Use the CData ODBC Driver for PostgreSQL in MicroStrategy Desktop

MicroStrategy is an analytics and mobility platform that enables data-driven innovation. When paired with the CData ODBC Driver for PostgreSQL, you gain database-like access to live PostgreSQL data from MicroStrategy, expanding your reporting and analytics capabilities. In this article, we walk through adding PostgreSQL as a data source in MicroStrategy Desktop and creating a simple visualization of PostgreSQL data.

The CData ODBC Driver offers unmatched performance for interacting with live PostgreSQL data in MicroStrategy due to optimized data processing built into the driver. When you issue complex SQL queries from MicroStrategy to PostgreSQL, the driver pushes supported SQL operations, like filters and aggregations, directly to PostgreSQL and utilizes the embedded SQL Engine to process unsupported operations (often SQL functions and JOIN operations) client-side. With built-in dynamic metadata querying, you can visualize and analyze PostgreSQL data using native MicroStrategy data types.

Connect to PostgreSQL as an ODBC Data Source

Information for connecting to PostgreSQL follows, along with different instructions for configuring a DSN in Windows and Linux environments.

To connect to PostgreSQL, set the Server, Port (the default port is 5432), and Database connection properties and set the User and Password you wish to use to authenticate to the server. If the Database property is not specified, the data provider connects to the user's default database.

SSH Connectivity for PostgreSQL

You can use SSH (Secure Shell) to authenticate with PostgreSQL, whether the instance is hosted on-premises or in supported cloud environments. SSH authentication ensures that access is encrypted (as compared to direct network connections).

SSH Connections to PostgreSQL in Password Auth Mode

To connect to PostgreSQL via SSH in Password Auth mode, set the following connection properties:

• User: PostgreSQL User name
• Password: PostgreSQL Password
• Database: PostgreSQL database name
• Server: PostgreSQL Server name
• Port: PostgreSQL port number like 3306
• UserSSH: "true"
• SSHAuthMode: "Password"
• SSHPort: SSH Port number
• SSHServer: SSH Server name
• SSHUser: SSH User name
• SSHPassword: SSH Password

SSH Connections to PostgreSQL in Public Key Auth Mode

To connect to PostgreSQL via SSH in Password Auth mode, set the following connection properties:

• User: PostgreSQL User name
• Password: PostgreSQL Password
• Database: PostgreSQL database name
• Server: PostgreSQL Server name
• Port: PostgreSQL port number like 3306
• UserSSH: "true"
• SSHAuthMode: "Public_Key"
• SSHPort: SSH Port number
• SSHServer: SSH Server name
• SSHUser: SSH User name
• SSHClientCret: the path for the public key certificate file

When you configure the DSN, you may also want to set the Max Rows connection property. This will limit the number of rows returned, which is especially helpful for improving performance when designing reports and visualizations.

Windows

If you have not already, first specify connection properties in an ODBC DSN (data source name). This is the last step of the driver installation. You can use the Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator to create and configure ODBC DSNs.

Linux

If you are installing the CData ODBC Driver for PostgreSQL in a Linux environment, the driver installation predefines a system DSN. You can modify the DSN by editing the system data sources file (/etc/odbc.ini) and defining the required connection properties.

/etc/odbc.ini

[CData PostgreSQL Sys]
Driver = CData ODBC Driver for PostgreSQL
Description = My Description
User = postgres
Password = admin
Database = postgres
Server = 127.0.0.1
Port = 5432

For specific information on using these configuration files, please refer to the help documentation (installed and found online).

Connect to and Visualize PostgreSQL Data using MicroStrategy Desktop

In addition to connecting PostgreSQL in MicroStrategy enterprise products, you can connect to PostgreSQL in MicroStrategy Desktop. Follow the steps below to add PostgreSQL data as a dataset and create visualizations and reports of PostgreSQL data.

1. Open MicroStrategy Desktop and create a new dossier.
2. In the datasets panel, click New Data, select Databases, and select Type a Query as the Import Option.
3. Add a new data source and choose DSN data sources.
4. Choose the DSN you previously configured (likely CData PostgreSQL Sys) and select Generic DBMS in the Version menu.
5. Set the User and Password properties for the DSN (or use placeholder values) and name the data source.
👁 Creating a new data source for PostgreSQL.

6. Select the new database instance to view the tables. You may need to manually click the search icon in the Available Tables section to see the tables.
7. Create a SQL query for the PostgreSQL data (see below) and click Execute SQL to test the query.

   SELECT * FROM Orders
   

   👁 Querying PostgreSQL for data.
   NOTE: Since we create a live connection, we can execute a SELECT * query and utilize the filtering and aggregation features native to the MicroStrategy products.
8. Click Finish and choose to connect live.
9. Choose a visualization, choose fields to display (data types are discovered automatically through dynamic metadata discovery) and apply any filters to create a new visualization of PostgreSQL data. Where possible, the complex queries generated by the filters and aggregations will be pushed down to PostgreSQL, while any unsupported operations (which can include SQL functions and JOIN operations) will be managed client-side by the CData SQL Engine embedded in the driver. 👁 Visualize PostgreSQL data.
   
10. Once you are finished configuring the dossier, click File -> Save.

Using the CData ODBC Driver for PostgreSQL in MicroStrategy Desktop, you can easily create robust visualizations and reports on PostgreSQL data. Read our other articles on connecting to PostgreSQL in MicroStrategy and connecting to PostgreSQL in MicroStrategy Web for more examples.