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ODBC Source Connector

The ODBC source connector in DataSync lets you retrieve data from any ODBC-compliant data source for loading or synchronizing in your data warehouse. After creating all required source connections, configure your destination source to complete the connection setup.

Create a source connection in DataSync

  1. Log in to DataSync.
  2. From the welcome screen, select Connections.
  3. Next to Source Connections, click New.
  4. Select ODBC.
  5. In the Connection Properties panel, enter the connection properties.
  6. (Optional) In the Additional Connection Properties panel, select Add property and enter the parameters for each property.
  7. In the Advanced Settings panel, configure the settings, including the Tracking Type and other values according to your requirements.
  8. Click Save.

Parameters

Connection properties

ParameterDescription
DescriptionUnique name for the connection. Example: ODBC
Null ExpressionSQL expression used to check for NULL values in the data source.
Example: IS NULL.
Not Null ExpressionSQL expression used to check for non‑null values.
Example: IS NOT NULL.
String Constant Left DelimiterCharacter or string used to begin encoding string constants or identifiers in SQL statements.
Example: [ (when using square brackets as delimiters).
String Constant Right DelimiterCharacter or string used to close encoding of string constants or identifiers in SQL statements.
Example: ].
Supports SchemasSetting that indicates whether the data source supports schemas.
Supports JoinsSetting that indicates whether the data source supports SQL JOIN operations.
Supports Group BySetting that indicates whether the data source supports the SQL GROUP BY clause.
Supports ParametersSetting that indicates whether the data source supports passing named or positional parameters in queries.
Supports Order BySetting that indicates whether the data source supports the SQL ORDER BY clause.
Supports SubqueriesSetting that indicates whether the data source supports subqueries. When disabled, you can use SQL in a table definition but cannot filter the results or preview/import values in transformations.
Supports QuotesSetting that indicates whether the data source supports quoting for schemas, tables, and columns.

Quote types supported:
  • Alias – Quoting allowed for alias names.
  • Tables and Schemas – Quoting allowed for table and schema names.
  • Columns – Quoting allowed for column names.

Delimiters supported:
  • Left Delimiter – Character used to open quoted identifiers. Example: "
  • Right Delimiter – Character used to close quoted identifiers. Example: "
Supports LimitsSetting that indicates whether the data source supports result‑set limitation in queries.
Limit TypeLimit clause formats supported by the data source:
  • TOP x – Returns the first x rows.
  • LIMIT x – Returns x rows.
  • FIRST x – Returns the first x rows.
  • ROWNUM <= x – Returns rows where row number ≤ x.
  • FETCH FIRST x ROWS ONLY – Fetches the first x rows.
  • SET ROWCOUNT x – Sets maximum number of rows for the query.
  • Other – Other syntax formats supported by the source system.
Limit PositionPosition for placing a limit expression in SQL queries:
  • After Select – Limit immediately follows the SELECT keyword.
  • In Where Clause – Limit included as part of the WHERE condition.
  • Beginning of Query – Limit appearing before the SELECT keyword.
  • End of Query – Limit placed at the end of the query.
Supports Table AliasSetting that defines whether table aliases are supported by the data source.
Supports Alias PrefixPrefix used before table aliases in SQL statements:
  • AS – Uses the keyword AS before aliases.
  • White Space – Uses a white space without AS before aliases.
Supports Column AliasSetting that defines whether column aliases are supported by the data source.
Column Alias PrefixPrefix used before column aliases:
  • AS – Uses the keyword AS before aliases.
  • White Space – Uses a white space without AS before aliases.
Metadata LoadingMethod for loading metadata:
  • From Loaded Column – DataSync reads data from the column to determine its data type.
  • From SELECT Statement – DataSync queries the column with an empty result set to determine its data type.

Additional connection properties

Additional connection string properties not specified in the Connection Properties panel. For each property added, you can choose Visible or Encrypted. Selecting Encrypted hides the value from the interface and stores it encrypted in the back end, such as when defining passwords.

ParameterDescription
PropertyConnection string property that defines the action or behavior. Example: ReadOnly
ValueValue for the property. Example: True
TypeVisibility of the property: Visible or Encrypted.

Advanced settings

Advanced settings control how the ODBC connector tracks changes, handles regional and time configuration, and processes data batches during extraction. These options allow fine‑tuning for performance and accuracy, and should be configured according to your system environment and operational requirements.

SettingDescription
Tracking TypeMethod for tracking changes: None or Date.
RegionRegion setting for the connector, if required by your setup.
Time ZoneTime zone matching the ODBC application server.
Time OffsetRefresh offset in seconds to compensate for timing issues in record selection. Minimum value is 0; maximum is 3600 seconds.
Batch SizeQuantity of records processed in each batch during extraction. Larger batch sizes increase memory usage but can improve performance up to a point. The default value is 2000 and the maximum should not exceed 10000 records. Adjust according to your network speed and disk performance; in most cases the default (2000) works best.

Example