topic Re: qvd_files and their origin in QlikView

qvd_files and their origin

datanibbler — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 18:19:17 GMT

Hi,

I find quite often that it is somewhat challenging to backtrack a KPI - if the data in the QlikView_database comes from a qvd_file, then the question is which QlikView_app created that qvd. That is somewhat hit_and_miss.

Therefore I wonder: Would it be possible to pass some parameter to a qvd that another app can read that would contain some information on what app created that qvd?

Thanks a lot!

Best regards,

DataNibbler

Re: qvd_files and their origin

Gysbert_Wassenaar — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 14:26:36 GMT

Every qvd file contains an xml header. You can load the qvd file as an xml file. One of the tags contains the app name that created the qvd. Another interesting bit is the LineageInfo which tells you where the data came from. In the case that data was retrieved from a database you'll find the sql statement and some information about the odbc/oledb connection.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>

<CreatorDoc>D:\QVdata\temp\qvd_gen.qvw</CreatorDoc>

...table and field info intermezzo...

<LineageInfo>

<Discriminator>D:\QVdata\temp\comm122024.qvw</Discriminator>

<Statement>Binary</Statement>

</LineageInfo>

<Discriminator>STORE - [AllINK.qvd] (qvd)</Discriminator>

</LineageInfo>

</Lineage>

</QvdTableHeader>

Re: qvd_files and their origin

datanibbler — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 14:30:38 GMT

Hi Gysbert,

that sounds really cool.

How can I do that? By changing the extension to .xml, that doesn't work.

Do I need some xml_viewer? That's an issue as everything that has to be installed has to be approved by IT ...

Re: qvd_files and their origin

Gysbert_Wassenaar — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 14:34:10 GMT

Use Qlikview. Simply use the qvd as a file source, but choose XML as file type.

Re: qvd_files and their origin

Thu, 06 Nov 2014 14:39:12 GMT

Thank you Sir for that information, very helpfull

Re: qvd_files and their origin

datanibbler — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 14:40:04 GMT

Perfect!

Thanks a lot!

Re: qvd_files and their origin

Peter_Cammaert — Thu, 06 Nov 2014 14:41:01 GMT

I think the Governance Dashboard is a specialist in reading stuff like that. Have a look at The QlikView Governance Dashboard | Qlik

Re: qvd_files and their origin

Arindam_Ghoshal_13 — Thu, 12 May 2022 13:24:37 GMT

Hi Gysbert_Wassenaar,

Do we have any way to find qvd origin in Qlik Sense without using QlikView.

Any suggestions are always welcome.