Data Source Overview

A FastStats database cannot exist alone – it is generally an analysis layer for another data store. FastStats is not the appropriate application or database to use to maintain operational data or store the master copy of information. FastStats provides a different balance of data storage, functionality and query performance than a traditional relational database management system.

To create a FastStats database representation of data in another system, data can be extracted (“pushed”) to FastStats, or FastStats can “pull” the data itself. Extracted files and database or other systems from which FastStats can pull data are referred to collectively as data sources.

FastStats Designer supports a number of data sources:

• Delimited data file
• Fixed column data file
• Database Table, View or Custom Query
  • .Net Provider connection
  • SQL Server BCP connection
  • Oracle ODP.NET
  • ODBC database table or view
  • OLE DB database table or view

• .DBF data file from Microsoft FoxPro or dBase

• Dynamic Database Data Sources

• Data Package Files

• FastStats Designer Training Database

The database connection mechanism supports a huge number of different database systems through ODBC, OLE DB and native drivers (e.g. SQL Server, Oracle, etc.). Many data stores support connections through ODBC and OLE DB through drivers supplied with the product e.g. MS Access, MySQL, SPSS, SAS etc.

A database view is the record set resulting from running a query. Database views are particularly useful for filtering and joining data from the source database to appear as a consistent single source to FastStats Designer.

FastStats Designer can be used with a variety of different data sources in different formats to create a single marketing data analysis system. The ability to join e.g. SQL Server data to delimited file data is useful in typical marketing operations in which a wide range of rich data is collected through a wide variety of means.

From the 2020 Q2 Release of FastStats Designer all data sources are specified in the Credentials Manager. Older designs will automatically import and convert the data sources used in a design to the new scheme.