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Create a database connection for a public IP instance

Looker (Google Cloud core) must be connected to a database to let users explore data and create content. Learn how to create a database connection for a Looker (Google Cloud core) public IP instance to use as the basis for any LookML project, or for a specific LookML project.

See the Connecting Looker (Google Cloud core) to your database documentation page for instructions on creating a database connection for a private IP connection. See the BigQuery default connection for Looker (Google Cloud core) quickstart to use the BigQuery Quickstart Connection to create a default BigQuery connection that can use Application Default Credentials.

Before you begin

To follow along with this quickstart, you'll need the following:

Access to a Looker (Google Cloud core) instance.
You must have the Looker Admin role or have the manage_project_connections Looker permission.
A database dialect that is compatible with Looker (Google Cloud core). For a list of compatible dialects, see Supported dialects for Looker (Google Cloud core).

Navigate to the Connect your database to Looker page

On the Looker (Google Cloud core) homepage, click the Create button in the main navigation menu to open the drop-down menu.
From the drop-down menu, select Connection to open the Connect your database to Looker page.

Create your database connection

On the Connect your database to Looker page, complete the following steps:

In the Name section, enter a name for your connection. This name will appear in the Connection field of the Create a Model page, as well as the Connections page.

Tip: Don't use the name of any folders for this setting. This value doesn't need to match anything in your database; Name is a label that identifies this connection within the Looker UI.
In the Connection Scope section, select All Projects to create a connection that will be used for all LookML projects in your Looker (Google Cloud core) instance, or select Selected Project to create a connection that will be used only for the LookML project that you specify.
If you chose Selected Project in the Connection Scope section, select the project that you want to use this connection for.
In the Dialect section, choose the appropriate dialect for your database. You can also begin typing the dialect name and Looker will display suggestions for the dialect names that match what you've typed.
Once you select a dialect for the connection, Looker displays the connection settings fields that apply to your database dialect. Fill in the subsequent settings that Looker displays:
- The majority of the connection settings are common to most database dialects. For descriptions of common database settings, see the Connecting Looker to your database documentation page.
- For instructions for your specific dialect, see the Connecting Looker (Google Cloud core) to your database documentation page.
In the Optional Settings section, expand or collapse the sections to see and configure the available options for your database connection. You can also click Expand all to expand all the sections.
To test your connection configuration settings, click Test. If your connection is configured correctly, you'll see a green check mark.
To create your connection, click Create.

You can view and manage the connection on the Connections admin page.