How to Connect to the EDW (Enterprise Data Warehouse)


This guide outlines how to connect to the Enterprise Data Warehouse (EDW) using various tools, including SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), Excel (Windows and Mac), Microsoft Access, ODBC, and Visual Studio. All connections require UW NetID credentials and are secured through appropriate authentication methods.

Table of Contents

Connecting to the EDW Using SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)

  1. Open SSMS using Run as different user and authenticate with your UW NetID credentials.

    Connecting to the EDW from SSMS

  2. At the Connect to Server dialog:

    • Enter edwpub.s.uw.edu as the server name.
    • Check that the “Authentication:” portion says “Windows Authentication”.
    • Check that the “User name:” portion says NETID\ with your netid following the backslash.
    • Make sure the “Encryption:” portion says “Mandatory”.

  3. Click Connect.

  4. Once connected, navigate to the Object Explorer to locate your database and open the Views folder to begin querying secured views.

    SSMS Screenshot Object Explorer

Connecting to the EDW Using Excel (Windows)

  1. Open Excel using your UW NetID credentials.

  2. Navigate to Data > Get Data > From Database > From SQL Server Database.

    screenshot Excel

  3. In the Data Connection Wizard:

    1. Enter edwpub.s.uw.edu in the server name portion and then click “OK”.
      • Server Name: edwpub.s.uw.edu
    2. In the next window, use Windows Authentication or provide credentials in the format:
      • User Name: yournetid@netid.washington.edu
      • Password: your UW NetID password.

  4. Complete the wizard to access and query data from the EDW.

Connecting to the EDW Using Excel (MacOS)

  1. Open Excel with UW NetID credentials.
  2. Go to the Data tab > New Database Query > SQL Server ODBC.
  3. In the connection window:
    1. Server: edwpub.s.uw.edu
    2. Method: Kerberos
    3. Kerberos ID: Create ID
    4. User Name: yournetid@netid.washington.edu
    5. Password: your UW NetID password
  4. Click Connect to begin querying EDW data.

Connecting to the EDW Using Microsoft Access (ODBC)

Step 1: Prepare Microsoft Access

  1. Open the desired database in Access.

  2. Go to External Data > New Data Source > From Other Sources > ODBC Database.

    Creating a new data source in Microsoft Access from an ODBC database

  3. Choose Link to the data source by creating a linked table.

    Creating a new ODBC data source in Microsoft Access by creating a linked table

  4. Under Machine Data Source, select an existing source or click New if the data source you want is not in the list.

    Selecting a Machine Data source in Microsoft Access

  5. This warning is informational. Press ‘OK’ to proceed.

    Microsoft Access informational warning message

Step 2: Create a New Data Source

  1. Choose User Data Source.

    Creating a user data source in Microsoft Access

  2. Then select a driver:

    Selecting the driver for a new user data source in Microsoft Access

    Option 1: ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server (preferred)

    Option 2: SQL Server Native Client 11.0

    Option 3: SQL Server

  3. Provide a name, description, and server.

    Setting the name and server for a new user data source in Microsoft Access

  4. Choose With Integrated Windows authentication.

    Selecting Windows Authentication for a new Microsoft Access data source

  5. Change the default database to the one you want (e.g., UWODS).

    Setting the default database for a Microsoft Access data source

  6. Click on the checkbox for Use strong encryption for data.

    Enabling strong encryption for a Microsoft Access data source

  7. Click Test Data Source to verify connectivity.

    Dialog box preparing to test a new data source in Microsoft Access

  8. This is what you should see.

    Results from testing a new Microsoft Access data source

  9. Select OK until you see the Link Table Dialog box.

Step 3: Choose Tables

  1. In the Link Tables dialog, select the views you need.

    Selecting the tables for a new Microsoft Access data source

  2. Define a unique record identifier if prompted.

    Choosing the key for a table in a new Microsoft Access data source

  3. 3. The linked tables will appear in your Access workspace for querying.

Connecting to the EDW Using Visual Studio (BIDS 2019/ Report Server Projects)

  1. Open or create a Report Server Project.

    visual studio 2019 screenshot

  2. In Solution Explorer, right-click on Shared Data Sources > Add New Data Source.

    visual studios 2019 screenshot visual studios 2019 screenshot

  3. Enter the connection properties:

    visual studios 2019 screenshot

    • Server Name: edwpub.s.uw.edu
    • Database: Select your target database

  4. Test the connection.

  5. Click Advanced and set Encryption to True.

    visual studios 2019 screenshot

  6. Confirm the populated connection string and click OK.

    visual studios 2019 screenshot

  7. The data source will now appear in your project and be ready for report development.

    visual studios 2019 screenshot

Need Help?

If you encounter issues or need assistance: