---
schema_version: "1"
id: 8278dc3689b03295e49b143436a9558260d0d5f4f8a6d3d9c80fa96cbbdfa681
title: Pivotal Greenplum Database
collection: tableau
version: next
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/tableau/next/en-us/pro/desktop/examples_greenplum.md
canonical_url: https://help.tableau.com/v0.0/pro/desktop/en-us/examples_greenplum.htm
source_site: help.tableau.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 7239308668574de682158b06ba2395351af1ac382a0e7e6ba014f422fb00b97e
description: Connect Tableau to a Pivotal Greenplum Database and set up the data source.
---
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# Pivotal Greenplum Database

This article describes how to connect Tableau to a Pivotal Greenplum Database and set up the data source.

## Before you begin

Before you begin, gather this connection information:

- Name of the server that hosts the database you want to connect to
- Database name
- User name and password
- (Optional) Initial SQL statement to run every time Tableau connects

### Driver required

This connector requires a driver to talk to the database. If the driver is not installed on your computer, Tableau displays a message in the connection dialog box with a link to the [Driver Download](https://www.tableau.com/support/drivers) page where you can find driver links and installation instructions.

## Make the connection and set up the data source

1. Start Tableau and under Connect, select Pivotal Greenplum Database. For a complete list of data connections, select More under To a Server. Then do the following:
    
    1. Enter the name of the server that hosts the database and the name of the database you want to connect to.
    2. Enter the user name and password.
    3. (Optional) Select Initial SQL to specify a SQL command to run at the beginning of every connection, such as when you open the workbook, refresh an extract, sign in to Tableau Server, or publish to Tableau Server. For more information, see [Run Initial SQL](https://help.tableau.com/v0.0/pro/desktop/en-us/connect_basic_initialsql.htm).
    4. Select Sign In.
    
    If Tableau can't make the connection, verify that your credentials are correct. If you still can't connect, your computer is having trouble locating the server. Contact your network administrator or database administrator for more assistance.
2. On the data source page, do the following:
    
    1. (Optional) Select the default data source name at the top of the page, and then enter a unique data source name for use in Tableau. For example, use a data source naming convention that helps other users of the data source figure out which data source to connect to.
    2. Select and drag a table to the canvas, and then select the sheet tab to start your analysis.
        
        Use custom SQL to connect to a specific query rather than the entire data source. For more information, see [Connect to a Custom SQL Query](https://help.tableau.com/v0.0/pro/desktop/en-us/customsql.htm).

### Support for spatial columns

Starting with Tableau version 2019.2, you can connect to spatial columns. For more information, see [Connect to Spatial Data in a Database](https://help.tableau.com/v0.0/pro/desktop/en-us/maps_spatial_sql.htm).

For Pivotal Greenplum Databases with spatial columns, we recommend that you use the PostgreSQL driver that is installed on Windows by default with Tableau Desktop. (Tableau already uses the PostgreSQL driver on macOS.) To use the PostgreSQL driver, you must uninstall the Pivotal Greenplum Database driver on your Windows computer, if it's installed.

## Sign in on a Mac

If you use Tableau Desktop on a Mac, when you enter the server name to connect, use a fully qualified domain name, such as mydb.test.ourdomain.lan, instead of a relative domain name, such as mydb or mydb.test.

Alternatively, you can add the domain to the list of Search Domains for the Mac computer so that when you connect, you need to provide only the server name. To update the list of Search Domains, go to System Preferences > Network > Advanced, and then open the DNS tab.

## See also

- [Set Up Data Sources](https://help.tableau.com/v0.0/pro/desktop/en-us/datasource_prepare.htm) – Add more data to this data source or prepare your data before you analyze it.
- [Build Charts and Analyze Data](https://help.tableau.com/v0.0/pro/desktop/en-us/design_and_analyze.htm) – Begin your data analysis.