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Analyse in Excel

Accessing data via Databricks Simba ODBC Connector​

Prerequisites​

  • Microsoft Excel installed on your computer
  • Databricks workspace access - please contact it@energysolutionsgroup.be if you want access
  • Databricks Simba ODBC Driver installed

Setup Steps​

1. Install Databricks ODBC Driver​

  1. Download the Simba Spark ODBC Driver from Databricks: https://www.databricks.com/spark/odbc-drivers-download
  2. Choose the Windows 64-bit extension and wait until the download has been completed.
  3. Open the zipped folder that has been downloaded, choose the SimbaSpark subfolder, and double-click the 'Simba Spark 2.9 64-bit' installer program.
  4. Follow the instructions on your screen until the installation has been completed.

2. Configure ODBC Connection​

  1. Open a new Excel workbook and navigate to the Data tab in your navigation panel.
  2. Click on Get Data > choose From Other Sources > From ODBC > Simba Spark from the dropdown menu and open the Advanced Options
  3. Paste the following URL and leave all the other settings untouched:
    driver={Simba Spark ODBC Driver};host=adb-2603486107066893.13.azuredatabricks.net;port=443;httppath=/sql/1.0/warehouses/f8a832a80958433c;ssl=1;authmech=11;auth_flow=2;catalog=samples;schema=default
  4. Click on 'OK' to proceed. If it is the first that you use the connection, an authentication window will pop up in your browser. Proceed with the authentication and login to continue the process.

3. Working with Data​

  1. Use the Navigator to browse available tables
  2. Select tables/views to import
  3. We advise always working in the Gold catalog, as it contains the trusted, production-ready data
  4. Within the Gold catalog, you will find both tables and views:
    • Views starting with business_ → designed for Excel import
    • Views starting with pbi_ → intended for use in Power BI reports
  5. These business_ views replace manually built Excel sheets, ensuring there is one single version of the truth.

4. Requesting New Views​

If you would like additional views to be centrally available, please contact: it@energysolutionsgroup.be