Cloudera Docs

Setting up ODBC connection from a BI tool

Describes how to connect to Impala Virtual Warehouses using ODBC with your BI tool, with Tableau as an example.

Before you can use Tableau with Impala Virtual Warehouses, you must have created a Database Catalog that is populated with data. You have the option to populate your Database Catalog with sample data when you create it. You must also create an Impala Virtual Warehouse, which is configured to connect to the Database Catalog that is populated with data.

  1. Download the latest version of the Impala ODBC driver from Cloudera Downloads page or alternatively, on the Virtual Warehouses page, click the options menu for the warehouse you want to connect to your BI tool, and select Download JDBC/ODBC Driver and install it.
  2. Install the driver on the local host where you intend to use Tableau Desktop.
  3. Log in to the Cloudera web interface and navigate to the Data Warehouse service.
  4. Click Virtual Warehouse in the left navigation panel.
  5. On the Virtual Warehouses page, click for the Impala warehouse you want to connect to with Tableau, and select Copy JDBC URL:

    This copies the JDBC URL to your system clipboard.

  6. Paste the copied JDBC URL into a text file. It should look similar to the following: 
    jdbc:hive2://<your-virtual-warehouse>.<your-environment>.<dwx.company.com>/default;transportMode=http;httpPath=cliservice;ssl=true;retries=3
  7. From the text file where you just pasted the URL, copy the host name from the JDBC URL to your system clipboard. For example, in the URL shown in Step 6, the host name is: 
    <your-virtual-warehouse>.<your-environment>.<dwx.company.com>
  8. Start Tableau and navigate to Connect > More… > Cloudera Hadoop:


    This launches the Cloudera Hadoop dialog box.

  9. In the Tableau Cloudera Hadoop dialog box, paste the host name you copied to your clipboard in Step 7 into the Server field:


  10. Then in the Tableau Cloudera Hadoop dialog box, set the following options:
    • Port: 443
    • Type: HiveServer2
    • Authentication: Username and Password
    • Transport: HTTP
    • Username: Username to connect to the CDP Data Warehouse service.
    • Password: Password to connect to the CDP Data Warehouse service.
    • HTTP Path: cliservice
    • Require SSL: Make sure this is selected.
  11. Click Sign In.