User Connections allow secure storage of database and git credentials for easy access in SqlDBM projects. Multiple connections can be defined when working on multiple engagements to allow discrete storage of environment credentials.

User Connections can store database credentials and git integrations. Users have the flexibility to configure one or both depending on their project needs.

Supported Databases for Direct Connect:

• Snowflake

• BigQuery

• Databricks

• Azure Synapse 

• SQL Server

• Redshift

Create and manage User Connections

Connections can be accessed from the Dashboard or inside the project menu.

Managing connections from the Dashboard

Navigate to the "Account" menu from the Dashboard and click on "User connections" to manage user connections.

From here, create new connections or maintain existing ones

Managing connections from a project

Connections can also be managed from inside a project. To access, click on the blue SqlDBM menu on the top left of the screen and select "Settings and conventions." Next, select "User connections."

Next, select "User connections."

On this screen, you will be able to set an active connection from a list of existing connections or create a new one.

Create a new User Connection

To create a new connection, click the "Create connection" button in the "User connections" Account menu or project settings.

Name your connection and add database and git credentials.

Adding database credentials

Provide the credentials to your account. Please see the related article on Direct Connect and the required permissions and roles.

Next, select the default database and schema.

These will be used to determine a default location for project objects but can be changed as part of project settings.

Adding a git repository

Add a git repository to a User Connection to enable push to git functionality. To do so, click the "Create" button underneath the "Integration" section of the Connection.

Next, provide the required details for the repository. For detailed steps on generating a token for each repository type (e.g., GitHub, GitLab, Azure Devops, etc.), please see the related articles at the end of this post.

1. Select the repository type.

2. Provide a personal access token (PAT)

3. Provide a label to make it easier to recognize.

4. Provide the repository URL

5. Create pull request - select this option to automatically open a pull/merge request when pushing. If unchecked, the push-to-git action will only create a branch.

Multiple repositories can be added for a single User Connection. This option will allow users to choose from a list of repositories when pushing to git. To do this, repeat the steps above for each additional repository.

Edit a User Connection

From the "three-dot" menu to the right of each connection, connections can be edited or deleted.

• Edit - allows users to edit the database and git credentials for connections, similar to creating a new connection.

• Delete - permanently removes the connections.

Using connections in a project

User connections provide quick access to database credentials and git integrations in the relevant parts of a project.

• Reverse Engineering Direct Connect

• Forward Engineering push to git

• Diagram data preview (opt-in only)

Please explore the related articles below for in-depth details of how these features work in conjunction with user connections.

FAQ

• What are User Connections used for?

  • User Connections can be used for faster connectivity on Direct Connect or to enable push-to-git functionality.

• Who can use User Connections?

  • User Connections are configured at an individual level. Any modeler can set up their own connections.

• What is the relationship between projects and User Connections?

  • User Connection assignment in projects is done at the individual user level. Each project user can set their own connection without affecting the others.

• Can I use Direct Connect without a User Connection?

  • Yes, if you don't wish to store database access credentials in a Connection, you can enter them manually during Direct Connect. User Connections support the same authentication types as manual entry.

• Can I use push-to-git without a User Connection?

  • No, any user wishing to push to git will require a User Connection with a valid git integration.

• Do User Connections require both database credentials and git integrations to be configured?

  • No, depending on your use case, configuring either a database connection or a git integration is enough.

• Can I configure multiple git repositories for a User Connection?

  • Yes, multiple git repositories can be configured within a single User Connection, and users can choose between them when pushing to git from a project.

• Can I configure multiple User Connections?

  • Yes, depending on your workflow, you may have multiple Connections with varying DB credentials or connected repositories.

• Can multiple User Connections reference the same DB or git credentials?

  • Yes, each User Connection is independent of the rest.

• Can I specify different git folders for each connection?

  • Yes, git folder settings for each asset type (e.g., create, alter, yaml) are saved at the individual git integration level and will remain when switching between repositories and Connections.

• What happens when the database type in a User Connection does not match the project type?

  • Any User Connection can be selected as the project default, regardless of the database type. However, if the database type of the project and connection does not match, the connection will not be enabled on the Direct Connect screen. However, it can still be used to push to git.

See also:

• Direct Connect

• Pushing to git

• Git Integration - AWS CodeCommit

• Git Integration - Bitbucket

• Git Integration - GitLab

• Git Integration - GitHub

• Git Integration - Azure DevOps

• Data Preview