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Visio Professional 2019 - Unable to Properly Reverse Engineer from SQL Server 2017

Sean White (PC) 1 Reputation point
2020-09-18T23:50:09.38+00:00

I am trying to reverse engineer a database I have on SQL Server 2017. I have tried to use SQL Server Native Client 11.0 and SQL Server but I receive the error: "The currently selected Visio driver is not compatible with the data source." I can connect with the ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server or SQL Server Native Client 11.0 drivers under "ODBC Generic Driver" using Integrated Windows authentication, but it gives the warning: 

---------------------------  
  
Microsoft Visio  
  
---------------------------  
  
Warning!  
  
  
You are using a Visio 'ODBC Generic Driver' driver to connect with a 'Microsoft SQL Server' DBMS datasource.   
  
  
By using an incompatible driver, it is possible that the catalog information retrieved will be incomplete.  
  
---------------------------  
  
OK     
  
---------------------------

As a result I cannot diagram Triggers, Check clauses, Views, or Stored procedures. Additionally, a column with a data type of nvarchar(255) shows as "Large BLOB" in Visio.

Not only that but when I go to select my drivers, they are all listed in Spanish.

25942-image.png
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I do not have Spanish installed in Windows, and have selected nothing related to the Spanish language installed.

Here are version dumps: 

----  
  
OS:  
  
Windows Server 2019 Standard  
  
Version: 1809  
  
OS build: 17763.1012  
  
----  
  
Microsoft SQL Server 2017 (RTM-CU18) (KB4527377) - 14.0.3257.3 (X64)   
Nov 16 2019 01:14:50   
  
Copyright (C) 2017 Microsoft Corporation  
  
Enterprise Edition (64-bit) on Windows Server 2019 Standard 10.0 <X64> (Build 17763: ) (Hypervisor)  
  
----  
  
Visio:  
Version 1808 (Build 10730.20102 Click-to-Run)
Visio Management
Visio Management
Visio: A family of Microsoft products used to create diagrams and vector graphics.Management: The act or process of organizing, handling, directing or controlling something.
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  1. Ajay K Gupta 11 Reputation points
    2021-09-14T17:14:02.35+00:00

    I was also told by Microsoft sales that you need Vision 2019 Prof or better to work with SQL 2016 / 2017 / 2019, DOES NOT work. I got a base Win10 loaner from my IT team and did extensive testing.

    Works:

    • Base Win10 Pro (64bit)
    • Vision 2019 Prof 64bit (No other office products)
    • SQL Server Standard 2012 &/or 2014 (64bit)
    • SQL Native Driver v11.4.7001.0 / v11.4.742.7 (64bit)
    • SQL Server OLEDB v18.6.0 (64bit)
    • MS ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server and MS Azure (64bit)
    • The Reverse Engineer Wizard works great using SQL ODBC

    As soon as you try to connect Visio 2019 Prof to SQL Server 2016 or higher the Reverse Engineer Wizard starts giving the error. Looks like something changes after SQL Server 2014. I even have another Win10 system running Visio for Office 365 Plan2, exact same issue !!! This is so weird considering MS Sales tells you that you need Visio 2019 or higher to use it against SQL Server 2016 / 2017 / 2019.

    Ajay

    2 people found this answer helpful.
  2. Emily Hua-MSFT 27,651 Reputation points
    2020-09-21T08:17:33.713+00:00

    @Sean White (PC) ,

    What's the architecture (32 bit or 64 bit) of Visio and Windows System on your PC?
    What's the default language for SQL Server? Please also go to control panel > Clock and Region > Region > Administrative, check the language for non-Unicode programs.

    Please try to download the Microsoft OLE DB Driver for SQL server and see if it helps, for more information you can refer to "Microsoft OLE DB Driver for SQL Server".

    If an Answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and upvote it.
    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

  3. Amit C 1 Reputation point
    2020-10-13T22:34:10.997+00:00

    I am using Visio Professional 2019 on Windows 10, 64 bit. I am trying to connect to SQL Server 2019 database (even tried SQL 2017). None of the above options work. None of the drivers are able to connect to connect to SQL Server 2019 (ODBC 11, ODBC 13 ODBC 17, SQL Server, SQL Server Native Client). How difficult or broken can connectivity between two Microsoft products be? If anyone knows a solution to this, please share it.

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  4. Mark Hughs 1 Reputation point
    2021-01-30T09:08:36.597+00:00

    Markhughdev@harsh.com .com
    I purchased Visio 2019 pro for the same reason for it's proposedly ability to reverse engineer a database. I use this ability for documentation of my database applications that I develop primarily in SQL Server and Oracle 19c. I was able to pull data using the wizard by loading the Oledb provider.
    NOTE: IF YOU ARE JUST TRYING TO CONNECT TO SQL SERVER (for example to look at data in a chin diagram) you can connect using the Data tab Insert Custom and then use the SQL Server direct connection or an ODBC DSN using a SQL Server or SQL Server Native Client 11.0 .

    But, there are some gotcha's

    1. Select the Database Model Diagram template. It will start up the wizard.
    2. If you installed the SQL Server OleDb Driver (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/connect/oledb/download-oledb-driver-for-sql-server?view=sql-server-2017) it will show in the Driver dropdown list as ODBC Generic Driver. You won't see it in the DSN's list.
    3. Your SQL Server UserID must have access to the catalog.

    62145-visioreverseengsqlserver.png

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  5. Channi 1 Reputation point
    2022-10-10T22:00:46.01+00:00

    Same issue, I can only get generic to partially connect but no db update from Visio to the sql: going for 2014 in 2022

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