PowerBI Preview reporting from SQL Anywhere 16 - Part 1

This post describes the steps you may take to connect to SQL Anywhere 16's 'demo' server. Previously you have seen that it is possible to create a linked server successfully using the drivers provided with SQL Anywhere 16.

http://hodentek.blogspot.com/2014/07/use-sybasesaps-sql-anywhere-ole-db.html
http://hodentekmsss.blogspot.com/2014/07/creating-linked-server-to-sapsybase-sql.html

In a future article here are on my other blog, http://hodnetekMSSS.blogspot.com  you will learn how to use PowerPivot to connect to SQL Anywhere 16.

Here are some screen shots of PowerBI  connecting  to SQL Anywhere.
Before you start connecting make sure you have started the SqlAnywhere 16 server successfully and also Sybase Central to verify that you can access the objects.


If you have followed my earlier article here:
http://hodentekmsss.blogspot.com/2015/02/authoring-report-with-power-bi-using.html

You will notice that PowerBI can obtain its data from a Sybase Database as(I am assuming that SQL Anywhere 16 is a Sybase database) shown

Sybase3

Choose Sybase Database and click Connect button. The following screen will be displayed

I have superposed the server start up screen on the PowerBI's screen. The server name is demo16. This server takes the pair dba/sql as username and password for connection, a database authentication.

When I complete the database name 'demo' and click Ok on the PowerBI's Sybase Database page, the following will be displayed:
'

Sybase6

I enter the authentication information (dba/sql) and click Connect, the following will be displayed

sybase7
Looks like the program is looking for an IP Address.  Since the server is running on the local computer the IP address should be the same as the computer's IP address. Also from Sybase Central 16 you find the following:

Sybase8

Every connection turns up in a Query in PowerBI and you can delete the query to connect to a new connection. Following the above reasoning the following connection was tried:

sybase9

After clicking OK the following was displayed.

sybase10
However trying to connect produces the following:

sybase16

It appears that there is a connectivity problem via PowerBI where as ODBC Ole DB seems to work as well as ODBC drivers. The PowerBI program certainly needs enhancements in terms of allowing ODBC and OLE DB drivers in addition to the vendor products.  Also the interactive screens should provide a gateway for a solution rather than a hard stop.

I am sure these will improve in the final version. In the mean time if I find a work around you may find it on this blog should you revisit.

Developer Editions are better choice for SQL Server 2012 and SQL Anywhere 16 for developers

Aloha,
After many years of downloading evaluation editions and using the smaller sized SQL Server Express editions with somewhat limited features, I finally decided to go for SQL Server Developer edition for my future experiments. It costs a bit but you do not have the headaches that may follow after your evaluation period ends in case you use the evaluation software.

I was particularly hit while writing my book on 'Learn SQL Server Reporting Services' where I used the evaluation edition which is the full Enterprise edition. In the middle of the book the computer got into problems due to malware and I had to redo quite a bit of the exercises including the screen shots taken with the previous intallation. These problems persisted and then you have to look for the software used in the first installation (to perform repairs) which got erased when the computer was flattened to repair the bugs. There were endless incidents that aggravated me especially when I received the 'gentle remainders' from my editors.

It is also a good training software for a group of say, unemployed folks looking to find a job in the area of SQL Servers. They could buy a developer edition (and each member installing the express edition on his/her laptop/desktop) and use it is a group sharing cost, and getting a very good (on-the job) training working as a group; checking out features that are available, etc. According to Microsoft the full feature set is available in the Developer edition, except that you cannot use it in production.
Sybase or SAP's SQL Anywhere Server 16 developer edition is another product that is available and this one is free. This edition also has full feature set. It has excellent features for the most complicated of the scenarios you can imagine.

I find this product very easy to use. Download from here:

http://www.sybase.com/detail?id=1055872
http://www.sybase.com/products/databasemanagement/sqlanywhere

Working with these two databases gives you a much broader perspective of data that you may miss using only one of them. Also Microsoft .NET Integration with SQL Server which is almost total by now allows you not only to get your foot into the .NET ecosystem including Microsoft BI but also give you an opportunity to use integration of SQL Server Data with SQL Anywhere data as there are a number of integration points available in SQL Anywhere using Microsoft .NET.

 SQL Anywhere 16 has great features for mobile applications that is another very attractive feature.

I recently installed SQL Server 2012 Developer edition which I purchased from Microsoft store. There may be less expensive (with diminished support in case of a problem) SQL Server 2012 Developer edition from other sources. For example:
http://www.softwaremedia.com/sql-server-2012-developer-license-open-business.html?ovchn=PGR&utm_campaign=Pricegrabber&utm_source=Pricegrabber&utm_medium=CPC&utm_term=MS-E3200993
$32.75
You may find other sites where it is even cheaper than the above.

Where as from Microsoft store here:
http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/SQL-Server-Developer-Edition-2012/productID.281182300
$59.95

Follow the installation steps for SQL Server 2012 Developer eddition on my dedicated blog for SQL Servers here. It should be available in a day or two.
http://hodentekMSSS.blogspot.com
Mahalo