Excel Worksheet/Database Table. It launches the transfer wizard when any one of the three options is chosen.
Right-click (+) in front of the table and select Copy/Export>Export Table Contents to Delimited File/Excel Worksheet/ Database table
Add Snippet For
Add a SQL code snippet into the active query window to insert, update, or delete a record from the selected table
Right-click (+) in front of the table and select Add Snippet For>Insert/Update/Delete
Script Table as
Create
Add a SQL code snippet to the clipboard/new window/active query window/file to create a new table based on the schema of the selected table.
Right-click (+) in front of the table and select Script Table as>Create>To Clipboard/To New Window/To Current Window/To File
Drop
Add a SQL code snippet to the clipboard/new window/active query window/file to drop the selected table.
Right-click (+) in front of the table and select Script Table as>Drop>To Clipboard/To New Window/To Current Window/To File
Select
Add a SQL code snippet to the clipboard/new window/active query window/file to select the schema of the selected table.
Right-click (+) in front of the table and select Script Table as>Select>To Clipboard/To New Window/To Current Window/To File
Insert
Add a SQL code snippet to the clipboard/new window/active query window/file to insert values in the selected table.
Right-click (+) in front of the table and select Script Table as>Insert>To Clipboard/To New Window/To Current Window/To File
Update
Add a SQL code snippet to the clipboard/new window/active query window/file to update the values in the selected table.
Right-click (+) in front of the table and select Script Table as>Update>To Clipboard/To New Window/To Current Window/To File
Delete
Add a SQL code snippet to the clipboard/new window/active query window/file to delete values from the selected table.
Right-click (+) in front of the table and select Script Table as>Delete>To Clipboard/To New Window/To Current Window/To File
Truncate Table
Delete all the fields and records from the selected table
Right-click (+) in front of the table and select Truncate Table
Drop Table
Delete the selected table
Right-click (+) in front of the table and select Drop Table
Refresh
Refresh the fields and records in the selected table
Right-click (+) in front of the table and select Refresh
The New Connection Dialog box is a tool used to establish connection to a database server, while working with transfers, batches and queries.
The following table describes the options available in the New Connection Dialog Box.
Option
Description
Recently Used list
It a list of connections that the user has defined recently. This helps to save the user from retyping the information over and over again. The list would be blank when the connection is being setup for the first time.
Data Provider list
It is a list of supported database types. The choices are: SQL Server, Oracle, DB2, Microsoft Access, Sybase, MySQL, as well as the Salesforce service which Astera treats as a database type.
Use Windows Authentication check box
It is an option to ’log in’ to the database using your windows credentials rather than supply a user name and password.
Advanced Connection Info button
This button launches the Advanced Connection Info dialog box. This is where a user can specify database specific settings such as connection timeout and command timeout.
User Id box
This is the box provided to enter your assigned unique identification information.
Password box
The password assigned to the user is entered in this box.
Server Name box
It is the name of the computer that is running the database management system.
Database list
The database selected is the one that the user wishes to use when he/she connects to the database management system. This list is retrieved when enough connection information is provided so that Astera Data Integrator can ask the database management system for this list.
Port box
This box displays the port number that the program should use on the remote machine to communicate with it. The defaults provided are the ones that are typically used by each database management system.
Test Connection button
This button displays the Connection Test Results window, which provides information about whether the connection was successful.
This section helps you understand how to connect to a database server.
Steps:
In the Recently Used box, enter the path of the database management system. Ensure that the Specify Database Information box is checked.
In the Data Provider box, click the drop-down arrow and select the type of database.
Note: You can use the Advanced Connection Info box to specify the database specific settings. There are a number of connection attributes that are specific to databases. For instance, in some drivers you can specify Connection Poolsize attribute as well as Command Timeout, Connection Timeout and so on. The actual attributes depend on the database and the driver being used.
In the User Id box, enter your assigned unique identification information.
In the Password box, enter your assigned password.
Note: Check Use Windows Authentication box if you do not want to provide your User Id and Password. In this case the connection will be authenticated using the credentials provided by Windows.
In the Server Name box, enter the full name of the computer that is running the Database Server.
In the Database box, enter the name of the database you want to use when you connect to the Database Server.
In the Port box, enter the port number that the program uses on the remote machine to communicate with it. The defaults provided for each database type are the ones that are typically used by each Database Server.
Click Test Connection. The Connection Test Results window appears.
If the connection was opened successfully, ’TEST COMPLETED SUCCESSFULLY’ will be displayed.
Click OK to close the Connection Test Results window.
Click OK to close the New Connection Information dialog box.
You have successfully connected to a single database.
Astera Data Integrator gives you the option to work with more than one database at the same time. The steps for connecting to multiple databases are the same as those for Connecting to Single Database. While connecting to multiple databases, you can connect to the existing Data Provider or establish a new connection with a different Data Provider.
The navigation bar displays all the active database connections. You can switch between databases by clicking on the Server name in the navigation bar. The active database appears highlighted in the navigation bar.
This section describes the process of disconnecting from a database.
Steps:
In the navigation bar, select the database Server from which you want to disconnect.
You have successfully disconnected from the database.
Astera Data Integrator comes with a handy feature which allows you to quickly change required database connections throughout your transfer setting, using a single UI interface.
This may be useful if you are migrating your transfer setting into a different environment, such as from Beta to Production, in which case all of your database connections would need to be changed.
Using the Change All Database Connections screen, you can replace current database connections specified in the transfer setting with the ones that are appropriate for your target environment.
Examples of database connections that you can change include source connections, destination connections, data model connections, SQL statement map connections, database lookup map connections and others.
Note: When changing database connections, you can only change the connection within the same database provider. For instance, you cannot change a connection from SQL Server to Oracle. However, you can change the connection from SQL Server 2005 to SQL Server 2008.
Click the Add Database Engine button The New Connection Information dialog box is displayed.
The database tables are displayed in the work area and the Server name is displayed in the navigation bar. You can refresh the displayed list by clicking the Refresh button .
Click the Disconnect Selected Database button . All information related to the database disappears from the Data Source Browser.
Change All Database Connections icon is available in the main toolbar. It is also available in Server Administration under Scheduler, on the Change All Database Connections tab.
