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Get the Report →Create Azure DevOps-Connected Enterprise Applications in OutSystems
Use CData Connect Cloud to connect to Azure DevOps from OutSystems and build custom enterprise apps using live Azure DevOps data.
OutSystems is a low-code platform which provides the tools for companies to developer, deploy, and manage omnichannel enterprise applications. When paired with CData Connect Cloud, you get instant, cloud-to-cloud access to Azure DevOps data for business applications. This article shows how to create a virtual database for Azure DevOps in Connect Cloud and build a simple app from Azure DevOps data in OutSystems.
The CData Connect Cloud provides a pure cloud-to-cloud interface for Azure DevOps, allowing you to build reports from live Azure DevOps data in OutSystems — without replicating the data to a natively supported database. As you create applications to work with data, OutSystems generates SQL queries to gather data. Using optimized data processing out of the box, CData Connect Cloud pushes all supported SQL operations (filters, JOINs, etc.) directly to Azure DevOps, leveraging server-side processing to quickly return the requested Azure DevOps data.
Configure Azure DevOps Connectivity for OutSystems
Connectivity to Azure DevOps from OutSystems is made possible through CData Connect Cloud. To work with Azure DevOps data from OutSystems, we start by creating and configuring a Azure DevOps connection.
- Log into Connect Cloud, click Connections and click Add Connection
- Select "Azure DevOps" from the Add Connection panel
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Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to Azure DevOps.
You can connect to your Azure DevOps account by providing the Organization and PersonalAccessToken.
Obtaining a Personal Access Token
A PersonalAccessToken is necessary for account authentication.To generate one, log in to your Azure DevOps Organization account and navigate to Profile -> Personal Access Tokens -> New Token. The generated token will be displayed.
If you wish to authenticate to Azure DevOps using OAuth refer to the online Help documentation for an authentication guide.
- Click Create & Test
- Navigate to the Permissions tab in the Add Azure DevOps Connection page and update the User-based permissions.
Add a Personal Access Token
If you are connecting from a service, application, platform, or framework that does not support OAuth authentication, you can create a Personal Access Token (PAT) to use for authentication. Best practices would dictate that you create a separate PAT for each service, to maintain granularity of access.
- Click on your username at the top right of the Connect Cloud app and click User Profile.
- On the User Profile page, scroll down to the Personal Access Tokens section and click Create PAT.
- Give your PAT a name and click Create.
- The personal access token is only visible at creation, so be sure to copy it and store it securely for future use.
With the connection configured, you are ready to connect to Azure DevOps data from OutSystems.
Connect to Azure DevOps from OutSystems
The steps below outline connecting to CData Connect Cloud from OutSystems to create a new Azure DevOps database connection.
- Open OutSystems Service Studio
- Click the gear icon to open Environment Management in the Service Center
- Click Administration and select "Database Connections"
- Click "New Database Connection"
- Configure the database connection:
- Name: name the connection (e.g. CData Connect Cloud Azure DevOps)
- DBMS: SQL Server / Azure SQL
- Username: a Connect Cloud user (e.g. user@mydomain.com)
- Password: the PAT for the Connect Cloud user
- Server: tds.cdata.com,14333
- Schema: the name of your Azure DevOps connection (e.g. AzureDevOps1)
- Click "Test Connection"
- Click "Create"
Map Azure DevOps Tables or Views to Entities in an Extension Module
Once you create the database connection for Azure DevOps, you can create an extension that maps the tables or views to OutSystems entities. If you have not already done so, create an Application in Service Studio.
- Open the Service Studio and open the existing Application
- Click "Add Module," set the "Module Name" (e.g. azuredevops_db_extension), set "Module Type" to "Extension," and click "Create Module"
- In Integration Studio, connect to your environment
- Right-click "Entities" in the extension tree and select "Connect to External Table or View..."
- Follow the steps in the wizard, selecting the tables and views you wish to work with
- In the Integration Studio, click "1-Click Publish"
- In the "1-Click Publish" wizard, click "Configure" when the process completes
- In the Service Center, associate the logical database name of the extension to the database connection that the extension will use and click "Apply"
- In the Service Center, associate the logical database name of the extension to the database connection that the extension will use and click "Apply"
- In your application, click "Manage Dependencies..."
- Add a dependency to the Extension and select the Entities that you will use in your application
At this point, you can access and work with Azure DevOps data just like you would with the standard OutSystems entities.
More Information & Free Trial
With Connect Cloud and OutSystems, you can easily build Azure DevOps-connected applications. Request a free trial of Connect Cloud and start working with Azure DevOps data in OutSystems today.