Configure PolyBase to access external data with ODBC generic types

Article
2025-05-19

Applies to: SQL Server

PolyBase starting in SQL Server 2019 allows you to connect to ODBC-compatible data sources using the ODBC connector. Beginning with SQL Server 2025 (17.x) Preview, this feature is available on Linux.

This article demonstrates how to create configuring connectivity using an ODBC data source. The guidance provided uses one specific ODBC driver as an example. Check with your ODBC provider for specific examples. Reference the ODBC driver documentation for your data source to determine the appropriate connection string options. The examples in this article might not apply to any specific ODBC driver.

Prerequisites

Note

Prior to SQL Server 2025 (17.x) Preview, this feature requires SQL Server on Windows.

PolyBase must be installed and enabled for your SQL Server instance PolyBase installation.
Before creating a database scoped credential, you must create a master key.

Install the ODBC driver

Follow the installation instructions for your operating system.

Windows
Linux

Download and install the ODBC driver of the data source you want to connect to on each of the PolyBase nodes. Once the driver is properly installed, you can view and test the driver from the ODBC Data Source Administrator.

Screenshot of PolyBase scale-out groups.

In the previous example, the name of the driver is circled in red. Use this name when you create the external data source.

Important

In order to improve query performance, enable connection pooling. This can be accomplished from the ODBC Data Source Administrator.

The following example demonstrates the SQL ODBC driver on Ubuntu.

Tip

If you haven't already, install PolyBase on Linux.

Add the Microsoft repository:

Import the Microsoft GPG key.

curl https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/microsoft-prod.gpg

Add the Microsoft repository to your system.

curl https://packages.microsoft.com/config/ubuntu/$(lsb_release -rs)/prod.list | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mssql-release.list

Update the package list.
```
sudo apt update
```
Install the ODBC driver.

Install the latest version of the ODBC driver. The following example installs version 18.
```
sudo ACCEPT_EULA=Y apt-get install -y msodbcsql18
```

Installation creates the following files:

File	Description
`/etc/odbcinst.ini`	Driver name, description, and version information.
`/etc/odbc.ini`	DSN name, encryption, and other specifications.

You need to create the odbc.ini file based on the driver's properties and specifications. Multiple drivers share the same odbc.ini and odbcinst.ini files, with multiple entries.

Example files

Example odbc.ini

In this example, driver_name must match the name from odbcinst.ini.

[MyDSN]
Driver = driver_name
Server = your_server_name
Database = your_database_name
Trusted_Connection = yes

Sybase example odbcinst.ini

[ODBC Drivers]
Devart ODBC Driver for ASE=installed
[Devart ODBC Driver for ASE]
Driver=/usr/share/devart/odbcase/libdevartodbcase.3.5.0.so

Sybase example odbc.ini

[ODBC Data Sources]
DEVART_ASE=Devart ODBC Driver for ASE
[DEVART_ASE]
Driver=Devart ODBC Driver for ASE
Data Source=database_server_ip
Port=5000
Database=master
QuotedIdentifier=1

For the full list of supported parameters check the driver provider's documentation.

Limitations

PolyBase for SQL Server on Linux uses an external service to safely isolate and load the drivers. This service is started by default when the PolyBase package (mssql-server-polybase) is installed.

The service uses the default port number 25100. If this port is in use, it fails with the following message:

Failed to bind port "127.0.0.1:25100"

You can find this message in PolyBase's log file, located at: /var/opt/mssql-polybase-ees/log/

To fix, customize the service to use an available port and restart.

Find and edit the /var/opt/mssql/binn/PolyBase/DMs.exe.config file. Locate the key entry EESPort, and assign the new port.
Find and edit the /var/opt/mssql/binn/PolyBase/DWEngineService.exe.config file. Locate the key entry EESPort, and assign the new port.

Run the following command to restart the service informing the new port:

sudo /opt/mssql/lib/dotnet6/dotnet/opt/mssql/lib/ExternalExecutionService.dll -port <newportnumber>

Create dependent objects in SQL Server

To use the ODBC data source, you must first create a few objects to complete the configuration.

The following Transact-SQL commands are used in this section:

Create a database scoped credential for accessing the ODBC source.

CREATE DATABASE SCOPED CREDENTIAL [<credential_name>]
    WITH IDENTITY = '<username>', SECRET = '<password>';

For example, the following example creates a credential named credential_name, with an identity of username. Replace <password> with a complex password.

CREATE DATABASE SCOPED CREDENTIAL credential_name
    WITH IDENTITY = 'username', SECRET = '<password>';

Create an external data source with CREATE EXTERNAL DATA SOURCE.

CREATE EXTERNAL DATA SOURCE [<external_data_source_name>]
WITH (
    LOCATION = 'odbc://<ODBC server address>[:<port>]',
    CONNECTION_OPTIONS = 'Driver={<Name of installed driver>};
        ServerNode = <name of server  address>:<Port>',
    -- PUSHDOWN = [ON] | OFF,
    CREDENTIAL = [<credential_name>]
);

The following example creates an external data source:

Named external_data_source_name
Located at the ODBC SERVERNAME and port 4444
Connecting with CData ODBC Driver For SAP 2015 - This is the driver created under Install the ODBC driver
On ServerNode sap_server_node port 5555
Configured for processing pushed down to the server (PUSHDOWN = ON)
Using the credential_name credential

CREATE EXTERNAL DATA SOURCE external_data_source_name
WITH (
    LOCATION = 'odbc://SERVERNAME:4444',
    PUSHDOWN = ON,
    CONNECTION_OPTIONS = 'Driver={CData ODBC Driver For SAP 2015};
        ServerNode = sap_server_node:5555',
    CREDENTIAL = credential_name
);

Create an external table

Once you have created the dependent objects, you can create an external table using T-SQL.

The following Transact-SQL commands are used in this section:

Create one or more external tables.

Create an external table. You need to reference the external data source created previously using the DATA_SOURCE argument and specify the source table as the LOCATION. You don't need to reference all columns but you need to ensure that the types are correctly mapped.
```
CREATE EXTERNAL TABLE [<your_table_name>]
(
    [<col1_name>] DECIMAL (38) NOT NULL,
    [<col2_name>] DECIMAL (38) NOT NULL,
    [<col3_name>] CHAR COLLATE Latin1_General_BIN NOT NULL
)
WITH (
    DATA_SOURCE = [<external_data_source_name>],
    LOCATION = '<sap_table_name>'
);
```
Note

Note you can reuse the dependent objects for all external tables using this external data source.
Optional: Create statistics on an external table.

For optimal query performance, we recommend creating statistics on external table columns especially the ones used for joins, filters, and aggregates.
```
CREATE STATISTICS statistics_name ON contact(FirstName) WITH FULLSCAN;
```

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Configure PolyBase to access external data with ODBC generic types

Prerequisites

Install the ODBC driver

Create dependent objects in SQL Server

Create an external table

Related content

Additional resources