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Connecting to a database is the first step of accessing the information stored within it.  VDM uses Connection Profiles to establish a database connection.  Connection Profiles are essentially a "connection string" that provides the connection type, server name and account information for logging into a database.

Video Tutorial:

Steps for Connecting to a Database

1. Open VDM.

2. Click on the Database ribbon bar.

3. Click the New button.

4. Select your Connection Type.

5. If needed, enable the Prefix TO/Schema checkbox.

Note: The Prefix TO/Schema Name option may or may not be required for your database.  This option will prefix the schema or table owner name to your tables and fields when querying the database.  

*If you are unsure what type of database you have or if the schema is required for connecting to your database, please reach out to your database administrator or review your database's documentation.

6. Enter your needed connection information, then click Test Connection to verify the connection information is correct.

Note: These options will vary based upon your Connection Type, as the information needed for each type of database varies.  

Note: If you are connecting to ODBC, you must complete the necessary ODBC driver installation and DSN configuration in Windows prior to completing the connection wizard.  If you need assistance with the installation and setup of your ODBC driver, please contact your database administrator or review your database's documentation.

OPTIONAL: Open additional Profiles & Selected Schemas

The Open additional Profiles drop down will allow you to select additional profiles that have already been created.  This is generally only used when creating a report that requires data from multiple databases (MDS). 

The Selected Schema option allows you to choose which schemas are accessible with your Connection Profile, by default all Schemas are selected.

7. Save the new Connection Profile. The saved name is how VDM will refer to your database when building and running your reports.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Do not change folder location for your connections or the connections will not be visible to select inside VDM. 

8. Click the Load All connections button to refresh the available Tables and Fields.

The next step is to open the new connection. Click here for more information.