Manage Data Connections
Create and manage your data connections from a single location. Use the Manage Data Connections window to view connections you created and connections shared with you, as well as to add new connections.
To view and manage data connections at any time, select Options > Advanced Options > Manage Data Connections.
This option is only visible when the DCM Mode is set to DCM Optional or DCM Default. These are the only modes that allow usage of the legacy connections in Designer. That means this navigation option is hidden with DCM Mode set to Only or Enforced.
Shared Connections
Server Administrators can create data connections in your company's Server and share them with you to use in Alteryx Designer. To view and use shared connections, you must add your company's Server in Designer.
Add a Server
In Designer, select File > Open Workflow > Add New Server.
In URL, enter the URL path to your company's Server.
Select Connect.
Based on the Server configuration, authentication steps vary:
Built-in Authentication: Enter your Server email and password in Email and Password. Select Keep me logged in, if desired. Then, select Connect.
Windows Authentication: A user name displays. Select Continue to sign in.
The Server window opens in Designer. Browse or select Cancel to close the window.
Shared Server connections update when you open Alteryx Designer. After working in Designer, select Sync All to update Server connections. If a connection expires, sign in to Server to re-establish the connection.
Add a New Connection
In the Manage Data Connections window, select Add Connection and select an option:
When you select Microsoft SQL Server, Alteryx checks your computer for a SQL driver.
If a driver for connecting to SQL Server is installed, the SQL Server Database Connection window opens.
If the SQL Server Native Client driver is not installed, you are provided a link to install it.
Go to Microsoft SQL Server 2008, 2012, 2014, 2016, for more information about the driver.
In Connection Name, enter a unique name for the connection.
Use the Type dropdown to select an option:
User: Create a connection that only you can use.
System: Create a connection that can be shared. Open Alteryx Designer as an Administrator on your computer. This option is only for Designer Admins.
Use the Host dropdown to select an option:
Add Field: Enter a hostname.
Search network for SQL Server hosts: Prompt Alteryx to locate hosts in your network.
Select an authentication option:
Use Windows authentication: Automatically uses your Windows login credentials.
Use SQL Server authentication: Use your credentials for the server. Go to Guided Connection Setup for more information on authentication requirements.
Select Test to test the connection.
After you test the connection, select Default Database to view a list of databases on the server. Select a database to set it as the default database for this connection.
Select Done.
When you select Oracle, Alteryx checks your computer for an Oracle driver.
If an Oracle driver is already installed, the Oracle Database Connection window opens.
If a driver is not installed, the Oracle Client Not Found message displays. Select a location with at least 2 GB of free space to install the Oracle Instant Client driver. Select Install.
Go to Oracle for more information about the driver.
In the Oracle Database Connection window, in Connection Name, select an existing connection or type a name for a new connection.
Important
Data Source Name (DSN) connections configured in the ODBC driver are not listed. To configure ODBC and OLEDB connections, go to ODBC and OLEDB Database Connections.
Use the Type dropdown to select an option:
User: Create a connection that only you can use.
System: Create a connection that can be shared. Open Alteryx Designer as an administrator on your computer. This option is only for Designer Admins.
In Host, enter the Oracle server host name or IP address.
In Port, enter the network listening port for the Oracle database. The default is 1521.
Enter the name of the TNS-based application on the network in Service Name. This information is optional if only 1 service exists.
In Credentials, enter your username and password for the data connection. Go to Guided Connection Setup for more information on authentication requirements.
Select Test to test the connection.
Select OK.
To add a new data connection other than Microsoft SQL Server or Oracle...
In the Manage Data Connections window, select Add Connection and select Other.
In the Other Database Connection window, enter a unique name for the connection in Name.
Use the Type dropdown to specify a connection type:
User: Create a connection that only you can use.
System: (Admin-only) Create a connection that can be shared. Open Alteryx Designer as an administrator on your computer. This option is only for Designer Admins.
In Connection String, enter or paste the connection string. See Connection Setup Considerations for more information on authentication requirements.
Select Save.
Edit a Connection
You can edit the connections you created. You can't edit connections shared with you via a Server. Only Admin users can edit System connections.
Edit Connections
In the Manage Data Connections window, point to a connection and select the edit pencil.
Edit connection details.
In Password, enter the password you use to access the database. Go to Connection Setup Considerations for more information on authentication requirements.
Select Save.
Delete a Connection
You can delete the connections you created. Server connections can only be deleted if access to the connection is revoked. Only Admin users can delete System connections.
In the Manage Data Connections window, point to a connection and select the delete icon.
Undo appears next to the connection. If desired, select Undo to cancel the deletion.
Troubleshooting
You may be unable to see data connections for multiple reasons. Try 1 or more of these recommended actions.
Confirm that the Gallery (Server) is added to Alteryx Designer via File > Open Workflow > Add New Gallery.
Confirm that the Gallery connection is active. Try opening the Gallery from Designer via File > Open Workflow > Gallery (Server) link.
Select Sync All in the Manage Data Connections window to refresh the list of connections. Go to Options > Advanced Options > Manage Data Connections > Sync All.
Confirm that you can see existing Gallery connections in the Manage Data Connections window. Go to Options > Advanced Options > Manage Data Connections.
If you are unable to see any Gallery (Server) connections in the Manage Data Connections window after trying the recommended actions, contact your Alteryx Server Administrator.
This error might appear because your computer uses a different version of a Microsoft SQL Server driver than the machine on which the data connection was created.
You must have the same or a more recent version of a Microsoft SQL Server driver installed on your computer. For example, the error message displays when your computer uses version 10.0 of a Microsoft SQL Server driver, and the machine on which the data connection was created uses version 11.0.
Users can't directly upload data connections to share with others—that can only be done by the Alteryx Server Administrator. You can share the data connection details with another user to help them create the data connection in Designer on their computer.
Additional Resources
Go to Input Data Tool and Output Data Tool to learn how to use data connections in a workflow. Go to Supported Data Sources and File Formats for more on the data platforms and databases you can connect to.
Alteryx also supports in-database connections. Go to Manage In-DB Connections for more information.