Firebird 3

This article describes how to connect Tableau to a Firebird database and set up the data source.

Note: In version 2020.1, the Firebird 3 connector replaced the Firebird connector. If you're using an earlier version of Tableau, go to the Tableau Help page and select the version you need from the drop-down list on the left. Then search for "Firebird" to find information on that connector.

Before you begin

Before you begin, gather this connection information:

  • Name of the server that hosts the database you want to connect to

  • Location of the database

  • User name and password

Driver required

This connector requires a driver to talk to the database. You might already have the required driver installed on your computer. If the driver is not installed on your computer, Tableau displays a message in the connection dialog box with a link to the Driver Download(Link opens in a new window) page where you can find driver links and installation instructions.

Make the connection and set up the data source

  1. Start Tableau and under Connect, select Firebird 3. For a complete list of data connections, select More under To a Server. Then do the following:

    1. Enter the name of the server that hosts the database.

    2. Enter the database, or browse to the location of the database.

    3. Enter the user name and password, and then select Sign In.

      If Tableau can't make the connection, verify that your credentials are correct. If you still can't connect, your computer is having trouble locating the server. Contact your network administrator or database administrator.

  2. On the data source page, do the following:

    1. (Optional) Select the default data source name at the top of the page, and then enter a unique data source name for use in Tableau. For example, use a data source naming convention that helps other users of the data source figure out which data source to connect to.

    2. Select a table, drag it to the canvas, and then select the sheet tab to start your analysis.

Starting in 2019.2, the Firebird connector no longer supports custom SQL connections.

Sign in on a Mac

If you use Tableau Desktop on a Mac, when you enter the server name to connect, use a fully qualified domain name, such as mydb.test.ourdomain.lan, instead of a relative domain name, such as mydb or mydb.test.

Alternatively, you can add the domain to the list of Search Domains for the Mac computer so that when you connect, you need to provide only the server name. To update the list of Search Domains, go to System Preferences > Network > Advanced, and then open the DNS tab.

Upgrade a Firebird extract

Beginning with version 10.5, Tableau has changed the format of extracts to the .hyper format. This format change requires Firebird extracts be opened and saved using an earlier version of Tableau before it can either be used with the current version of Tableau or be upgraded to the .hyper format. When you open and save the Firebird extract in an earlier version of Tableau, the Firebird extract is upgraded to a .tde format. To upgrade a Firebird extract, follow the steps listed below.

  1. Get an earlier version of Tableau Desktop. To get an earlier version of Tableau Desktop, see the Tableau Alternate Downloads Site page.

  2. Install the earlier version of Tableau Desktop, and then use it to open the Firebird extract.

  3. Save the extract.

  4. Open the upgraded Firebird extract using the current version of Tableau Desktop. The extract should work as expected.

Note: You can upgrade your extract from a .tde to a .hyper format by selecting Data > Extract > Upgrade. For more information, see Extract Upgrade to .hyper Format.

 

See also

Thanks for your feedback!Your feedback has been successfully submitted. Thank you!