Tutorial | Configure a connection between Dataiku and a SQL database #
Get started #
Data projects must begin with connecting to data sources.
Objectives #
In this tutorial, you will:
-
Create a local SQL connection if you do not already have one available.
-
Create a connection to this source in Dataiku.
Prerequisites #
-
You will need admin permission on a Dataiku instance.
-
You may also want to review this tutorial’s associated concept article .
Create a SQL database #
To get started, you need to have a SQL database available. If you already have one, please skip to the next section .
Note
For this example, we’ll use PostgreSQL, but you can follow a similar process for any supported SQL database .
Install PostgreSQL #
If it isn’t already available, install PostgreSQL version 9 or above. Take note of the host on which PostgreSQL is installed.
Tip
On macOS, we recommend using the Postgres App .
Configure your PostgreSQL database #
At a minimum you need a user and a database, as explained in the PostgreSQL guide . As a best practice, we recommend using schemas in order to administer multiple projects within a database.
For example, the sample code below creates the user
matthieu
, with password
Password
, and grants this user all privileges (can create and delete tables) in the
dku_churn
schema in the
dku
database. Similarly, user
dku_tshirt_admin
has been granted all privileges on the
dku_tshirt
schema in the
dku
database.
psql -h localhost
CREATE DATABASE dku;
\c dku
CREATE SCHEMA dku_churn;
CREATE USER matthieu WITH PASSWORD 'Password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON SCHEMA dku_churn TO matthieu;
CREATE SCHEMA dku_tshirt;
CREATE USER dku_tshirt_admin WITH PASSWORD 'Password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON SCHEMA dku_tshirt TO dku_tshirt_admin;
\q
Configure a SQL connection in Dataiku #
Now that we have credentials for a SQL database, we need to establish a connection between Dataiku and this database.
Important
This walkthrough is for a self-managed Dataiku instance. If using Dataiku Cloud, see the how-to for adding a new connection .
Create a connection #
-
Log in as the Dataiku Administrator.
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From the Applications menu in the top navigation bar, choose Administration .
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Navigate to the Connections tab, and select New Connection > PostgreSQL .
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Fill in the information required for the connection. Don’t forget to give a name to your connection!
Warning
You cannot change the connection name afterward.
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Test and create your PostgreSQL connection.
Import datasets into Dataiku #
After creating your connection, if you are connecting to a pre-existing SQL database, you can create a Dataiku dataset for every table in the database.
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Click Import tables to datasets .
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Select the tables you want to import.
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Click Import tables .
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Select the project in which the datasets associated with these tables should appear.

What’s next? #
Congratulations! You now have a SQL connection to use underneath your Dataiku Flows.
Learn more about how to take advantage of this type of connection in Tutorial | Data transfer with visual recipes .
Tip
You can find this content (and more) by registering for the Dataiku Academy course, Integration with SQL Databases . When ready, challenge yourself to earn a certification !