AWS Data Access Tool

For users hosted on our AWS environment (Amazon-Web-Services provides the underlying cloud environment), there is a simple way to extract supported Power BI views from their databases without needing to set up a replica database. This tool allows users to download a static snapshot of the data, which can then be used in Power BI. 

Topics included in this article

• Getting the client 

• Prerequisites

• Installation and Setup

• User Interface Overview

• Downloading Data

• ODBC Driver Setup

• Scheduling Downloads

• Additional Notes

Getting the client 

The client will be available for download from POR Help once launched. It will be listed under the Utilities section.

Prerequisites

• You must have an SSO login. To learn how to create one, see our article: Elite | Single Sign-On (SSO) & Global User Admin.

•  Once you have an SSO login, please submit a Support ticket to request that the feature be enabled. This is a process that is completed internally. 

Installation and Setup

1. Extract Files

   • After downloading the bundle, extract:

     • BITool.exe

     • sqliteodbc.exe

   • Place both in the same directory.

      

2. Run the Tool

   • Launch BITool.exe as an administrator, or as a user with permission to elevate.

3. Install ODBC Driver

   • On first launch, the tool will prompt to install the ODBC driver.

   • Click Next and follow the wizard.

     
      

   • Select the required components and click Install.

     
     
      

4. Login

   • After installation, the tool will launch.

     
      
   • Enter your Global API credentials and click Login.
     

User Interface Overview

Upon successful login, you will see a screen that looks like the screenshot below:

There are a couple of components here, so let's go over them, starting with the bottom right hand corner, “Saving to:"

Saving to

The default path is C:\Users\[YourUser]\Downloads. This is the path to which any downloaded artifacts will be saved. 

To change the save location:

• Click Settings > Save Path

  
  

• The new path will display in the bottom right corner.

  

Artifact View

• Displays a tree view of companies the user can access (with ETL enabled).

• Example: User has access to OrgID 4491 with one available company.

Downloading Data

1. Click the Download button.

   

    

2. A progress bar will display.

   

    

3. When it's complete, the download will show completed.

   

4.  The .sqlite data file will be saved in a folder named after your OrgID (e.g., 4491).

   

       

Creating an ODBC Connection

After using the Data Access Tool to download your SQL file, you must create an ODBC connection to that file before it can be used in reporting tools such as Power BI, Excel, or other third-party applications.

Before You Begin

• Confirm that the SQLite ODBC Driver has been installed (as outlined in the steps in the previous section).

• Have your SSO credentials on hand. You'll need this at the end to access the data through your reporting tool.

Step 1: Verify the SQLite ODBC Driver Is Installed

1. On your Windows computer, open the menu and search for "ODBC Data Sources". 

    

      

2. Select the Drivers tab and confirm that SQLite3 ODBC Driver is listed. If the driver is not listed, revisit the Data Access Tool installation steps to install it.

   

Step 2: Create a New ODBC Connection

1. Go to the System DSN tab and click Add.

   

2. Select SQLite3 ODBC Driver and then Click Finish.

   

Step 3: Configure the Connection

In the setup window:
 

1. Enter a Data Source Name (DSN). Example: POR_ODBC_Test

   

    

2.  Click Browse next to the database field.

   

3. Navigate to and select the SQL file downloaded from the Data Access Tool. The file can be downloaded by following the steps in the previous sections of the article.

    

4. Leave all other settings as default and press OK to save. Your ODBC connection is now created.

Step 4: Use the ODBC Connection in a Reporting Tool

Most reporting tools (such as Power BI, Excel, or other analytics platforms) allow you to retrieve data from an ODBC source.

When connecting:

• Choose ODBC as the data source.

• Select the DSN you created (e.g., POR_ODBC_Test).

• Enter your SSO credentials when prompted.
  

Once connected, you can begin building dashboards, reports, or other data visualizations within your chosen tool.

Additional Notes

If you experience issues connecting, verify:
  

• The SQL file location has not changed.

• The SQLite ODBC driver is installed.

• You are using the correct SSO credentials.

Scheduling Downloads

Data is refreshed nightly on Point of Rental’s servers. The tool can be set to download daily.

To schedule a download:

1. Go to Settings > Schedule

   

     

2. Enter your desired time for each day, check ‘Enabled’ to enable a scheduled run for that row

   

    

3. Click Schedule to save

4. To return to the main screen, click File > Home