Business User Edition Technical Library > Working With Data > Connecting to Data and Editing Data

Connecting to Data and Editing Data

Topics:

Creating a Synonym With the Connect to Data Wizard
Editing And Deleting Metadata

Aside from uploading data, you can create synonyms by connecting to various data sources. The Connect to Data wizard leads you through this process and allows you to establish a connection to many native data sources. The data source being used determines the type of metadata that is required. For example:

When the server accesses a relational data source, it needs to know how to interpret the data stored there. You must create a synonym that describes the structure of the data source and the server mapping of the data types.
When the server invokes a transaction or procedure, it needs to know how to build the request, what parameters to pass, and how to format an answer set from the response. You must create a synonym that describes the layout of the request or response area.

Whatever your data source, the adapter you are using manages the synonym creation process for you, creating a synonym that meets your specific requirements.

Note: Although all synonym creation panes have the same look and feel, the parameters are specific to each adapter. To obtain detailed information for an adapter, click the question mark (?) next to a parameter.

Creating a Synonym With the Connect to Data Wizard

Topics:

Step One: Connect to SQL
Step Two: Import Metadata
Step Three: Edit Metadata

The Connect to Data wizard provides a step-by-step process for configuring adapters that connect to data sources that you can use to build reports, charts, and visualizations in InfoAssist+.

Using the Connect to Data wizard, you can perform the following steps:

Connect to SQL. Configure an adapter, create a new connection, or change connection parameters.
Import Metadata. Create a synonym for one or more data sources.
Edit Metadata. Enhance metadata by adding measures, dimensions, and dimension hierarchies.

These steps are displayed in the navigation screen, as shown in the following image. As you complete the tasks for each step, the tool automatically takes you to the next step in the process. If you want to go directly to a specific step, click the step and the corresponding window opens.

You can launch the Connect to Data wizard in one of the following ways:

From the Resources tree, right-click a domain or folder, point to Metadata, and then click Connect to Data.
In the Open dialog box, in InfoAssist+, click Connect to Data.

Step One: Connect to SQL

How to:

Configure a New Adapter/Connection
Add a Connection
Change a Connection

The first step in the Connect to Data wizard is creating a connection to your data, which will allow you to modify your data for use in WebFOCUS BUE. You can configure a new adapter or connection, add a connection to an existing adapter, or change adapter connections.

Procedure: How to Configure a New Adapter/Connection

From the Configure connection screen, click New Adapter/Connection.

The Configure Adapter screen opens, as shown in the following image.
Select the radio button for the adapter and click Next.

Note: You can click the Adapter, Release/Dialect, Adapter Category, or Adapter Sub-category columns to sort the available adapters.

The Add to Configuration screen opens.
Enter the parameters for the specific adapter and click Configure. For information on the parameters, see the online Help.

Procedure: How to Add a Connection

From the Configure connection screen, click Add Connection.

The Add Connections screen opens.
Select the radio button for the adapter and click Next.
Enter the parameters for the specific adapter and click Configure.

Procedure: How to Change a Connection

From the Configure connection screen, click Change Connection.

The Edit Connections screen opens.
Select the radio button for the connection and click Next.

Note: You can click the Adapter, Connection, Connection string, or Profile columns to sort the available connections.
Change the parameters for the specific connection and click Configure.

Step Two: Import Metadata

How to:

Import Metadata

Once you configure a connection, you must select the metadata that you want to import. The first screen that you see is the Select connection to create synonyms screen. Here, you select the connection to your data.

Procedure: How to Import Metadata

Select the radio button for the adapter and click Next.

Note: You can click the Adapter, Connection, or Connection string columns to sort the available adapters.

The Select Synonym Candidates screen opens.
Select or enter the parameters for each screen and click Next.

The Create Synonym screen opens.
Select one or more synonym check boxes.
Click Next.

The synonyms are created in the application directory.

Step Three: Edit Metadata

The first screen in this step is the Categorize Fields into Measures, Dimensions and Hierarchies screen. In this step, you can manage and enhance your metadata as required, to simplify and enrich future analytics. By default, you can see your fields interpreted as measures and dimensions, as shown in the following image. You can modify the synonym structure by using the ribbon functions and the shortcut menu options available in the Measures/Dimensions window.

For more information about the options that are available in the Categorize Fields into Measures, Dimensions and Hierarchies screen, see Categorize Fields Into Measures, Dimensions and Hierarchies Screen Overview.

Related Information:

Editing And Deleting Metadata

How to:

Edit a Synonym
Delete Metadata

You are able to edit or delete previously created synonyms using the shortcut menu.

Procedure: How to Edit a Synonym

To edit an existing synonym, in the Resources tree, right-click a domain or folder, point to Metadata, and then click Edit.

The Reporting Server window opens. A list of synonyms associated with the folder and two other shared applications, foccache and baseapp, display in the Applications directory.

Note: Foccache is a temporary application directory for your current session, its contents are automatically deleted once you close the Reporting Server window. Baseapp is a permanent application directory that all users across all domains can see. You can use the baseapp application to store synonyms and images that need to be shared by all users. Only users with the manager user ID can populate the baseapp application.
Right-click a synonym and click Open, as shown in the following image.

The Categorize Fields into Measures, Dimensions and Hierarchies screen opens, where you can modify your synonym.
Make edits to the synonym, as required.
To save your synonym, click File, and then click Save.
Close the Reporting Server window.

Procedure: How to Delete Metadata

To delete an existing synonym, right-click a domain or folder, point to Metadata, and then click Edit.

The Reporting Server window opens. A list of synonyms associated with the folder displays in the Applications directory.
Right-click the synonym that you want to Delete, point to Data Management, and then click Delete All Data.

A confirmation window opens, alerting you that you are deleting every row of data.
Click OK to proceed.
To remove the synonym file from the view, right-click this synonym again and then click Delete.
Close the Reporting server window.

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