Impala

Applies to: Tableau Desktop, Tableau Prep, Tableau Server

This article describes how to connect Tableau to an Impala database and set up the data source.

Before you begin

Before you begin, gather this connection information:

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

  • Authentication method:

    • No Authentication

    • Kerberos

    • User Name

    • User Name and Password

  • Transport type (Username and Password authentication only): 

    • Binary

    • SASL

  • Sign-in credentials depend on the authentication method you choose and can include the following:

    • User name

    • Password

    • Realm

    • Host FQDN

    • Service name

  • Are you connecting to an SSL server?

  • (Optional) Initial SQL statement to run every time Tableau connects

Driver required

This connector requires a driver to talk to the database. 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.

Note: Make sure you use the latest available drivers. To get the latest drivers, see Impala(Link opens in a new window) on the Tableau Driver Download page.

Make the connection and set up the data source

  1. Start Tableau and under Connect, select Impala. 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 and the port number to use. Port 21050 is the default .

    2. In the Authentication drop-down list, select the authentication method to use.

    3. Enter the information that you are prompted to provide. The information you are prompted for depends on the authentication method you choose.

    4. (Optional) Select Initial SQL to specify a SQL command to run at the beginning of every connection, such as when you open the workbook, refresh an extract, sign in to Tableau Server, or publish to Tableau Server. For more information, see Run Initial SQL.

    5. Select Sign In.

      Select the Require SSL option when connecting to an SSL server.

      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 for more assistance.

  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. From the Schema drop-down list, select the search icon or enter the schema name in the text box and select the search icon, and then select the schema.

    3. In the Table text box, select the search icon or enter the table name and select the search icon, and then select the table.

    4. Drag the table to the canvas, and then select the sheet tab to start your analysis.

      Use custom SQL to connect to a specific query rather than the entire data source. For more information, see Connect to a Custom SQL Query.

      Note: This database type supports only equal (=) join operations.

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.

See also

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