ODBC TUTORIAL

How to Build Power BI Reports on MySQL Data using the DataDirect MySQL Driver for ODBC

Updated: 19 Aug 2024

Introduction

With the DataDirect suite of ODBC drivers, you can connect to a wide variety of high-value data sources in the market today. Whether you are using a traditional Relational Database Management System or Big Data, Cloud, or REST-based sources, DataDirect has you covered.    

 

Progress DataDirect ODBC drivers are the industry standard for ODBC drivers, providing the advanced functionality, performance, and reliability developers need to quickly deliver high-quality, database-independent applications.   

 

Connecting to a Progress DataDirect ODBC driver from Power BI Desktop is very straightforward. In this tutorial, we walk you through connecting Power BI to MySQL. These same steps can be used to connect Power BI to any DataDirect ODBC driver. 

 

Prerequisites

This tutorial assumes that you have ODBC drivers installed and a data source configured. If you have not yet done these steps, please follow these instructions:   

 

  1. 1. Download and install the Progress DataDirect MySQL ODBC driver for your database using the 15-day trial software. In this tutorial, we are connecting to MySQL.   

 

  1. 2. Configure a data source for your database. See the DataDirect documentation for assistance with setting up your data source. The sample below uses a MySQL data source.   

 

Configure Connection to MySQL ODBC Driver Using the ODBC Administrator

1. After the DataDirect MySQL ODBC driver has been installed, open ODBC Administrator to configure the connection and click on “Add”.        

 

                 

 

 

2. Choose the “DataDirect X.X MySQL Wire Protocol” and click on “Finish.”   

 

                 

 

 

3. The ODBC MySQL Wire Protocol Driver Setup window will pop up.   

    

                                   
    

 

Enter your credentials, click “Apply” and then “Test Connect.”      

 

 

4. The Logon dialog will pop up. Provide logon credentials and click on “OK.”      

 

                               

 

 

5. A dialog box will confirm that the connection is established.      

 

           

 

Connecting to an ODBC Data Source using DataDirect MySQL ODBC driver

1. In Power BI, click on Get Data > More > All > ODBC. Click on “Connect.”  

                      

 

2. You should now see the form shown below where it will ask for the DSN name.  Select the “DSN” from the dropdown. Choose the data source previously configured to connect to MySQL and click on “OK.”  

 

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3. Authenticate using your credentials under Database and click on Connect.  

 

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4. Choose your database, select table, and click on Load to continue.  

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5. You should now see your data in Power BI as shown below: