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Connect to an Oracle Database

This procedure describes the easiest method for connecting to an Oracle database. If you don't have the appropriate Oracle driver installed, Alteryx prompts you to install it.

  1. Drag an Input Data tool or Output Data tool onto the canvas and select it.

  2. In the Configuration window, select Set Up a Connection. Then, select Data sources. In the Oracle section, select Quick connect.

  3. Alteryx Designer checks your system for an Oracle driver.

    • If a driver that you can use to connect to Oracle already exists, you see the Oracle Database Connection window. Proceed to the next step.

    • If you don't have a driver installed, you are prompted to download and install the Oracle Instant Client driver. The installation location must have at least 2 GB of free space. For more information, go to Oracle.

  4. In Connection Name, enter a new connection name or select an existing connection. Designer stores new connections in the Manage Data Connections window.

    • Select an existing connection:

      • View and select any System connection or any User connection you've created.

      • Data Source Name (DSN) connections configured in the ODBC driver aren't listed. To configure ODBC and OLEDB connections, go to ODBC and OLEDB database connections.

    • Modify an existing connection:

      • When you select an existing connection, you can modify all connection properties except Type.

      • If you are an admin, you can modify any System connection or any User connection you've created.

      • If you are a non-admin user, you can only modify the User connections you've created.

      • If you modify a connection property (for example, Host), you must re-enter your password.

  5. Select a connection Type:

    • User: Creates a connection that only you can use. User connections are visible only by the user who created them.

    • System: (Selectable only by administrator users) Creates a connection for any user on a machine. System connections are visible to all users.

  6. In Host, enter the Oracle database server host name or IP address.

  7. Enter the Port number for the Oracle database. The default value is 1521.

  8. Enter a Service Name, if desired. The service name defaults to the global database name if you leave this field blank.

  9. Enter your Credentials for the server. See Manual connection setup for more information on authentication requirements.

  10. Select Test to test the connection.

  11. Select OK.

Note

If you connect to an Oracle database that contains Unicode® encoded data, select Force SQL WChar Support in the Input Data tool Configuration window. Designer then treats character columns as SQL_WCHAR, SQL_WVCHAR, or SQL_WLONGVARCHAR.

Alternate Oracle Connection Methods

For ODBC and OLEDB connection instructions, go to ODBC and OLEDB Database Connections.

If an admin has already configured a TNS server...

  1. Select Other Databases > Oracle OCI.

  2. Provide the TNS server name and your credentials.

  3. Select OK.

If you experience performance issues when you write to Oracle, use the bulk loader:

  1. In the Output Data tool Configuration dropdown menu, select Other Databases > Oracle Bulk.

  2. Provide the TNS server name and your credentials.

  3. Select OK.