Question

Share Named Database Connections

  • 27 November 2015
  • 12 replies
  • 29 views
jpvo
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Hi,

I spent a little bit of time to list many Database Connection under FME Options/ Database Connections. There are now available to me in the workbench as Named Database Connections. I found the .data sqLight database and want to share it accross to save time for other users.

When specifying the DefultPath I've got two issues:

  1. the select folder button doesn't allow me to select a folder but only a file (same for the shared FME folders)
  2. If I specify my new .data file it's not recognised after FME restart.

Is there an stable way to share this connectionDatabase on a shared drive and use it as a centralised resource for all users, including FME server? My understanding of all this is that I can see only the named connections of my own personal user. If I edit the user attribute with FME the SQLlight DB .data file I can view all connections.

Is there a way to view them all whatever user I am?

FME version: 2015.1.2 build 15538

Thanks

12 replies

david_r
Rank
Userlevel 4

Hi

Have a look in the FME Options under the section "Default paths". There is a setting there to specify the named connection file location, you could probably set it to a shared network drive.

Cheers from Lausanne

David

jpvo
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Yes but the problem remains, I will see only the named connections that have my user specified in the user attribute. How to set up the connections to make them visible to all users?

Cheers,

from Namur ;-)

jpvo
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I found the solution:

If you create all your Named Connections, your user is specified in the "User" attribute within the "NamedConnections" table. I simply reset this "User" attribute to Null and all connections becomes availaible to all users.

.JP

david_r
Rank
Userlevel 4

Aha, I re-read your question and had a look at the sqlite database, I think I understand now. I couldn't get it to work either.

From a security standpoint it makes perfect sense, but I can see what you're trying to accomplish...

Mabe you could set up an FME workspace that duplicates all the named connections belonging to e.g. 'jpvo' for all the other users? You could have a list of your user names in a text file or something. Should be fairly easy.

david_r
Rank
Userlevel 4

I found the solution:

If you create all your Named Connections, your user is specified in the "User" attribute within the "NamedConnections" table. I simply reset this "User" attribute to Null and all connections becomes availaible to all users.

.JP

Oh that's excellent, even though it's kind of a (small) security loophole :-)

jpvo
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I think I'll try to have a go like this with some Beta testers and make my decision to realease this to all in the coming weeks.

Thanks for your help, it always becomes easier when shared...

mark2atsafe
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Userlevel 4
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I just found out that if you go to Tools > FME Options > Default Paths there is an option to store the information as a JDBC Connection, or on FME Server, instead of as a file.

Does that do anything to help? I don't know about the users part, but it might be useful as a better means of sharing these connections.

mark2atsafe
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Userlevel 4
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I think I'll try to have a go like this with some Beta testers and make my decision to realease this to all in the coming weeks.

Thanks for your help, it always becomes easier when shared...

I'm going to look into this a bit more. For me, I see two tables (well five, but) NamedConnections and fme_nc_namedconnections. NamedConnections appears to be for web services, and fme_nc_namedconnections for databases. The username in NamedConnections is already empty for me. I assume that's the one you are resetting? I wonder how it gets set at all? In fme_nc_namedconnections, it is set to imark (my username). Again, I will check and see how and when these are set, and what effect it has.

mark2atsafe
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Userlevel 4
Badge +25

Ah! @jpvo I have it now. You set the file location in Tools > FME Options > Default Path. When the location of the file is either %userdata% or %appdata% (the default locations) then it is assumed that only you will be using the connections, therefore only you will get to see them.

However, if you change that to a different location:

...then when you create a new connection you are asked whether it is private or public:

jpvo
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Hi Mark,

I believe you must be talking about FME 2016, because I'm on 2015.1.2 and I don't have this possibility.

R
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in 2016.1 is does not have JDBC Connection, or on FME Server connection option only folder

Yes fme server would be great

R
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I just found out that if you go to Tools > FME Options > Default Paths there is an option to store the information as a JDBC Connection, or on FME Server, instead of as a file.

Does that do anything to help? I don't know about the users part, but it might be useful as a better means of sharing these connections.

in 2016.1 is does not have JDBC Connection, or on FME Server connection option only folder

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