Execute SQL queries with ODBC

Use the Arrow Flight SQL ODBC driver to execute SQL queries against InfluxDB Cloud Serverless from ODBC-compatible applications and programming languages.

ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) is a standard API for accessing database management systems. The Arrow Flight SQL ODBC driver enables ODBC-compatible applications to connect to InfluxDB Cloud Serverless and query data using SQL.

• Download and install the ODBC driver
• Configure a data source
• Connect and query from applications
• Use ODBC with programming languages

Download and install the ODBC driver

InfluxDB Cloud Serverless uses the Arrow Flight SQL ODBC driver to enable ODBC connectivity.

# Set the driver path
$driverPath = "C:\Users\
YOUR_USER
\Downloads\arrow-flight-sql-odbc-0.9.7.1195-win64.msi"

# Download the driver
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://docs.influxdata.com/downloads/arrow-flight-sql-odbc-0.9.7.1195-win64.msi" `
  -OutFile $driverPath

# Mark as trusted
Unblock-File $driverPath

# Install
Start-Process msiexec.exe -Wait -ArgumentList "/i `"$driverPath`""

odbcinst -q -d

Configure a data source

After installing the Arrow Flight SQL ODBC driver, configure a data source to connect to InfluxDB Cloud Serverless.

[InfluxDB3]
Driver = Arrow Flight SQL ODBC Driver
Host = us-west-2-1.aws.cloud2.influxdata.com
Port = 443
Database = 
DATABASE_NAME
AuthToken = 
DATABASE_TOKEN
UseEncryption = 1

isql -v InfluxDB3

Connect and query from applications

After configuring a data source, connect from ODBC-compatible applications:

Power BI

See Use Power BI to visualize data.

Tableau

See Use Tableau to visualize data.

Excel

1. Open Excel
2. Go to Data > Get Data > From Other Sources > From ODBC
3. Select your InfluxDB data source
4. Enter credentials if prompted
5. Select tables and load data

DBeaver

1. Create a new database connection
2. Select ODBC as the connection type
3. Configure the connection:
   • Database/Schema: Your InfluxDB database
   • ODBC DSN: Your configured data source name
4. Test and save the connection

Use ODBC with programming languages

Python with pyodbc

import pyodbc

# Connect to InfluxDB
conn = pyodbc.connect(
    'DSN=InfluxDB3',
    autocommit=True
)

# Create cursor
cursor = conn.cursor()

# Execute query
cursor.execute("""
    SELECT
        time,
        temp,
        location
    FROM
        home
    WHERE
        time >= now() - INTERVAL '1 hour'
    ORDER BY
        time DESC
""")

# Fetch results
for row in cursor.fetchall():
    print(row)

# Close connection
cursor.close()
conn.close()

R with RODBC

library(RODBC)

# Connect to InfluxDB
conn <- odbcConnect("InfluxDB3")

# Execute query
result <- sqlQuery(conn, "
    SELECT
        time,
        temp,
        location
    FROM
        home
    WHERE
        time >= now() - INTERVAL '1 hour'
    ORDER BY
        time DESC
")

# View results
print(result)

# Close connection
odbcClose(conn)

C# with System.Data.Odbc

using System;
using System.Data.Odbc;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        string connectionString = "DSN=InfluxDB3";

        using (OdbcConnection conn = new OdbcConnection(connectionString))
        {
            conn.Open();

            string query = @"
                SELECT
                    time,
                    temp,
                    location
                FROM
                    home
                WHERE
                    time >= now() - INTERVAL '1 hour'
                ORDER BY
                    time DESC
            ";

            using (OdbcCommand cmd = new OdbcCommand(query, conn))
            using (OdbcDataReader reader = cmd.ExecuteReader())
            {
                while (reader.Read())
                {
                    Console.WriteLine($"{reader["time"]} - {reader["temp"]} - {reader["location"]}");
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

Connection string format

For applications that use connection strings directly:

Driver={Arrow Flight SQL ODBC Driver};Host=HOST;Port=PORT;Database=DATABASE;AuthToken=TOKEN;UseEncryption=1

Example:

Driver={Arrow Flight SQL ODBC Driver};Host=localhost;Port=8181;Database=
DATABASE_NAME
;AuthToken=
DATABASE_TOKEN
;UseEncryption=1

For InfluxDB Cloud Serverless, use port 443:

Driver={Arrow Flight SQL ODBC Driver};Host=cluster-id.a.influxdb.io;Port=443;Database=
DATABASE_NAME
;AuthToken=
DATABASE_TOKEN
;UseEncryption=1

Configuration options

Connection parameters

Advanced options

Add these to your DSN configuration or connection string as needed:

[InfluxDB3]
Driver = Arrow Flight SQL ODBC Driver
Host = us-west-2-1.aws.cloud2.influxdata.com
Port = 443
Database = mydb
AuthToken = your-token
UseEncryption = 1
DisableCertificateVerification = 0

Troubleshooting

Driver not found

If applications cannot find the Arrow Flight SQL ODBC driver:

Connection failures

If you cannot connect to InfluxDB Cloud Serverless:

• Verify your InfluxDB Cloud Serverless instance is running and accessible
• Check host and port settings:
  • Local instances: localhost:8181
  • InfluxDB Cloud Serverless: Use your cluster URL with port 443
• Ensure UseEncryption is set correctly for your connection type
• Verify network connectivity and firewall rules allow connections

Authentication errors

If authentication fails:

• Confirm your token is valid and not expired
• Ensure the token is specified in the AuthToken parameter (not Token)
• Check that the token was copied correctly without extra spaces or characters

Query errors

If queries fail or return errors:

• Verify SQL syntax is correct for InfluxDB SQL
• Check that referenced tables (measurements) exist in the database
• Ensure column names match your schema
• Review the SQL reference for supported features
• For large result sets, consider adding LIMIT clauses

Performance issues

For slow queries or connection timeouts:

• Add time range filters to limit data scanned
• Use appropriate indexes if available
• Increase timeout values in your DSN configuration
• Monitor query execution plans for optimization opportunities