Custom Connections in the SDW

The Custom Connections feature in the Synthesis Data Warehouse allows you to create a live link to an external data source (Access, Oracle or SQL Server). This enables you to get data from your own custom and third-party databases for transferring to an analysis folio in Weibull++, ALTA or RGA, or for viewing in the SDW dashboards.

You can also get data directly from your own custom reports created in XFRACAS.

A custom connection data source always shows the latest information from the original database or report and you can only create one dashboard layout per connection. You can also use these connections to import data into a static Weibull++/ALTA or RGA data collection, if desired.

Connect to an External Database

To create a live link to an external database:

Choose Manage Data Sources > Add Custom Connection > To External Database.

In the Add Custom Connection window:
1. Enter the Display Name that will identify this custom connection in the SDW data source list.
2. Enter the connection settings for a Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle or Access database. (See Connection Issues below for more information about the Use impersonation option for SQL Server.)
3. After you have specified the database, the Table Name field shows a list of the available tables. Select the main one that contains the data you want to use in the SDW.
4. If you want to create aliases for column names, build a query that combines data from multiple tables or enter your own SQL, select the Open Query Editor/Builder check box.
5. If you want to create the dashboard layout for this data source immediately after defining the connection/query, select the Open Dashboard Designer check box.
6. Click OK to proceed.
If you selected to customize the query, you can use the Query Editor to type or paste your own query, or select a stored procedure. If you need further tools, click the Run Query Builder button. The Query Builder can serve three purposes:
1. The bottom-center panel shows the fields that will be included in the data set. If desired, you can use the Alias column to change the names that will be displayed in the SDW grid and dashboard layouts.
2. If the tables are linked by foreign keys, you can use the tool to build a query that combines fields from multiple tables.
3. You can also enter your own SQL in this tool; select the Allow SQL Editing check box and type or paste your own query.

When you are finished in the Query Builder, click OK to return to the Query Editor, where you can click Finish to save your changes.

If you selected to open the Dashboard Designer, you can use it to create a single dashboard layout for this data source.

If you want to change the query or create/modify the dashboard layout at a later time, select the custom connection in the data source manager and choose Dashboard > Dashboard Designer.

From within the Dashboard Designer window, choose Home > Query > Edit to customize the query.

Connection Issues

There will be a "connection failed" message if the database is not found at the specified name/location or if you don’t have permission to access it.

If your organization has implemented a Synthesis Enterprise Portal (SEP) website, the administrator may need to take additional steps to make the dashboards visible to all users via the SEP website. For details, consult the print-ready implementation guide (*.pdf).

Oracle - the password is stored with the custom connection; therefore, both the desktop applications and SEP website will attempt to connect in the same way for all users.
SQL Server - the Use impersonation option in the custom connection allows you to enter a login for a one-time extraction to an SDW data collection, but this login is not saved in SDW.

For subsequent attempts, the desktop applications will connect with the current user’s Windows login, whereas the SEP website will use the login that the website uses to connect with the Synthesis repository (if the Synthesis repository is SQL Server) or with the IIS "application pool identity" (if the Synthesis repository is Oracle).

Access - the SDW can only connect with databases that are not password protected and must have access to the folder where the database is stored. It is recommended to use the UNC pathname (e.g., \\servername\foldername rather than P:\foldername) when you create the custom connection.

The desktop applications will attempt to access the file with the current user’s Windows login, whereas the SEP website can only access files stored directly on the web server or in a network folder that can be accessed by the website’s IIS "application pool identity."

Tip: For Access databases with the *.accdb file type, the dashboard can only be displayed if the database was created with the same version of Microsoft Office (32-bit vs. 64-bit) that is installed on each individual user's computer (for ReliaSoft desktop applications) or on the web server (for SEP).

To ensure that the dashboard will display regardless of which version of Microsoft Office is installed, use the *.mdb file type instead of *.accdb.

Connect to XFRACAS Report

Creating a custom connection to a predefined XFRACAS report enables you to use the SDW to view any type of XFRACAS data (not just data collections extracted for life data or repairable systems analysis). If a Synthesis Enterprise Portal has been implemented for an enterprise database, users can also access the dashboards created for these reports from any web-enabled device.

Tip: For information about creating SDW reports in XFRACAS, see the "Report Builder" topic in the XFRACAS documentation.

To create a live link to an SDW report that has already been created in XFRACAS:

Choose Manage Data Sources > Add Custom Connection > To XFRACAS Report.

In the Select Report window, select any of the XFRACAS SDW reports that have been predefined in the database.
Click OK to load the data.

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