Connecting to SQL Server

Last updated: November 1, 2026

Tier	Deployment
Launch Grow Enterprise	Cloud On-Prem

This topic describes how to import data into Sisense's ElastiCube , and how to use Introducing Live Models.

Sisense enables easy and quick access to databases, tables and views contained with SQL databases.

You can import your data into a Sisense ElastiCube, or connect your data to a Sisense Live model, using Creating Live Models and Adding Live Connections.

Connecting Data to a Sisense Live Model

Adding a SQL Server Live Connection

To add a SQL Server Live connection:

Open a live model. See Creating Live Models and Adding Live Connections for more information.
In the Model Editor, click . The Choose Connector window is displayed.
Choose an available managed connection, or create a new connection, for SQL Server. The SQL Server area is displayed.
In Location, enter the computer/server IP address of the database. To connect to a database running on your own computer, enter localhost.
In User Name and Password, enter your SQL database credentials.
In Default Database, enter the name of the default database you will use for authentication.

The Default Database is an optional property in the connection to a data source. When specified, it acts as a starting point or shortcut, automatically selecting a database during the connection setup to streamline user workflows.

IMPORTANT:

The Default Database is not a security feature. It does not restrict Sisense users from accessing other databases within the data source. Access should be regulated through user permissions in the SQL Server database management system.

(Optional) Select Encrypt Connection to configure the driver to encrypt all communication with the SQL Server instance before sending it over the network, and then select Trust Server Certificate.
(Optional) In Additional Parameters, enter additional configuration options by appending key-value pairs to the connection string.
Example:
- Specifying application intent: ApplicationIntent=ReadOnly
- Specifying an alternate port, such as portNumber=1234
- Examples for additional parameters can be found here.
Click Next.
Under the Select Data tab, on the left side is a list of schemas located in your data source. Select the relevant schema. You can find the schema easily by searching for it through the search field at the top of the list to filter the schemas displayed. After selecting the schema, a list of the available tables and views are displayed.
Select a table or view. You can find the table easily by searching for it through the search field at the top of the list to filter the tables displayed.
Click Done; the table is added to the model.

See Publishing Live Models for information about how to publish the model and begin creating visualizations with it.

Importing Into a Sisense ElastiCube

Note:

Sisense connects to your SQL database through the default port 1433. This port should be open to Sisense so a connection can be made. Contact your IT department if this port is closed.

Importing from an SQL Database

To import data from your SQL database:

In the Data page, open an ElastiCube or click to create a new ElastiCube .
In the Model Editor, click . The Choose Connector window is displayed.
Choose an available managed connection, or create a new connection, for SQL Server. The SQL Server area is displayed.
In Location, enter the computer/server IP address of the database. To connect to a database running on your own computer, enter localhost.
In User Name and Password, enter your SQL database credentials.
In Default Database, enter the name of the default database you will use for authentication.

IMPORTANT:

(Optional) Select Encrypt Connection to configure the driver to encrypt all communication with the SQL Server instance before sending it over the network, and then select Trust Server Certificate.
(Optional) In Additional Parameters, enter additional configuration options by appending key-value pairs to the connection string.
Example:
- Specifying application intent: ApplicationIntent=ReadOnly
- Specifying an alternate port, such as portNumber=1234
- Examples for additional parameters can be found here .
Click . A list of tables in the database are displayed. All tables and views associated with the database appear in a new window.
From the Select Table list, select the relevant database you want to work with, and click Done. To view a preview of data contained in a particular table, select the table or view in the list and in click the Preview Table.
After you have selected all the relevant tables, click Done.

Importing Semantic Metadata from SQL Server

As of 2026.4.1, Sisense can import the descriptions and other metadata already defined in your Microsoft SQL Server database into your data model, so data designers don't need to re-enter this information by hand, and the assistant and other AI features get the same business context that is maintained in the database.

Import Semantics: In the Add Data dialog, click Import Semantics to open a menu where you choose what to import. All three options are selected by default.
- Descriptions: Imported as table and column descriptions. See Creating Data Dictionaries.
- Extended properties: Imported as tags, for example owner:Sales.
- Sensitivity classification: Imported as label, information type, and rank tags on classified columns.
Saved selection: Your selection is saved on the dataset and used by Refresh Semantics. You can change it later with Switch Connection or Change Database.
Kept with the model: Imported descriptions and tags are kept when the model is refreshed, duplicated, or imported.
Refresh Semantics: To re-import semantic metadata on demand, use the Refresh Semantics option from a table's context menu.

Note:

Importing sensitivity classification requires SQL Server 2019 or later (or Azure SQL) and the VIEW ANY SENSITIVITY CLASSIFICATION permission. Without the permission, the classification is skipped without a message, and the other selected options are imported.
When the source has a description or tags, re-importing replaces the current description and the whole tag list of the table or column, including descriptions entered manually or generated by AI.

Note:

When running a query, verify that the results correspond to the intended query. For example, verify that the date range queried returns the results from the dates selected. If this does not work as expected, there is a problem with the live provider. Querying a live preview is written in SQL and runs directly on the live provider (this is not a Sisense issue).