Visualize Live DB2 Data in Tableau

Tableau is a visual analytics platform transforming the way businesses use data to solve problems. When paired with the CData Tableau Connector for IBM DB2, you can easily get access to live DB2 data within Tableau. This article shows how to connect to DB2 in Tableau and build a simple chart.

The CData Tableau Connectors enable high-speed access to live DB2 data in Tableau. Once you install the connector, you simply authenticate with DB2 and you can immediately start building responsive, dynamic visualizations and dashboards. By surfacing DB2 data using native Tableau data types and handling complex filters, aggregations, & other operations automatically, CData Tableau Connectors grant seamless access to DB2 data.

NOTE: The CData Tableau Connectors require Tableau 2020.3 or higher. If you are using an older version of Tableau, you will need to use the CData JDBC Driver.

Connect to DB2 in Tableau

Open Tableau and click More under Connect -> To a Server. Select "DB2 by CData," then configure the connection and click "Sign In."

Set the following properties to connect to DB2:

• Server: Set this to the name of the server running DB2.
• Port: Set this to the port the DB2 server is listening on.
• Database: Set this to the name of the DB2 database.
• User: Set this to the username of a user allowed to access the database.
• Password: Set this to the password of a user allowed to access the database.

You will also need to install the corresponding DB2 driver:

• Windows: Install the IBM Data Server Provider for .NET.

  On Windows, installing the IBM Data Server Provider is sufficient, as the installation registers it in the machine.config.

• Java: Install the IBM Data Server Driver for JDBC.

  In the Java version, place the IBM Data Server Driver JAR in the www\WEB-INF\lib\ folder for this application.

Discover Schemas and Query Data

1. Select CData from the Database pull-down menu.
2. Select DB2 from the Schema pull-down menu.
3. Drag the tables and views you wish to visualize onto the join area. You can include multiple tables. 👁 Selecting table(s)
   
4. Select Update Now or Automatically Update. Update Now lets you preview the first 10,000 rows of the data source (or enter the number of rows you want to see in the Rows text box). Automatically Update automatically reflects the changes in the preview area.
5. Click the tab for your worksheet. Columns are listed as Dimensions and Measures, depending on the data type. The CData Tableau Connector discovers data types automatically, allowing you to leverage the powerful data processing and visualization features of Tableau.
6. Drag a field from the Dimensions or Measures area to Rows or Columns. Tableau creates column or row headers.
7. Select one of the chart types from the Show Me tab. Tableau displays the chart type that you selected.
👁 Visualizing live DB2 data

Using the CData Tableau Connector for IBM DB2 with Tableau, you can easily create robust visualizations and reports on DB2 data. Download a free, 30-day trial and get started today.