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Server ODBC Connection

bradleyjamrozik
New Contributor III

Is there a preferred method for hosting an odbc connection to a warehouse on a server for use by a report server (SSRS/PBIRS)? I know the odbc driver doesn't support pass-through authentication, so is there a way to configure it with an unattended account? Is there a different way?

1 REPLY 1

Kaniz
Community Manager
Community Manager

Hi @bradleyjamrozik , Certainly! Configuring an ODBC connection for a report server (such as SSRS or PBIRS) involves several considerations. 

 

Letโ€™s explore some options:

 

Direct ODBC Connection:

  • You can create an ODBC data source on the server where your report server is hosted. This data source points to your warehouse.
  • However, as you mentioned, ODBC drivers typically donโ€™t support pass-through authentication. Therefore, youโ€™ll need to configure the data source with an unattended account (service account) that has the necessary permissions to access the warehouse.
  • Keep in mind that this approach requires storing credentials in the connection string, which might not be ideal from a security standpoint.

Windows Integrated Security:

  • If your report server and warehouse are both part of the same Windows domain, you can use Windows integrated security.
  • Configure the report server service account to connect to the warehouse using its own credentials. This way, the report server will impersonate the service account when accessing the data.
  • This method avoids storing credentials explicitly in the connection string.

Oracle Database Connectivity (if applicable):

  • If your warehouse is an Oracle database, you can use the Oracle Data Provider (ODP.NET) directly.
  • Install the appropriate 64-bit Oracle ODAC (Oracle Data Access Components) on the server.
  • Register the ODP.NET drivers (Managed or Unmanaged) to the Global Assembly Cache (GAC) and update the machine.config file accordingly.
  • This approach ensures secure connectivity to Oracle databases.

Other Data Sources:

  • Consider other data sources that might be more suitable for your scenario. For example:
    • SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS): Use a live connection to SSAS cubes.
    • DirectQuery: Connect directly to certain data sources (e.g., SQL Server, Azure SQL Database) without importing data.
    • Custom Extensions: Explore custom data processing extensions beyond ODBC.

Remember to balance security, performance, and ease of maintenance when choosing your approach. Each organizationโ€™s requirements may vary, so evaluate the best fit for your specific environment.

 

 If you need step-by-step instructions, refer to the relevant documentation for your report server an....


 

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