Connect to Microsoft SQL Server using BrightGauge

Connecting Microsoft SQL Server to BrightGauge can transform how you visualize and interact with your data. This integration allows you to pull real-time data directly into BrightGauge’s customizable dashboards and reports, providing a comprehensive view of your metrics and KPIs. With this setup, you can streamline data analysis, enhance decision-making processes, and monitor your business performance more effectively, all in one user-friendly platform.

In this page:

Prerequisites

Permissions

  • Administrator access in BrightGauge to add new datasources, create datasets, and configure gauges.

  • Permissions to access and manipulate the data within BrightGauge.

Add a new Datasource in BrightGauge

  1. Log into BrightGauge: Ensure you have the necessary permissions to manage datasources and create gauges.

  2. Add a New Datasource:

    1. Once logged in, locate the Data dropdown menu in the upper right-hand corner of the dashboard.

    2. Choose Datasources and select the option to add a new datasource.

    3. Click on Database then select Microsoft SQL from the list. This action will guide you through setting up your BrightGauge agent for MS SQL.

  3. Install and Test the Connection: After saving the configuration, use the Test connection feature to confirm there is a functional database connection from your Microsoft SQL instance to BrightGauge.

    4. The Download Brightgauge Agent dialog displaying the various option along with a button to Test Connection.

Creating a Dataset and configuring a Test Gauge

In BrightGauge, a dataset represents a specific set of query able data. The datasets can then be used to construct gauges, the Key Performance Indicators (KPI) used in Dashboards and Reports.

Create a Dataset

  1. Navigate to DATA > Datasets.

  2. Click Create Dataset.

  3. Select the Datasource.

  4. Enter a descriptive Name for the dataset, and Description (optional).

  5. Select the Dashboard Sync Frequency.

  6. Enter your SQL query. As an example, we will create a dataset using the DIM_Customer_1 table, which contains customer information from your N-central analytics data.

    7. SELECT customer_id as ‘id’, parent_id, name, created

    FROM SNOWFLAKE.SHARED_ANALYTICS_DATA.SHARED_DATA.DIM_CUSTOMER_LATEST AS DIM_CUSTOMER_LATEST_1

  7. Test your query and resolve any errors.

  8. Click Save (only available after clearing all).

    9. Dialog for Edit Dataset including the Name, Datasource and Description, with the Dashboard Sync Frequency dropdown and entered SQL query.

Configure a Test Gauge

  1. With your dataset ready, proceed to set up a test gauge by clicking on the green + sign and selecting Gauge.

  2. You will be prompted to choose your datasource and dataset, with information on the dataset displayed.

    3. Dialog for Pick a Dataset showing the Datasource and Dataset along with the Desciption.

  3. Click Continue to open the gauge builder.

  4. For this demonstration, we will add two columns of data to represent customer onboarding dates, which indicate when customers were first created in N-central.

  5. Select the green list gauge type.

  6. Under Columns, drag and drop the Name and Created fields into your gauge layout.

  7. Click the Design tab to format the data fields.

  8. Once you have configured the columns, give your gauge a meaningful name, such as “Customer Onboarding Dates”.

Congratulations! You have now created your first gauge using data from the DIM_Customer_1 table in N-central, utilizing Direct Data Access in Snowflake.