Tableau, a Visual Analytics platform, is revolutionizing how data is used to solve issues by enabling individuals and organizations to get the most out of their data. On the other hand, SQLite is an open-source, Transaction Relational Database Engine that requires zero configuration and can be embedded within any application. This article will help you perform complex analyses with the help of Tableau SQLite connection.
Tableau empowers anybody to perform complex visual analyses of data in SQL Databases. Connecting Tableau to the SQL Database in real-time allows users to move data directly into Tableau’s fast, in-memory analytical engine to expedite analysis. Users can even apply in-memory queries to huge datasets with a single click. This article will take you through the easy steps to establish a Tableau SQLite connection.
Table of Contents
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of Data Visualization.
What is Tableau?
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Tableau is a popular tool for tackling Business Intelligence (BI) and Data Analytics problems. It allows users to build various charts, graphs, maps, dashboards, and stories to visualize, analyze data, and make business choices.
Tableau was launched in January 2003 by Pat Hanrahan, Christian Chabot, and Chris Stolte. Its primary goal was to make the Database Industry more interactive and comprehensive. Later, In June 2019, Tableau was acquired by Salesforce. Tableau’s innovation was entirely focused on Visual Analysis, and it has a plethora of features and offers you so much more control over what your visualization looks like.
Key Features of Tableau
- Handles Massive Volumes of Data: Tableau is capable of handling millions of rows of data with ease. Such a vast quantity of data can be used to produce various types of visualizations without affecting the dashboards’ speed.
- Responsive Dashboard: Tableau Dashboard provides an excellent reporting tool that allows users to modify their dashboards for better compatibility on Mobile and Laptop devices.
- Interactive Visualization: Tableau is a Data Visualization application that allows users to create appealing Data Visualizations by performing complicated computations, data blending, and dashboarding. Also, its drag-and-drop functionality enables users to quickly construct an interactive display.
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Tableau Architecture
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Following are the primary components of Tableau Architecture.
- Data Layer: Tableau has the ability to connect to a variety of different data sources. These data sources might be local or distant. With Tableau’s fast in-memory data engine, users can easily boost the speed and responsiveness of their data.
- Data Connectors: It consists of a set of Database-optimized data connectors. Common Open Database Connection (ODBC) connectors are also available for any system that lacks a native connector.
- Tableau provides two ways to interact with data: live connection and in-memory. Users have the option of switching between live and in-memory connections at any time.
- Components of Tableau Server:
- Data Server: By centralizing metadata administration, driver deployment, and extract management, the Data Server makes them easier to administer.
- VizQL Server: The VizQL Server is used to convert the queries from the data source into visualizations.
- Application Server: Login processes, permission management, authentications, and authorizations are all handled by the Application Server.
- Gateway: A Gateway, often known as a Load Balancer, is a type of web server that allows clients to access Tableau Server components by directing their requests via HTTP.
Tableau Products
- Tableau Desktop: Tableau Desktop aids in the creation of reports and dashboards through the use of various charts and graphs. The worksheets and dashboards in the Tableau Desktop can be shared both privately and publicly.
- Tableau Server: Tableau Server is mostly used in organizations to exchange workbooks and reports generated using Tableau Desktop among several teams.
- Tableau Online: Tableau Online is a cloud-based analytics tool that allows users to publish dashboards and share discoveries with everyone. Cloud Databases such as Amazon Redshift and Google BigQuery can be accessed.
- Tableau Mobile: Tableau Mobile offers interactive previews that allow users to verify data and reports from anywhere at any time.
However, in this article, we will focus more on the Tableau Desktop.
Steps to Install Tableau Desktop
- Step 1: Go to Tableau Desktop.
- Step 2: In the upper right corner, click the “TRY NOW” button.
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- Step 3: This will redirect to a screen to enter the Email address and then press the “DOWNLOAD FREE TRIAL” button.
- Step 4: It will start downloading. Now, open the downloaded file, accept the license agreement and click on the “Install” button.
- Step 5: Open the Tableau Desktop application when the installation is finished.
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What is SQLite?
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SQLite is an open-source, embedded Relational Database utilized by Software Developers to embed in the applications. It was developed to offer applications a simple method to maintain data without the overhead associated with Relational Database Management Systems.
SQLite was designed by D. Richard Hipp in the spring of 2000. The initial intention to design SQLite was to allow the software to run without the need for a Database Management System or a Database Administrator. Later, in August 2000, Version 1.0 of SQLite was published, with storage based on gdbm (GNU Database Manager). SQLite 2.0 added transaction support by replacing gdbm with a custom B-tree implementation.
Key Features of SQLite
- Affordable: SQLite is an open-source Database that does not need a separate server process or system to run. It allows users to work on multiple Databases simultaneously in the same session. There is no need for setup or management as SQLite does not need to be configured.
- Supports Cross-platform DBMS: SQLite is a cross-platform DBMS (Database Management System), which means it works on a wide range of Operating Systems, including Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Unix, Symbian, and Windows CE.
- ACID Transactions: SQLite’s transactions are entirely ACID-compliant (Atomic, Consistent, Isolated, and Durable). In other words, even if an unforeseen circumstance occurs, such as an application breakdown, power outage, or Operating System crash, all changes inside a transaction occur entirely or are terminated.
Now that you’re familiar with both Tableau and SQLite, let’s dive straight into the Tableau SQLite connection.
Tableau SQLite Connection
In order to establish a Tableau SQLite connection efficiently, you’d need an ODBC Driver.
ODBC Driver for SQLite
The ODBC Driver for SQLite provides a high-performance connection solution with enterprise-level functionality. It is possible to access SQLite Databases using ODBC-compliant Reporting, Analytics, BI, and ETL applications. The driver fully supports common ODBC API functions and data types, allowing for convenient and safe access to live SQLite data from any location. For the purpose of this demonstration, the SQLite ODBC Driver will be used to establish a Tableau SQLite connection.
Key Features of ODBC Driver
- Direct Connection: Various ODBC-based applications can connect to an SQLite Database using the native SQLite client library in Direct mode using the data connector.
- Supports Various Development Platforms: The driver installation’s current version supports macOS, Windows, Linux, both 32-bit and 64-bit, making it easier to create cross-platform apps that run on both 32-bit and 64-bit platforms.
- High Performance: The ODBC Driver solutions are designed to assist in writing high-performance, lightweight data access layers. They are capable of employing powerful data access algorithms and optimization approaches.
Easy Steps to Connect Tableau to SQLite
Follow the below-mentioned steps to establish a Tableau SQLite connection.
- Step 1: Once you have installed the Tableau Desktop, open it.
- Step 2: On the start page, click on Other Databases (ODBC) or More… and select the “Other Databases (ODBC)“.
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- Step 3: Expand the drop-down list, select the SQLite3 ODBC Driver, and hit Connect.
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- Step 4: Now, the Browse button will give you access to the Database file on the system. Then, click OK.
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- Step 5: On the Other Databases (ODBC) panel, click Sign In.
That’s it, the Tableau SQLite connection has been successfully established.
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Tableau SQLite Usecases
Below are some of the important use cases of Tableau SQLite connection.
- Tableau and AWS: The Amazon Aurora is connected through Tableau Connectors such as Amazon EMR and Amazon Redshift. Amazon RDS (Amazon Relational Database Service) can be connected to Tableau, providing users the functionality of Microsoft SQL Server PostgreSQL and MySQL, running in the AWS Cloud. Hence, it is useful for Amazon to provide apt visualization and reporting.
- Tableau and Microsoft: The integration of Tableau with Microsoft technology has aided organizations all around the world in becoming more powerful. In recent years, the technical teams at Microsoft SQL and Tableau have collaborated extensively to increase user experience and customer satisfaction with the two platforms.
This brings us to the end of this piece on the Tableau SQLite connection.
Conclusion
Tableau was created at a time when Database Management companies like Microsoft Excel, Cognos, and Business Objects were at the top of their game. However, thanks to its impressive capabilities, Tableau’s popularity has been continuously rising, and today, it is one of the top 3 BI organizations in the world.
Through this article, we learned about Tableau, SQLite, and ODBC Driver. Further, we learned some easy steps to establish the Tableau SQLite connection via an ODBC Driver. Moreover, analyzing and visualizing your data by loading it from a Data Warehouse to Tableau can be cumbersome. This is where Hevo comes in.
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Share your experience of working with Tableau SQLite connection in the comments section below.
Shravani is a data science enthusiast who loves to delve deeper into complex topics on data science and solve the problems related to data integration and analysis through comprehensive content for data practitioners and businesses.