Linked Tables

Link your external SQL Server to pull tables or views into your company schema, then refresh them on a schedule or on demand. Linked Tables keep dashboards current without manual CSV uploads.

What You’ll Need

  • SQL Server hostname and database name
  • Username/password (minimum read access)
  • Firewall access from Taptic Data’s connector

1) Connect to SQL Server

Open the Linked Tables UI, enter your connection details, and test the connection. We store credentials securely and only use them for imports/refreshes you schedule or trigger.

2) Select Objects to Import

Choose tables and/or views. Columns are normalized to lowercase. If the destination table doesn’t exist, we’ll create it. For subsequent refreshes, we detect primary keys and perform efficient upserts where possible.

3) Set a Refresh Schedule

  • Manual, daily, weekly, monthly, or custom cadence
  • Per-object schedules (each table/view can have its own timing)
  • View last refreshed times and logs in the table manager

Data Types & Casting

Some MSSQL types aren’t supported natively in Postgres. During import/refresh, we automatically cast unsupported types (e.g., hierarchyid) to NVARCHAR to ensure a smooth transfer. You’ll see the final schema in your company’s tables list.

Limits by Plan

Plan limits (e.g., connectors, linked objects, refresh frequency) are enforced in the backend for reliability. If you hit a limit, you’ll see a clear error message with the current usage.

Tip: For very large objects, consider importing a filtered view (e.g., last 12 months) or use incremental upserts based on a stable primary key and updated timestamp.

Troubleshooting

Connection succeeded, import failed

Check permissions on the source schema/table. Validate that the account can SELECT from the chosen objects. Review logs for type-casting messages.

Refresh errors or partial updates

Confirm primary keys are stable and unique; upserts rely on them. For views, ensure the view returns deterministic keys, or use full replace.

Firewall or timeout issues

Allow inbound connections from the connector’s IP, and increase timeouts for very large objects. If imports are still heavy, import a smaller slice to validate, then scale up.

Continue to Smart Query or Report Builder. Need help? support@tapticdata.com.