Using Applications

The Open Data Hub for Mainframe ODBC Connector is compliant with the ODBC 3.5 specification.

Using the Open Data Hub for Mainframe ODBC Connector

The following procedures describe how to use the Open Data Hub for Mainframe ODBC Connector from Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Power BI, and Tableau.

Open Data Hub for Mainframe ODBC Connector from Microsoft Excel

The following procedure describes how to use the Open Data Hub for Mainframe ODBC Connector from Microsoft Excel and create a visualization.

Use the ODBC Connector from Microsoft Excel

    Procedure
  1. From Microsoft Office, open Microsoft Excel.
  2. From the Data tab, select Get Data.
  3. From the Get Data drop-down list, select From Other Sources, and then select From ODBC, as shown in the following image.

    The From ODBC dialog box opens.

  4. Select the Data Source Name, for example, DATA, as shown in the following image.

  5. Click OK.

    The Application Directory Navigator dialog box opens.

    Note: To see all the application directory folders on the Application Directory Navigator dialog box, select Folders from the Schemas drop-down list on the ODBC Driver Configuration dialog box, as shown in the following image.

  6. Select the application directory name, as shown in the following image.

    You can also search for a data source name, as shown in the following image.

  7. Double-click the data source to load the data or click Transform Data to edit the data before loading.

    If you click Transform Data, the Power Query Editor opens, as shown in the following image.

  8. Using the Excel Queries and Connections option, you can create a query against the data.

Open Data Hub for Mainframe ODBC Connector from Microsoft Power BI

The following procedures describe how to use the Open Data Hub for Mainframe ODBC Connector from Microsoft Power BI and create a visualization.

Microsoft Power BI supports two methods of data access:

  • Import of data from underlying data sources into a cache.

    With the import method, data is never current and must be re-retrieved prior to use. For ODBC data sources, this cache can become large as all data is brought down to the cache. Once cached, performance can be good as this data is not re-retrieved for the session.

    For information on using the ODBC Connector from Microsoft Power BI Import to create a visualization, see Use the ODBC Connector from Microsoft Power BI Import.

  • Direct Query, which queries the underlying data source each time a dashboard or report is loaded or changes definitions in the tool.

    With the Direct Query method, data is much more current, but performance may be an issue if the underlying data source does not perform.

    For information on using the ODBC Connector from Microsoft Power BI Direct Query to create a visualization, see Use the ODBC Connector from Microsoft Power BI Direct Query.

Use the ODBC Connector from Microsoft Power BI Import

The following procedure describes how to use the ODBC Connector from Microsoft Power BI Import and create a visualization.

Note: The following instructions are included as a guideline. Your system and the necessary steps might vary. Refer to your development tool documentation and perform thorough testing of your system after establishing the connection between the ODBC Connector and Power BI Import.

    Procedure
  1. Open Microsoft Power BI.
  2. Select Get data.

    The Get Data dialog box opens.

  3. Select Other and then select ODBC.
  4. Click Connect.

    The ODBC driver dialog box opens.

  5. Type your user name and password and click Connect.

    The Application Directory Navigator dialog box opens.

    Note: Power BI caches your user ID and password. After the first time you enter your credentials, you will not be prompted again.

  6. Select the application directory name and table or tables.
  7. Click Load.
  8. Create a visualization with Power BI.

Use the ODBC Connector from Microsoft Power BI Direct Query

Open Data Hub for Mainframe contains a plugin to allow Power BI to retrieve data using the Direct Query method against mainframe data sources. This capability is available by creating a custom connector .mez for the Open Data Hub for Mainframe.

Note: The following instructions are included as a guideline. Your system and the necessary steps might vary. Refer to your development tool documentation and perform thorough testing of your system after establishing the connection between the ODBC Connector and Power BI Direct Query.

    Procedure
  1. Copy the .mez file to the following location, where Power BI Desktop is installed:

    Documents\Microsoft Power BI Desktop\Custom Connectors

    For example:

    Note: If this directory does not exist, you can manually create it and restart Power BI. You will then be ready to use Open Data Hub for Mainframe in Direct Query Mode.

  2. Make sure you have added the Open Data Hub for Mainframe connection to the ODBC settings on your desktop.
  3. To access mainframe data using Open Data Hub in Direct Query Mode, open Power BI Desktop.
  4. Click Get data.
  5. From the list of Data Sources, select Databasee.
  6. Select ibi Open Data Hub (Beta) and click Connect.
  7. On the Welcome screen, supply the name of the ODBC-defined Open Data Hub for Mainframe connection (for example, DATA) and select the DirectQuery radio button.
  8. Click OK.
  9. From the Navigator Panel, you will see the listing of APP directories from the ibi mainframe WebFOCUS Reporting Server. Select the data source you wish to use in Direct Query Mode.
  10. Select the check box next to the file and click Load.

    Upon load, no data is imported into the Power BI store. Instead, when you build a visualization, Power BI Desktop sends queries to the underlying data source to retrieve the necessary data. The time it takes to refresh the visual depends on the performance of the underlying data source.

Open Data Hub for Mainframe ODBC Connector from Tableau

The following procedure describes how to use the ODBC Connector from Tableau and create a visualization.

Note: The following instructions are included as a guideline. Your system and the necessary steps might vary. Refer to your development tool documentation and perform thorough testing of your system after establishing the connection between the ODBC Connector and Tableau.

Use the ODBC Connector from Tableau

    Procedure
  1. Start Tableau Desktop.
  2. Under Connect To a Server, select More, and then select Other Databases (ODBC).
  3. Select the Data Source Name and click Sign In.

    The iWay ODBC dialog box opens.

  4. Type your User ID and password, and click OK.
  5. On the Connections screen, select EDADB for Database (it is your only choice).
  6. Type a schema name or % to see all the schemas.
  7. Type a full table name, or a partial table name.
  8. Select a table from the list and drag it to the work area to start.
  9. Create a visualization using Tableau Desktop.

Using ODBC Escape Clauses

Use the ODBC Escape Clause to run remote procedures. ODBC uses similar escape clauses to define various extensions to ANSI standard SQL.

Using ODBC Escape Clauses to Run Remote Procedures

--(*vendor(Microsoft),product(ODBC) call proc_name[(parm1,parm2...)]*)--

where:

proc_name

Specifies the name of the procedure stored on the server.

parm1,parm2...

Specifies the name of one or more optional parameters.

Invoking Remote Procedures Using Shorthand Syntax

{call proc_name[(parm1,parm2...)]}

The Connector driver supports the shorthand syntax.

Note: Some ODBC applications use their own syntax for calling remote procedures. These applications also convert the syntax into the ODBC Escape Clause syntax internally.

Using ODBC Escape Clauses for Dates, Times, and Timestamps

{d 'date_value'}
{t 'time_value'}
{ts 'timestamp_value'}

The Connector modifies the ODBC syntax to match the appropriate ANSI SQL form. For example, the Connector changes the ODBC escape clause {d 'date_value'} to the ANSI SQL equivalent 'date_value'. The date value is not modified and must be entered in the appropriate form from the ODBC application.

Issuing Your Own SQL Statement

You can issue your own SQL statement if the Advanced Options feature is available in the third-party product you are using. You can click Advanced Options and then use the data source in an SQL statement.

For example, in Excel, click Advanced Options, as shown in the following image.

Type the SQL statement in the SQL statement input box.