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Qlik Sense On-Prem

Qlik Sense On-prem is a self-managed platform for data visualization and analytics that empowers users to create, share, and access interactive visualizations and reports within their organization's infrastructure. Dataedo can help Qlik Sense users enhance data understanding and promote better data governance and management practices.

Catalog and Documentation

Qlik analytics apps with their sheets are imported to Dataedo as reports. Users can browse visualizations and fields (dimensions and measures) used by particular app sheets. Application tables that were created from data files or uploaded from external sources in the Dataedo repository are visible as dataset tables. Dataedo also imports connections as linked sources.

Qlik Sense On-prem connector supports creating Data lineage to enable tracking data flows to visualizations created in the app's sheets. Column level lineage is created between apps tables and apps to find out which columns are the sources of data used by a given sheet. App tables are matched to table objects from external source defined by connection (if that source is documented in Dataedo repository).

Other features include:

Required permissions

Qlik user account used for import must possess access to objects to be documented. If the user has not created the app then he must have access to Stream to which given app is added. During import, Dataedo uses only methods that import metadata from Qlik Sense APIs.

Connecting to Qlik Sense

Prerequisites

Currently, Qlik Sense On-Prem connector supports three types of authentication that differ in terms of required connection parameters:

  • Direct - Dataedo connects directly to the server where Qlik Sense Engine Service (QES) is running. The user must previously export certificates from Qlik Management Console: Exporting certificates through the QMC, add them to Certificate store and know the QES listen port (default is 4747).

  • NTLM - Connection is established via proxy using user credentials: User directory, User id and User password.

  • Existing session - If you already authenticated to Qlik's hub on the web browser you can use the existing Session id to connect. It can be found by inspecting web browser cookies. You also need Session cookie header name that was set in Qlik's authentication proxy.

Connection

To connect to a Qlik Sense On-prem instance, click the Add button in the upper left corner and choose New connection.

Image title

From the sources, choose Qlik Sense On-prem.

Choose Qlik Sense On-Prem

Now data necessary to establish a connection between Dataedo and the Qlik Sense must be provided.

Firstly, connection type needs to be chosen from: Direct, NTLM, Existing Session (They are described in prerequisites)

Independent of chosen connection type, the following must be provided:

  • Host - Hostname of Qlik proxy used for authentication

  • Port - Port on which authentication proxy or Qlik engine listens

  • Validate certificate - If checked, Dataedo is going to validate Qlik certificates

  • Timeout - Connection attempt length

Additional fields for specific connection types are described below:

Direct

  • User directory - Directory of Qlik user specified in QMC

  • User id - Id of Qlik user specified in QMC

  • Certificates path - Path to certificates exported from QMC

  • Certificates password - Password specified when exporting certificates

Qlik Sense On-Prem direct connection

NTLM

  • User directory - Directory of Qlik user specified in QMC

  • User id - Id of Qlik user specified in QMC

  • User password - Password of the logging user

Qlik Sense On-Prem NTLM connection

Existing Session

  • Session cookie header - Name of session cookie

  • Session id - Value of session cookie

Qlik Sense existing session connection

After clicking Connect, Dataedo will start retrieving a list of database objects. When it finishes, it will display a window to choose objects to import. Selecting the Use advanced filters radio button allows you to define more complex filters.

Set up filters

Click Next to confirm which objects are to be imported. You will then see a window that allows you to change the default title of the documentation, under which it will be visible in the Dataedo repository.

Set up documentation name

Click Import to start the import process. Wait until the import process is complete.

Import Qlik Sense On-Prem

Close the import window using the Finish button. Qlik Sense objects have been imported to new documentation in the repository.

Qlik Sense On-Prem documentation in repository

Connector specification

Imported metadata

ImportedEditable
Analytics apps -> Reports
  Last updated date
  Sheets
   Visualizations
    Visualizations titles
    Dimensions
    Measures
     Measures computed formulas
Apps tables -> Dataset Tables
  Columns
   Data types
   Nullability
   Column comments
  Associations -> Relations
Connections -> Linked Sources
  Connection details
  SQL dialect (if applicable)
  Source database (if documented)

Supported features

FeatureSupported
Data profiling
Data classification
Data lineage
Reference data (import lookups)
Importing from DDL
Generating DDL
FK relationship tester

Data Lineage

DestinationSourceColumn level
Analytic appApp tables
App tableDataset or Source table

Known issues and limitations

  • When connection to some Qlik application fails it won't be imported and will be marked as deleted when importing changes. Reason of fail will be displayed at the end of the import.
  • Only Direct, NTLM and Existing session authentication types are now supported
  • Column level lineage is now available only between apps and apps tables.
  • Currently Data files e.g. csv files that are stored inside Qlik are not imported
  • Sheets of applications can be imported only if they are made public
  • If some objects are missing, check if you have access to them from your Qlik Sense account
  • Some visualizations titles may not be imported