Selecting a Data Source

Use the first screen of the Database Wizard to select the type of data source to read.

ODBC Data Sources

If you do not have any ODBC data sources configured, or if you want to add a new data source, click Add ODBC Data Source.

  • On Linux operating systems, this button is not available. ODBC data sources are specified in odbc.ini, and the ODBCINI environment variables must be set to the location of that file. For more information, see the documentation for your database drivers.
  • In distributed analysis mode (available with IBM® SPSS® Statistics Server), this button is not available. To add data sources in distributed analysis mode, see your system administrator.

An ODBC data source consists of two essential pieces of information: the driver that will be used to access the data and the location of the database you want to access. To specify data sources, you must have the appropriate drivers installed. Drivers for a variety of database formats are included with the installation media.

To access OLE DB data sources (available only on Microsoft Windows operating systems), you must have the following items installed:

  • .NET framework. To obtain the most recent version of the .NET framework, go to http://www.microsoft.com/net.
  • IBM SPSS Data Collection Survey Reporter Developer Kit. For information on obtaining a compatible version of IBM SPSS Data Collection Survey Reporter Developer Kit, go to www.ibm.com/support.

The following limitations apply to OLE DB data sources:

  • Table joins are not available for OLE DB data sources. You can read only one table at a time.
  • You can add OLE DB data sources only in local analysis mode. To add OLE DB data sources in distributed analysis mode on a Windows server, consult your system administrator.
  • In distributed analysis mode (available with IBM SPSS Statistics Server), OLE DB data sources are available only on Windows servers, and both .NET and IBM SPSS Data Collection Survey Reporter Developer Kit must be installed on the server.

To add an OLE DB data source:

  1. Click Add OLE DB Data Source.
  2. In Data Link Properties, click the Provider tab and select the OLE DB provider.
  3. Click Next or click the Connection tab.
  4. Select the database by entering the directory location and database name or by clicking the button to browse to a database. (A user name and password may also be required.)
  5. Click OK after entering all necessary information. (You can make sure the specified database is available by clicking the Test Connection button.)
  6. Enter a name for the database connection information. (This name will be displayed in the list of available OLE DB data sources.)
  7. Click OK.

This takes you back to the first screen of the Database Wizard, where you can select the saved name from the list of OLE DB data sources and continue to the next step of the wizard.

Deleting OLE DB Data Sources

To delete data source names from the list of OLE DB data sources, delete the UDL file with the name of the data source in:

[drive]:\Documents and Settings\[user login]\Local Settings\Application Data\SPSS\UDL

IBM SPSS Collaboration and Deployment Services Enterprise View Driver

The IBM SPSS Collaboration and Deployment Services Enterprise View Driver--available to IBM SPSS Collaboration and Deployment Services customers--allows you to access data from the IBM SPSS Collaboration and Deployment Services Enterprise View. Use of the IBM SPSS Collaboration and Deployment Services Enterprise View Driver requires the Statistics Adapter option and a connection to a IBM SPSS Collaboration and Deployment Services Repository.

The driver uses Data Provider Definitions (DPD) to access data. A DPD maps the virtual table and column definitions from an application view to the physical tables where data resides, whether in a data warehouse, an operational data store, or an online transactional database. DPD's are defined against particular ODBC data sources. To use a DPD, you must have an ODBC data source (defined on the machine that will access the data) with the same name, and which connects to the same data store, as the one referenced in the DPD. Contact your IBM SPSS Collaboration and Deployment Services administrator to obtain the necessary information.

Once you have added the necessary ODBC data sources, you can access your data with the IBM SPSS Collaboration and Deployment Services Enterprise View Driver.

  1. Select IBM SPSS Collaboration and Deployment Services Enterprise View Driver from the list of ODBC Data Sources.
  2. Click Next.

    If there is no current connection to a repository, the Connect dialog box opens, allowing you to establish a connection. Once a connection is established, the IBM SPSS Collaboration and Deployment Services Enterprise View Driver Details dialog box opens.

  3. Select the Application View containing the data you want.
  4. Select the environment that specifies the subset of data you want from the application view. For example, when analytic is selected, only those application view columns defined as analytic are available. The environment specifies which data providers are available. The default environment is analytic.
  5. Select from the list of available Data Provider Definitions for the selected application view and environment.
  6. Select the label for the version of the application view you want.
  7. Click Continue.

This takes you to the next step of the wizard.