Important: To use MySQL connections with Virtualitics Explore Desktop, please install the MySQL ODBC Driver first.

1. Click Add New Connection from the Data Sources tab in Settings. 

1. • Rename the Connection, if desired.
2. Choose MySQL from the Connection Type drop-down.
3. Enter the Port Number. (3306 is the default)
4. Enter the Database Name.
5. Enter the Database URI.
6. Enter your MySQL Username.
7. Enter your MySQL Password.
8. Click the Test Connection button.

When your connection is created, you will see it listed as an option in the drop-down menu when loading data as a query data source.

Important: To use SQLServer connections with Virtualitics Explore Desktop, please install the SQLServer ODBC Driver first.

1. Click Add New Connection from the Data Sources tab in Settings. 

1. • Rename the Connection, if desired.
2. Choose SQLServer from the Connection Type drop-down.
3. Enter the Port Number. (1433 is the default)
4. Enter the Database Name.
5. Enter the Database URI.
6. Enter your SQLServer Username.
7. Enter your SQLServer Password.
8. Click the Test Connection button.

When your connection is created, you will see it listed as an option in the drop-down menu when loading data as a query data source.

Important: To use Redshift connections with Virtualitics Explore Desktop, please install the Redshift ODBC Driver first.

1. Click Add New Connection from the Data Sources tab in Settings. 

1. • Rename the Connection, if desired.
2. Choose Redshift from the Connection Type drop-down.
3. Enter the Port Number. (5439 is the default)
4. Enter the Database Name.
5. Enter the Database URI.
6. Enter your Redshift Username.
7. Enter your Redshift Password.
8. Click the Test Connection button.

When your connection is created, you will see it listed as an option in the drop-down menu when loading data as a query data source.

Important: To use Postgres connections with Virtualitics Explore Desktop, please install the Postgres ODBC Driver first.

1. Click Add New Connection from the Data Sources tab in Settings. 

1. • Rename the Connection, if desired.
2. Choose Postgres from the Connection Type drop-down.
3. Enter the Port Number. (5432 is the default)
4. Enter the Database Name.
5. Enter the Database URI.
6. Enter your Postgres Username.
7. Enter your Postgres Password.
8. Click the Test Connection button.

When your connection is created, you will see it listed as an option in the drop-down menu when loading data as a query data source.

Important: To use Hadoop (Hive) connections with Virtualitics Explore Desktop, please install the Hadoop (Hive) ODBC Driver first.

1. Click Add New Connection from the Data Sources tab in Settings. 

1. • Rename the Connection, if desired.
2. Choose Hadoop (Hive) from the Connection Type drop-down.
3. Enter the Port Number. (10000 is the default)
4. Enter the Database Name.
5. Enter the Database URI.
6. Enter your Hadoop (Hive) Username.
7. Enter your Hadoop (Hive) Password.
8. Click the Test Connection button.

When your connection is created, you will see it listed as an option in the drop-down menu when loading data as a query data source.

Important: To use Hadoop (Impala) connections with Virtualitics Explore Desktop, please install the Hadoop (Impala) ODBC Driver first.

1. Click Add New Connection from the Data Sources tab in Settings. 

1. • Rename the Connection, if desired.
2. Choose Hadoop (Impala) from the Connection Type drop-down.
3. Enter the Port Number. (21050 is the default)
4. Enter the Database Name.
5. Enter the Database URI.
6. Enter your Hadoop (Impala) Username.
7. Enter your Hadoop (Impala) Password.
8. Click the Test Connection button.

When your connection is created, you will see it listed as an option in the drop-down menu when loading data as a query data source.

Connecting directly to a Snowflake instance allows users to push down queries and transformations into Snowflake where the data resides, eliminating the need to extract data. This leverages the in-database data processing capabilities while maintaining compliance, security, and governance.

Important: To use Snowflake connections with Explore Desktop, please install the Snowflake ODBC Driver first.

To add a Snowflake connection:

1. Click Add New Connection from the Data Sources tab in Settings. 

1. • Rename the Connection, if desired.

2. Select Snowflake from the Connection Type drop-down.

3. Enter a Port Number. (443 is the default)

4. Enter a Role.

5. Enter a Warehouse, if desired.

6. Enter a Database Name.

7. Enter a Database URI.

8. Choose whether to use SSO.

9. Enter your Snowflake Username

10. Enter your Snowflake Password.

11. Click the Test Connection button.

When your connection is created, you will see it listed as an option in the drop-down menu when loading data as a query data source.

Connecting directly to a Databricks instance allows users to push down queries and transformations into Databricks where the data resides, eliminating the need to extract data. This leverages the in-database data processing capabilities, including Spark, while maintaining compliance, security, and governance.

Important: To use Databricks connections with Explore Desktop, please install the Databricks ODBC Driver first.

To add a Databricks connection:

1. Click Add New Connection from the Data Sources tab in Settings. 

1. • Rename the Connection, if desired.

2. Select Databricks from the Connection Type drop-down.

3. Enter a Port Number. (443 is the default)
4. Enter an HTTP Path.
5. Enter a Schema.
6. Enter a Unity Catalog, if desired.
   • Note: If you are connecting to Unity Catalog, enter "token" as the Username and your Personal Access Token (PAT) as the Password.
7. Enter a Database URI.

8. Enter your Databricks Username

9. Enter your Databricks Password.

10. Click the Test Connection button.

     

When your connection is created, you will see it listed as an option in the drop-down menu when loading data as a query data source.

1. Click Add New Connection from the Data Sources tab in Settings. 

1. • Rename the Connection, if desired.
2. Choose BigQuery from the Connection Type drop-down.
3. Enter the Project ID. 
4. Select whether or not to use ADC (Application Default Credentials).
5. Choose the Query Priority.
6. Enter the Client ID.
7. Enter the Client Secret.
8. Click the Test Connection button.

When your connection is created, you will see it listed as an option in the drop-down menu when loading data as a query data source.

You can also connect to other ODBC Databases that are not listed above. To do so:

1. In the Connection Type dropdown, select ODBC.
2. In the JSON field, enter any valid ODBC connection options. At a minimum, it must contain the “DSN” option, referencing a configured ODBC Data Source.
3. Enter a username/password as applicable.
4. Click Test Connection.

Creating an ODBC Driver Connection Using an ODCB Configuration File

1. Install and configure the ODBC Driver for the data source to which you want to connect. 
2. Open the Microsoft ODBC Data Sources (64-bit) control panel. In this panel you can add a data source and specify a (DSN) Data Source Name in addition to various authentication options.
3. Create the file C:\Users\<user>\Documents\Virtualitics\Settings\odbc.json. The JSON key/value pairs in this file can contain any valid ODBC connection options and can overwrite and/or supplement the configuration from the ODBC Data Sources (64-bit)panel. At a minimum, it must contain the DSN option, referencing a configured ODBC Data Source.
   

   Note: Explore Desktop offers support for configuring multiple ODBC connections in the same odbc.json file.