Create a Connection Manager

A Connection Manager defines a connection to a Source System of the Data Warehouse. Data is extracted from source system tables into the Staging database. Dimodelo Data Warehouse Studio supports many different types of Sources Systems including databases (Any database type that has an OLEDB driver, DB2, Oracle, SQL Server etc), Excel Files, Flat Files and XML files.

To define a new Database Connection manager do the following

  1. Expand the ‘Connection Managers’ Node in the Solution Explorer tool window.
  2. Right click the DB folder and click ‘Create New’.
  3. Enter a Name into the Connection Manager Name field. The Connection Manager names Staging and Warehouse are reserved and can’t be used.
  4. Click the Configure button.
  5. Select a data source (e.g. Microsoft SQL Server) in the Data Source list, and then a Data Provider (e.g. ‘.NET Framework Data Provider for OLE DB‘) in the Data Provider dropdown. The dimodelo.desk.com site contains information about selecting the correct parameters for different types of Databases including Oracle.
  6. Click OK.
  7. Another dialog appears particular to the type of Data Provider selected. Fill in the details for you connection.
  8. Click Ok.
  9. For some providers (like Oracle) it is necessary to supply the Owner/Schema and Password details.
  10. Click the Save icon in the Dimodelo Menu.
  11. There should now be a Name.db node under Connection Managers>DB in the solution.

After you create a connection, you must also create a new Source System. The Source System contains a little more meta data information about the Source System.

Important Note:

As you create, delete and change Connection Managers, DA will create, delete and change the equivalent connection strings in all DA Config files associated with the project via a Visual Studio project configuration. However if a Connection Manager is changed and it’s connection string is modified, DA will only modify the equivalent connection string in the DA Config file associated with the currently active project configuration.

There is more specific information about Connections tips and tricks at our support site dimodelo.desk.com.