Birst Connect 2.0 Live Access Connections

Connect to a Database Using Live Access

Similar to connecting to a database, you can select the Live Access option to create a logical mapping of data from a database rather than importing the data into the Birst Cloud.

Note: You can map the tables using the Live Access connection, but you cannot prepare the data since it is not in the Birst Cloud.

Important: Before Birst can connect to a database, you must download the Birst Cloud Agent to the machine that will access the database. The agent enables Birst to access the database behind its firewall.

The Modeler Relate feature creates joins between mapped sources.

For Birst Enterprise customers, you can use Birst Connect 2.0 (HTML Admin) to create Live Access connections and model your existing ADR sources in the HTML interface along with joining both LA and ARD sources for an end to end experience. However, continue using Classic Admin for source upload. Please refer to Modeler Enterprise for more information on Enterprise user capabilities.

For instructions on creating a new Live Access connection, see Connect to a Database Using Birst Connect 2.0. Note: Infor Data Lake connections are not supported by Live Access.

After completing your data source connections, you can create the logical data map by clicking the Map Data button. The name of this button includes your connection name. For example, Map MSSQL LA Data.

Live Access objects connect like database objects. After establishing a Live Access connection, you can edit data source connections like database objects. For more information on how to edit data source connections, see Edit Connection Objects.

Set Query Timeout and Fetch Size

Users can set their Live Access query timeout and fetch size from the More Options menu.

Enter the query timeout, fetch size, and database port number. If port number is left blank, it will use the database’s default port.

The query timeout parameter is the maximum time duration (in seconds) the query will be executed. If the database does not return results in this time frame, the query execution is halted and a timeout exception occurs. The database may also have a defined query timeout parameter that is less than the timeout parameter defined by our Live Access connection. You may want to verify that your Live Access timeout parameter is less than the database's timeout parameter value.

Add a Time Series to a Live Access Source

To enable time series analysis in a Live Access source, add the Birst Standard Time series data to your Live Access connection's source database. You can obtain a copy of the Birst Standard Time series from Customer Support. Before Birst can employ the Birst Connect 2.0 Time table feature, you must have the latestBirst Cloud Agent release.

Important: The time tables should be loaded in the dbo schema that reside in the same database instance as the Live Access tables. Time tables loaded once can be shared across all Birst spaces that map to tables in the same database instance.

After successfully loading the Birst Time Series data, you can create a new Live Access connection or edit any existing Live Access connections created with Birst Connect 2.0 to use the Time Table feature. Important: Once enabled, this feature cannot be turned off.

Tip: It is a good practice to relate any tables that you want to report by using the time series with at least one Live Access source table that contains dates and or time. For example, in the following example I have related the "Orders" table (which has dates) to the "Order Details w Avg Rev" table which has measures but no dates. By creating this relationship via the OrderID Foreign Key I can report on things such as Quantity sold by time.

Configure Birst Connect 2.0 Live Access Source

Modifications to the Live Access Source Connection are supported through the ellipses button located to the right of the connection name.

Add Query-Based Object

Details on creating a Query Based Object can be found at, Connect to a Database Using Birst Connect 2.0. Modeler Prep preview and Relate joins now support Live Access Query Sources.

Set Cache on a Live Access Object

Specify the cache time limit for Live Access queries at both the individual source or connection level. Caching queries improves performance. Since Birst does not know when data is changed in the local database, you can specify how long to cache a query on a Live Access source.

To set the cache limit at the source level:

Select the drop-down menu of the desired source and select Set Cache.
You will be presented with three options for cache settings:
- Never cache
  - Never cache continuously polls data from the source database. Caution: Continuously polling from the database will slow down the speed of queries returned.
- Cache indefinitely
  - Cache indefinitely uses the last available set of data in cache based on the last data extract. This results in faster query times, but data could be stale.
- Refresh every ...
  - The Refresh every... option will prompt you for additional time input selections in hours and/or minutes.
Select your cache setting and click Apply.

Set Cache for a Live Access Connection

From the Live Access Connection ellipses, select the Set Cache for all objects option.

You will be presented with same cache setting options that you have for setting cache for an individual Live Access object.

Create Compound Table

Compound tables allow you to regroup multiple tables into one single object. For details on how to use this feature, please see Create Live Access Compound Tables with Modeler Connect.

Update Schema

Birst provides the ability for Enterprise users to change the schema of a Live Access source. For more details on this feature, see Modeler Enterprise.

Edit or Delete Birst Connect 2.0 Live Access Connections

After establishing a Live Access connection, you can edit or delete data source connections like you would database objects.

From the Modeler Prep page, select the action arrow down icon to populate the Edit and Delete options.

For more information on editing data source connections, see Edit Connection Objects.

Important: You should delete Birst Connect Live Access Source from the Modeler Prep page. Do not use the Modeler Connect page to delete Live Access sources.