Connections (SQL Server, Azure SQL & Microsoft Fabric)

Overview for SQL Servers and Connections

In the SQL Server overview you can see all SQL Server Connections that currently exist. In the Connections overview you can see all Connections to Microsoft Fabric, Azure Data Lake and Snowflake.

You can search for a specific Connection, adjust the column selection or create a new Connection with the button + SQL Server or New Connection.

SQL Server

Important

dab Nexus requires the role dbowner for the database!

Creation

To create a new SQL Server Connection go to Settings > SQL Servers > + SQL Server. Enter a name for the new Connection.

Connection Protocol

• TCP/IP (recommended)
• Named Pipes: In the background, a connection is created between the SQL server and the clients. Only they know both sides and the data is then sent back and forth via this connection. However, this only works between Windows systems.
• Shared Memory: Communication between the SQL server and clients works directly via the computer's memory. However, the prerequisite for this is that SQL Server and dab Nexus are installed on the same server.

Hostname

• Hostname only: if the server hosts only one SQL Server instance, e.g. myserver
• Hostname and Instance: if the server hosts multiple SQL Server instances, e.g. myserver\INSTANCE

Is contained Database (optional): if this option is activated, you can enter a name for the Database in which your data is stored (this is isolated from the SQL Server Instance that provides the database). Enable TLS encryption (optional): if this option is activated, the data traffic between dab Nexus and the SQL server is encrypted Trust server certificate (optional): if this option is activated, the SSL/TLS certificate sent by the server is not validated

Authentication:

Authentication Type	Authentication Method	Microsoft articles for reference
SQL Authentication	Enter the SQL Server Username and Password	SQL Authentication
Windows Authentication	Use Windows authentication with SQL Server; using the Windows user the dab Nexus service is running as	Windows Authentication
Microsoft Entra ID	Enter the Username and Password to the client and driver.	Microsoft Entra ID
Service Principal	Enter the Client ID and Client Secret.	Service principal
System Assigned Managed Identity	-	Managed Identity
User Assigned Managed Identity	Enter the User Assigned Managed Identity	User Assigned Managed Identity

Permissions

Note

If you don't select any Teams or Users, all Users of dab Nexus can use this SQL Server Connection. If you select one or more Teams or Users, only these can use the SQL Server Connection.

Test Connection

If the connection test fails, you'll get possible solutions. You can also see more details about the possible issue.

Edit

To edit an existing SQL Server Connection just click on its name in the overview.

Deletion

Important

The deletion of a SQL Server Connection can affect active (scheduled) Tasks and may cause them to fail. This deletion cannot be undone.

Azure SQL

The following Authentication Methods are supported:

• Managed Identities (user-assigned and system-assigned): Managed Identity Authentication is token-based, in which the Identity is assigned to the Resource that wants to authenticate using it. The Azure Identity platform validates that relationship, which enables passwordless authentication.
• Service Principal Name and Application (client) Secret: this authentication method isn't recommended because of the risk associated with passwords that can be guessed and leaked.
• Microsoft Entra Default authentication: scans various credential caches on the application's machine, and can use application tokens to authenticate to SQL.

Microsoft Fabric

SQL database in Fabric is part of the Database workload, and the data is accessible from other items in Fabric. You can now connect to your Fabric SQL Database from dab Nexus with just a few simple steps.

Prerequisites

• You need an existing Fabric capacity. If not, start with a Fabric trial.
• Create or use an existing SQL database in Fabric.

Define this Fabric SQL database, as the SQL Server in dab Nexus. The extraction and analysis of data is then saved in the Fabric SQL database. Analyses from the dab AnalyticSuite can then be integrated into Microsoft Fabric.

Required parameters

From the Microsoft Fabric side, you can obtain the parameters required to establish the connection. Go to the settings of your Fabric SQL database and select Connection strings as shown below:

• Host: Data Source value from the SQL Connection String of the Fabric SQL Database
• 'Is contained database' checkbox: This option must be checked and the value from Initial Catalog must be entered here
• Authentication: You can choose from the Authentication methods Microsoft Entra ID or Service Principal to connect to your Fabric SQL Database. Refer the Microsoft article Authentication in SQL database in Microsoft Fabric.

You can run the Test connection to test. This step can also be avoided to simply Create & Close the connection.