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Load Metadata from a Microsoft SQL Server Database

Use the Microsoft SQL Server Loader to upload metadata to Alteryx Connect for a specified Microsoft SQL Server database or Microsoft Azure SQL Data Warehouse (Azure Synapse Analytics).

Review Loader Requirements

  • The Alteryx Connect Loaders must be installed on the machine where Alteryx Server is installed. To install the loaders:

    1. Download the loaders installer. For compatibility, the Loaders installer version must match the Alteryx Connect version.

    2. Run the installer as an administrator.

  • The SQL Server user account requires elevated permissions to access system tables. You can use the following query:

    GRANT VIEW SERVER STATE TO <<username>>

  • Microsoft SQL Server Native Client 11.0 driver is required. To install the Microsoft SQL Server driver using Alteryx Designer, open Designer and go to Options > Advanced Options > Manage Data Connections > Add Connection > Microsoft SQL Server.

    • If a driver for connecting to Microsoft SQL Server is installed, the Microsoft SQL Server Database Connection window opens. You can optionally create a connection to test your database credentials and network connectivity.

    • If the Microsoft SQL Server Native Client driver is not installed, you are provided a link to install it.

    • For more information, see Manage Data Connections Window in the Alteryx Designer Help.Manage Data Connections

Open the Loader

  1. Open Alteryx Designer.

  2. Select Help > Sample Workflows > Alteryx Connect Metadata Loaders > MSSQL Loader > MSSQL Loader.

Run the App

  1. Select Run as Analytic App

    Run as analytic app button

    .

  2. In the SQL server tab:

    • In Connection parameters, type the Microsoft SQL Server IP address or hostname.

    • Specify an Instance type.

    • Select a TCP port parameter.

    • Select an Authentication method. For Microsoft SQL Server Authentication, type your Microsoft SQL Server credentials.

    • In Objects to load, optionally specify comma-separated lists of catalogs and schemas. Leave blank to load all catalogs and schemas.

    1. In the Alteryx Connect tab, type the URL for your Alteryx Connect instance and your credentials.

      https://yourcompany.alteryxconnect.com

    2. Before running the app, select Save button and save the app configuration to the following directory:

      C:\ProgramData\Alteryx\AlteryxConnect\SQLServer_Loader\

      The .yxwv app values file is used for scheduling the loader to run in the Gallery. See Schedule Metadata Loaders.

  4. Select Finish to run the app.

    • If the run succeeds, "Success" appears in the App Results window.

    • If the run fails, a "There were Errors" message appears.

    Depending on how much metadata is being imported, the app can take a long time to run.

View the Metadata

  1. Go to the Alteryx Connect URL and log in.

  2. From the main menu, select Data Sources > Databases.

  3. Select a folder to view its contents.

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