XMLA Client

Use scripts/xmla_client.py to speak XMLA directly over SOAP 1.1. It uses only the Python standard library.

Workflow

1. Start with DISCOVER_DATASOURCES. Do not reject an endpoint because HTTP GET returns 404; XMLA is exercised by a SOAP POST and a service may accept only that method.
2. Inspect the returned DataSourceInfo, provider name, provider type, URL, and authentication mode.
3. Continue with DISCOVER_SCHEMA_ROWSETS for the selected data source. Then use an advertised schema rowset such as DBSCHEMA_CATALOGS, MDSCHEMA_CUBES, or MDSCHEMA_MEASURES with appropriate restrictions.
4. Use execute only when the user wants a statement run. XMLA providers may accept MDX, SQL, or another command dialect. Treat data-changing statements as mutations and require explicit authorization before sending them.
5. On failure, preserve the HTTP status and SOAP Fault. Retry only when a changed binding, credential, property, or restriction is supported by evidence.

Read references/xmla-protocol.md when choosing discovery rowsets, properties, output handling, or authentication. Read references/demo-openlink-proof.md for the live OpenLink proof that motivated this client.

Read README.md when the user wants runnable, verified SQL or SPASQL/SPARQL-FED examples.

Commands

Discover data sources:

python3 scripts/xmla_client.py \
  --endpoint https://example.com/XMLA \
  discover --request-type DISCOVER_DATASOURCES

Discover catalogs for one advertised data source:

python3 scripts/xmla_client.py \
  --endpoint https://example.com/XMLA \
  --data-source-info 'DSN=Local_Instance' \
  discover --request-type DBSCHEMA_CATALOGS

Execute a statement from a file:

python3 scripts/xmla_client.py \
  --endpoint https://example.com/XMLA \
  --data-source-info 'DSN=Local_Instance' \
  --catalog Demo \
  execute --statement-file query.mdx --output-format pretty-xml

Use repeated --restriction NAME=VALUE and --property NAME=VALUE arguments for provider-specific discovery. Use --dry-run --output-format pretty-xml to inspect the SOAP envelope without sending it.

Credentials and TLS

• Basic authentication: set XMLA_USERNAME and XMLA_PASSWORD. The environment variable names can be changed with --username-env and --password-env.
• Bearer authentication: set XMLA_BEARER_TOKEN or select another variable with --bearer-token-env.
• XMLA PropertyList authentication: set XMLA_PROPERTY_USERNAME and XMLA_PROPERTY_PASSWORD. Change the variable names with --xmla-username-env and --xmla-password-env. Use this when DISCOVER_PROPERTIES advertises UserName and Password properties or a SOAP Fault explicitly requests them.
• Never place passwords or bearer tokens in command arguments, generated XML, logs, or skill files.
• Prefer normal certificate validation. Use --ca-cert for a private CA. Use --insecure only for an explicitly approved diagnostic against a known endpoint.
• For mutual TLS, use --client-cert and, when separate, --client-key.

Result discipline

Default JSON output contains normalized rowset rows and a row count. Use --output-format xml when exact server bytes matter and pretty-xml for inspection. --response-out preserves the unmodified response independently of formatted stdout. Do not claim a query succeeded unless the response is HTTP-successful and contains no SOAP Fault.