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TimeXtender Connectors Are Changing – What Are the Consequences?

TimeXtender Connectors Are Changing – What Are the Consequences?

If you've been following the news about TimeXtender's technical progress, you'll have seen a shift from CData connectors to connectors developed directly by TimeXtender. These new connectors have already been available in TDI (the new release) for a while. With the release of 20.10.58 (and now 20.10.62), these connectors are also available in the 20.10.x series.

You may have seen TimeXtender's announcement about phasing out CData connectors:

“As of 05-03-2025, the TimeXtender Enhanced data source providers will replace the current third-party CData providers. Since we no longer distribute CData providers, they will not receive updates, and no new providers can be downloaded through the application. If you have data sources using CData providers, we strongly recommend upgrading to the latest release to get access to the new TimeXtender Enhanced providers and start migrating away from the old providers.”

This means your existing data sources using CData connectors will keep working as normal, but you can no longer add new CData connectors. For new connectors, you'll need to switch to the TimeXtender native connectors.

Scenarios for 20.10.x (or older)

There are several scenarios depending on the version of TimeXtender you're using:

You're using a TimeXtender version older than 20.10.1:

  1. In this case, your TimeXtender version is no longer officially supported, and you need to update to 20.10.62. Since outdated features may be involved, it's best to get in touch with us so we can advise you on how to plan this process.
  2. After the upgrade, you can start migrating your connectors to TimeXtender native.

You're using a 20.10.x version before 20.10.57, or 20.10.59 / 20.10.60 / 20.10.61:

  1. You need to upgrade to 20.10.62; depending on which version you're coming from, there may be changes to take into account.
  2. After the upgrade, you can start migrating connectors to TimeXtender native.

You're using TimeXtender 20.10.57 / 58:

  1. Check whether the bug fixes in the releases after your version affect your implementation, and consider upgrading to 20.10.62.
  2. You can start migrating connectors to TimeXtender native.

You're using TimeXtender 20.10.62:

  1. You can start migrating connectors to TimeXtender native.

TimeXtender native connectors

If you're using TimeXtender 20.10.58 or TDI from 6505.1 onward (new connectors have been introduced over time), you have access to TimeXtender native connectors. The following native connectors are currently available:

  • CSV
  • Excel
  • Harvest
  • Oracle
  • Parquet
  • REST
  • SAP DeltaQ
  • SAP Table
  • XML / JSON

You can still add your own drivers via OLE DB / ODBC, and the existing TimeXtender sources that were there before, such as SQL Server, are still available. The TimeXtender native connectors are easier to use than the .rsd files in CData for handling things like API authorization and other complexities. This does mean there are changes: you may notice that things that were impossible in CData are now directly possible in TimeXtender native connectors without having to fall back on .rsd scripting.

For more information about the TimeXtender native connectors:

TimeXtender release support

Keep in mind that TimeXtender 20.10.x before 20.10.58 is supported until August 2025. Version 20.10.58 and later are supported until February 2027, and the upcoming TimeXtender Classic will receive ongoing support and development.

Read here for more details.

If you have questions about your TimeXtender upgrade/migration strategy or want advice on your implementation, we're here to help!

Written by Ruairidh Smith,
Senior Consultant at E-mergo