Creating the Data Source Name
This section describes how to edit the DSN configuration and then authenticate and connect to Avalara APIs.
DSN Configuration
You can use the Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator to edit the DSN configuration. Note that the installation process creates a both a user DSN and a system DSN, as described in Installing the Connector.
Note: The connector stores connection information in the Windows registry. To ensure that the connector can write to the registry, either run Power BI as an administrator or use a User DSN for your connection instead of a System DSN.
User DSN
Complete the following steps to edit the DSN configuration:
- Select Start > Search, and enter ODBC Data Sources in the Search box.
- Choose the version of the ODBC Administrator that corresponds to the bitness of your Power BI Desktop installation (32-bit or 64-bit).
- Select the system data source and click Configure.
- Edit the information on the Connection tab and click OK.
System DSN
Configure the system DSN the same way as the user DSN, except you will need to switch to the System DSN tab before performing Step 3.
Connecting to Avalara
By default, the connector connects to a production environment. Set UseSandbox to true to configure the connector to connect to a Avalara sandbox environment.
Authenticating to Avalara
There are two authentication methods available for connecting to the Avalara data source: Basic and LicenseKey.
Login Credentials
To use login credentials for authentication, set the following:
- AuthScheme: Set this to Basic.
- User: Set this to your Avalara username.
- Password: Set this to your Avalara password.
Account Number and License Key
Alternatively, you can authenticate using your account number and license key. Connect to the data source using the following:
- AuthScheme: Set this to LicenseKey.
- AccountId: Set this to your Avalara Account Id. The Account Id is listed in the upper right-hand corner of the Avalara admin console.
- LicenseKey: Set this to your Avalara license key. You can generate a license key by logging into Avalara as an account adminstrator and navigating to Settings > Reset License Key.