Troubleshooting Data Connector 2.0

This page covers common issues when activating and connecting to DataCamp’s Data Connector 2.0 and provides step-by-step solutions.

Use this guide if you:

  • Have enabled Data Connector 2.0 in Enterprise Reporting

  • Are having trouble seeing data in S3 or connecting from tools like Power BI or Tableau

Before You Start: Activation Checklist

Before debugging individual tools, always confirm the basics:

  1. Check Data Connector 2.0 activation

    • Go to Reporting → Data Connector in your DataCamp admin page.

    • Confirm that:

      • The Data Connector 2.0 tab is visible.

      • The connector is enabled (toggle is on or status is “Active”).

    • If you don’t see the Data Connector section, contact your Customer Success Manager (CSM).

  2. Wait for initial export

    • After activation, allow up to 24 hours for:

      • The S3 bucket to populate

      • Athena tables to become available

  3. Verify credentials and region

    • In DataCamp, go to Reporting → Data Connector → View Details.

    • Copy:

      • the exact S3 Bucket Name

      • the AWS Region = us-east-1

      • the Access Key ID and Secret Access Key

    • If credentials are regenerated, update all tools with the new key/secret.

  4. Involve the right people

    • For connection issues, coordinate with your:

      • DataCamp Admin

      • IT/Network/Security team

      • Business Intelligence/Data team (Power BI, Tableau, Looker, etc...)

      • DataCamp Support (from DataCamp)

Quick Links

ODBC Driver Installation & Configuration

Problem: Power BI or Tableau cannot find the Athena ODBC driver, or DSN setup fails.

Solutions:

  1. Check driver installation

    • Download and install the Amazon Athena ODBC v1 driver (64-bit) for Power BI.

    • Confirm architecture: Power BI Desktop requires 64-bit.

  2. Check driver in ODBC Data Sources

    • Open ODBC Data Sources (64-bit).

    • Go to Drivers tab and verify "Simba Athena ODBC Driver (v1)" is present.

  3. Create System DSN (for Power BI)

    • Use System DSN so Power BI can see it (not just User DSN).

  4. Tableau setup

    • Download latest driver from Tableau, install .jar to correct folder, then restart Tableau.

  5. Check for version mismatch/conflicts

    • Only run required ODBC driver version; remove any conflicting/older installs if possible.

Resources:

SSL Certificate & Security Issues

Problem: You receive [SSL: CERTIFICATE_VERIFY_FAILED] or similar SSL/TLS errors.

Solutions:

  1. Check network and proxy configuration

    • Are you behind a corporate proxy, VPN, or SSL inspection (e.g., Zscaler, Netskope)?

    • Test both with VPN on/off and with/without proxy.

    • If using TLS inspection, ask IT whether a corporate root CA is needed, or if AWS endpoints can be excluded from inspection.

  2. Whitelist AWS and DataCamp endpoints

    • IT/Network should allow outbound HTTPS to:

      • athena.us-east-1.amazonaws.com

      • *.s3.amazonaws.com

    • Open both port 443 (HTTPS) and 444 (Athena streaming).

  3. Temporarily disable SSL verification (for diagnosis only)

    • In Athena ODBC DSN settings, uncheck "verify SSL cert".

    • If this resolves the error, restore SSL and coordinate with IT for proper solution (certificate trust or endpoint bypass).

Resource: AWS SSL troubleshooting: https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/userguide/cli-chap-troubleshooting.html#tshoot-certificate-verify-failed

Network & Firewall Configuration

Problem: You see connection refused/network timeout errors.

Solutions:

  1. Open outbound ports

    • Allow port 443 (HTTPS) and port 444 (Athena streaming).

  2. Check VPN compatibility

    • Test with VPN off (if allowed).

    • Ask IT for split tunneling or excluded hosts if VPN must be used.

  3. Verify endpoint access

    • From the BI or client machine:

      • Try curl https://athena.us-east-1.amazonaws.com

      • If this fails, the issue is almost surely network/firewall/proxy.

Resource: AWS Athena JDBC/ODBC timeout troubleshooting: https://aws.amazon.com/premiumsupport/knowledge-center/athena-connection-timeout-jdbc-odbc-driver/

No Data or Missing Tables After Activation

Problem: S3 bucket is empty or there are no tables in Athena.

Solutions:

  1. Allow 24 hours for first sync

  2. Confirm exact S3 bucket name and AWS region in DataCamp credentials.

  3. Verify Athena catalog/schema configuration

    • Typically, use catalog AwsDataCatalog and schema default.

  4. Review table scope

    • Not every UI metric/report is mapped 1:1 to a table. Use "Explore the Data Model" docs.

  5. If bucket is inaccessible after 24 hours contact your CSM with activation details, org name, bucket name, and export timing.

Configuration Errors (S3 Output Location)

Problem: Fails with S3 output/staging directory errors.

Solutions:

  1. S3 output location formats (tool-specific):

    • Power BI: s3://{bucketname}/tmp-powerbi

    • Tableau: s3://{bucketname}/tmp-tableau

    • DataLab: s3://{bucketname}/tmp-datalab

    • Generic/others: s3://{bucketname}/tmp

  2. Always copy/paste the bucket name from DataCamp UI and avoid typos/leading or trailing spaces.

Example:

S3 Bucket Name: data-connector-v2-12345-production
Correct for Power BI: s3://data-connector-v2-12345-production/tmp-powerbi

Connection Timeout & Performance Issues (Power BI)

Problem: Power BI takes too long to load data or times out when querying tables.

Recommended order of checks

  1. Use Import Mode (recommended in most cases)

    • In Power BI Desktop when connecting to Amazon Athena, choose Import (not DirectQuery).

    • Why: Local import delivers better performance for reporting and dashboarding.

  2. Check query scope and filters

    • Avoid unfiltered queries on large tables (e.g., fact_learn_events).

    • Start with a limited date range (like last 30–90 days) and only needed columns.

  3. Increase "Row to fetch per block" (ODBC setting)

    • Open ODBC Data Sources on your machine.

    • Select your DSN, click Configure → Advanced Options.

    • Gradually increase "Row to fetch per block" (e.g., from 10,000 up to 30,000).

  4. Result Set Streaming (advanced)

    • Athena ODBC can stream large datasets over port 444.

    • Make sure port 444 is open outbound.

    • As a troubleshooting step, try disabling Result Set Streaming:

      • If this resolves timeouts, re-enable after confirming streaming port/IAM configuration is correct.

Resources:

BI Tool–Specific Issues

Power BI: Data Source Not Found

Solutions:

  • Restart Power BI Desktop and retry connection

  • System DSN (not user DSN), and DSN architecture must match Power BI install (64-bit)

  • Update Power BI if AWS Athena connector is missing

Tableau: Connection Test Fails

Solutions:

  • Check all required fields (server: athena.us-east-1.amazonaws.com, port: 443, correct S3 staging dir)

  • Copy/paste Access Key and Secret Access Key exactly from DataCamp UI

  • Ensure correct .jar driver placement/version

  • Restart Tableau after changing drivers

DataLab: Athena Configuration Error

Solutions:

  • S3 path must be s3://{bucketname}/tmp-datalab

  • Consistent region setting (usually us-east-1)

  • If it works in DataLab but not on another tool, check local driver/network setup

Still Having Issues?

If you still have problems after working through this guide:

  1. Check AWS Service Health Dashboard for Athena/S3 regional outages

  2. Test DataLab connection (simplest baseline)

  3. Regenerate credentials in DataCamp UI, update all configs

  4. Contact DataCamp Support

    • Include: brief issue summary, tool and ODBC driver version, error messages/screenshots, troubleshooting steps already tried, whether issue affects all users or just one, and device specifics

For further help, consult DataCamp documentation or contact DataCamp Support

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