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Actian Zen

Connect an Actian Zen database so that Actian AI Analyst can query its tables for Models, Metrics, and SemQL. In Studio, this connector is the ZenDB tile.

Availability

  • Who can do this: members with the Edit capability in the active Workspace. If your organization turns on Restrict connection management, adding or changing organization connections also needs the Manage organization capability. See Who can add connections.
  • Plan: your organization's plan can leave this connector out. Studio then doesn't show the ZenDB tile.
  • Deployment: offered only on deployments that are set up to reach Actian, Ingres, Informix, and ZenDB databases. If the ZenDB tile isn't listed under Warehouses, ask your administrator.

Use a read-only user

AI Analyst only needs read access. This connector can't enforce read-only access by itself, so Studio shows "This Connector cannot enforce read-only access itself. Supply a warehouse user that is limited to read-only privileges." AI Analyst asks the driver for a read-only session where the driver supports it, and limits how long queries run and how many rows they return. See Read-only access and query limits.

1. Create a read-only user

Create a dedicated database user for AI Analyst. Run the following SQL as a user with administrative privileges:

-- Create a user for Actian AI Analyst
CREATE USER actian_analyst_user IDENTIFIED BY '<your_secure_password>';

Note

The exact statements for creating users and granting access depend on your Zen version. Check them with your database administrator.

2. Grant read access to your tables

Grant the user read access to each table you want to use:

-- Grant read-only access to a specific table
GRANT SELECT ON your_table_name TO actian_analyst_user;

Repeat this for each table.

Info

Actian Zen uses a flat table namespace with no schemas, so you grant access per table. For the same reason, the connection form has no Schemas picker.

3. Allow network access

If your Zen server is protected by a firewall, allow AI Analyst's egress IP addresses on your Zen port (default 1583).

  • If your deployment publishes its egress IP addresses, Studio lists them under Which IPs to allow in the Setup help panel next to the connection form.
  • Otherwise, for example on a self-managed deployment, allow your installation's outbound addresses, or ask your administrator which addresses to allow.

For details, see Network access and IP allowlisting.

4. Add the connection in Studio

  1. In Studio, open Connections and click + (Add connection).
  2. Under Warehouses, select ZenDB.
  3. Under Connection details, enter a Name (for example Our Analytics DB) and, if you like, a Description (optional).
  4. Leave Private to this Workspace unticked to create an organization connection, or tick it to keep the connection in this Workspace only. See Data connections and Workspaces.
  5. Under Credentials, fill in the fields described in Connection fields, or paste a connection string.
  6. Click Test connection and wait for Connection successful.
  7. Click Save connection.

Save connection stays disabled until the connection has a name and a successful test. If you change a credential field after testing, test again. For the general flow and the Setup help panel, see Connect a data source.

Connection fields

Field What to enter
Host The hostname without a protocol (no https://), for example zen-server.example.com.
Port The port of your Zen server. The default is 1583.
Database The database name, for example mydb. Required.
Username actian_analyst_user, or the read-only user you created.
Password The password you set in step 1.

Host and Database can't contain ;, =, or spaces.

Paste a connection string

Instead of typing each field, you can fill the form from a connection string:

  1. Under Credentials, click Paste a connection string.

  2. Paste a JDBC URL into Connection string, for example:

    jdbc:pervasive://zen-server.example.com:1583/mydb

  3. Click Fill the form, then enter Username and Password if the string didn't include them.

Studio fills the fields in your browser. It doesn't store the string, and nothing is sent until you test the connection.

Troubleshooting

Problem What to try
The ZenDB tile isn't listed The connector isn't enabled for your deployment or isn't included in your organization's plan. Ask your administrator.
This warehouse type isn't available right now Your deployment can't currently reach Zen databases. Contact your administrator.
Could not reach the warehouse Check Host and Port, and allow AI Analyst through your firewall (step 3).
Authentication failed Check Username and Password.
This warehouse user cannot see those objects Grant the user read access to the tables (step 2).

For the other messages, see If the test fails.

Next steps