Data Sources

Create, test, bind, and maintain data sources used by data analysis.

A data source is the connection definition that lets a semantic model access a database or XMLA service. Credentials stay in the data source; a model stores only the data source reference, catalog, and cube information.

Page layout

Open Data Intelligence → Data Sources. The page has two areas:

• Authorized: connections already bound to the current workspace and available for model creation.
• Available to the organization: connections provided by an organization administrator but not yet bound to this workspace. Click Bind to add one to Authorized.

Search filters names, types, and connection methods. Edit, copy, unbind, and delete actions depend on your permissions.

Create a data source

1. Click New and choose a data source type returned by the system.
2. Enter the name, authentication method, and connection fields. The fields are generated from the selected type.
3. Click Test connection. Testing a new draft does not save it; editing an existing source tests its current values.
4. After the test succeeds, click Save and confirm the source status in the list.

Do not put passwords, tokens, or private keys in the description. Use the authentication fields or the platform’s key management.

Bind an organization data source

Click Bind in Available to the organization. Binding links the workspace to the organization source without copying its configuration. Click Unbind when it is no longer needed. If a model still references the source, the system reports a dependency and you must move the model first.

Catalog and structure information

When you create a model, the catalog selector loads structure information from the data source:

• SQL sources usually return databases, schemas, and tables.
• XMLA sources return remote catalogs; importing a cube also discovers dimensions, hierarchies, levels, measures, and variables.

Do not guess a catalog when the list is empty. Edit the source, test the connection, and refresh the catalog. A connection service or permission problem can also prevent the list from loading.

Common issues

Symptom	What to check
Connection test times out	Host and port, network allowlists, TLS, and credentials; confirm that the system can reach the database.
Connection succeeds but the catalog is empty	Check structure permissions, refresh the catalog, and confirm the XMLA catalog name.
The source cannot be bound	Check workspace permissions and whether the organization source is still available.
Deletion is refused	Confirm in the semantic model list that no model still references the source.

When the source is ready, continue with Creating and managing semantic models.