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Connections

cable The Connections screen is where you define the locations where your data lives. A connection represents a database, warehouse, schema, or other data store that your data objects belong to.

Connections screen

  • Add new connections to your project — one for each database or schema you’re working with.
  • Edit existing connections to update names, connection strings, or other properties.
  • Delete connections you no longer need.
  • Browse all connections in your project.

Each connection includes:

  • Name: a descriptive label (e.g., “Source System”, “Staging Area”, “Data Vault”).
  • Connection type: what kind of system this is, such as SQL Server, Snowflake, or PostgreSQL.
  • Connection string: the details needed to connect to this data store.
  • Location: the schema, catalog, or database name.
  • Qualifiers: the characters used to quote identifiers (e.g., [ and ] for SQL Server, " for PostgreSQL).
  • Separator: the character used between schema and table names (typically .).

You can tag connections with classifications to indicate sensitivity levels or organizational categories.

Most data projects have a handful of connections representing the different layers of the solution:

  • Source: where the original data comes from.
  • Staging / Landing: a temporary area where source data is loaded before processing.
  • Persistent Staging: a history-preserving staging layer.
  • Integration: where transformed data is structured (e.g., a Data Vault).
  • Presentation: where data is served to end users and reporting tools.

You don’t need all of these — just create the connections that match your architecture.

  • Set up connections early: data objects need a connection, so it’s best to create your connections before defining tables and views.
  • Use clear, descriptive names: when you have multiple connections, names like “AdventureWorks Staging” are much easier to work with than “Connection1”.
  • Check your connection type: templates often generate platform-specific output, so making sure your connection type is accurate helps ensure the right SQL syntax is used.