Model Data Sources

The Data Model wizard provides users the ability to quickly and easily build quality data models using raw data from 25+ local and external sources.

Connectors

Explanations are provided below.

Source	Configuration	Model Packages	Custom Scripting
Excel	local file upload or pointer to a shared file on a network drive
Access	local file upload or pointer to a shared file on a network drive
PowerPivot (Excel)	local file upload only
Text	local file upload or pointer to a shared file on a network drive
MS SQL Server	configured. needs administrator setup		✓
IBM DB2	configured. needs administrator setup		✓
Oracle	configured. needs administrator setup		✓
Greenplum	configured. needs administrator setup		✓
Hadoop Hive	configured. needs administrator setup		✓
MySQL	configured. needs administrator setup		✓
Netezza	configured. needs administrator setup		✓
PostgreSQL	configured. needs administrator setup		✓
Teradata	configured. needs administrator setup		✓
MongoDb	configured. needs administrator setup		✓
BI Office (internal queries)	User driven, based on content access		✓
Google Analytics	configured. needs administrator setup	✓
MS Azure SQL	configured. needs administrator setup		✓
SalesForce	configured. needs administrator setup	✓
SAP	configured. needs administrator setup
SharePoint Lists	configured. needs administrator setup
Twitter	configured. needs administrator setup	✓
Zendesk	configured. needs administrator setup	✓
Amazon Redshift	configured. needs administrator setup		✓
MS Azure Hive	configured. needs administrator setup		✓
ODBC	configured. needs administrator setup		✓
OLEDB	configured. needs administrator setup		✓
OData	configured. needs administrator setup

Connector Options

File Data Sources

Local file connectors (like Excel) require the user to upload the file to the server for processing. In some cases, the user can provide a "URI" link to the file sitting on a SHARED network drive. This will allow the server to access the file without uploading it. This mechanism also provides a convenient methodology for automatic refresh of the model's data - where the server will automatically upload a new copy of the data source from the shared directory during its scheduled refresh.

Click here for more on local file-based connectors.

Configured Data Sources: Administrator Setup

Where indicated, these data sources need to be setup and configured by administrators in the admin console first before they can be accessed and used in BI Office. You admin can also download relevant drivers for each connector from the Pyramid Analytics Customer Portal site.

Click here for more on configured connectors.

BI Office Content for Modeling

BI Office content can be used as a data source. In this scenario the results of the selected item's query is used to populate the target tables in the new data model. Users should note that the underlying queries are morphed into a structure appropriate for modeling. In general, the is no change to the result set produced. However, if the source query has filters applied they may be removed. To keep the filters, users should build their queries with ONLY measures on the columns and ALL other dimensional selections on the rows.

Click here for more on BI Office content as a data source.

Model Packages

The packaging option, allows users to download and use publicly available model templates for the given data source. The template includes the instructions on how to use the data sources' tables, columns, measures and relationships to build a useful analytic data model. The package will also usually contain matching reports that work with the given model template.

Importantly, users can download the package and then customize it through the Data Model wizard as well as add other data sources from other connectors to it.

Click here for more on packaged sources.

Custom Scripting

This indicates which data sources can accept custom query scripts for generating data sets or tables as inputs into the data modeler. Click here fore more on custom scripting.