Creating a View in a Local Database to Point to a Virtual Entity Data Source

This topic describes how to create of a view in a local database that is not physically stored on the local SQL server where Aptify is installed that points to a virtual entity's data source to support the retrieval of external data from that database.

A virtual entity in Aptify obtains data from a view that is stored in a database on the local SQL server, either in the APTIFY database or another local database. Therefore, if you are creating a virtual entity for external data that is not on the local server or if you creating a virtual entity of Aptify data (such as a sub-type entity), then you need to create a view in a local database from which Aptify can pull the virtual data.

The steps below describe how to create this view using Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio in a local database other than APTIFY. The screen captures included with these steps illustrate how to create a view of data from a LibraryInventory table that exists in a database named Vault on another SQL server on the network. This other SQL server (named, EXTERNAL_DATA) has a Linked Server relationship with the local SQL server.

Follow these steps to create a view to external data in a local database other than APTIFY:

1. If not already open, launch Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio and connect to the SQL server on which Aptify is installed.
2. In the Object Explorer, expand the server's Databases heading.
3. Select a database on the local server other than APTIFY. You can create a new database also, as necessary.
   • The example in this section use a local database called VirtualData.
     
     
4. Click the New Query button in the toolbar to open a blank SQL query window.
   
   
   
   
5. Enter a SQL statement to create a view of the desired data.
   
   • Specify the Linked Server you created previously (see Creating a Linked Server Relationship for a Virtual Entity) as the location for this data.
     
     

   • The following is a sample statement you can use to create the view and grant access to a database role:
     

     CREATE VIEW [ViewName] 
     AS
     SELECT * FROM [LinkedServerName].[database on linked server, if applicable].dbo.[ExternalTableName]
     GO
     GRANT SELECT ON [ViewName] to [database role]

   • The statement shown in the figure below will create a view named vwLibraryInventory to display all of the data from the LibraryInventory table, which is located in the EXTERNAL_DATA linked server's Vault database.
     
     
   1.  

   • If creating a view of data stored in Aptify, specify a view name that will not be confused with Aptify's standard naming convention for views (which is, vw[EntityName]).
     
     The following is a sample statement you can use to create the view and grant access to a database role:

     CREATE VIEW [ViewName] 
     AS
     SELECT * FROM APTIFY.dbo.[TableName]
     GO
     GRANT SELECT ON [ViewName] to [database role] 

     
     The statement shown in figure below will create a view named vwVirtualProductPrices to display all of the data from Aptify's ProductPrices sub-type entity.

     

     
     
     

   For the sake of simplicity, the sample view above grants access to the public database role. However, when creating a database view, you should follow your organization's standard security practices and grant SELECT access only to those roles that require it.

6. Execute the SQL statement to create the view in the specified database.
7. Close Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio.