A PostgreSQL Interface for Dynamics GP Data

There are a vast number of PostgreSQL clients available on the Internet. From standard Drivers to BI and Analytics tools, PostgreSQL is a popular interface for data access. Using our JDBC Drivers, you can now create PostgreSQL entry-points that you can connect to from any standard client.

To access Dynamics GP data as a PostgreSQL database, use the CData JDBC Driver for Dynamics GP and a JDBC foreign data wrapper (FDW). In this article, we compile the FDW, install it, and query Dynamics GP data from PostgreSQL Server.

Connect to Dynamics GP Data as a JDBC Data Source

To connect to Dynamics GP as a JDBC data source, you will need the following:

• Driver JAR path: The JAR is located in the lib subfolder of the installation directory.

• Driver class: cdata.jdbc.dynamicsgp.DynamicsGPDriver

• JDBC URL: The URL must start with "jdbc:dynamicsgp:" and can include any of the connection properties in name-value pairs separated with semicolons.

  To authenticate set the User and Password connection properties.

  To connect set the URL to the Web services endpoint; for example, http://{servername}:{port}/Dynamics/GPService. Additionally, set CompanyId; you can obtain this value in the company setup window: Click Tools -> Setup -> Company.

  By default, data summaries are not returned to save performance. Set LookupIds to true to return details such as line items; however, note that entities must be retrieved one at a time.

  Built-in Connection String Designer

  For assistance in constructing the JDBC URL, use the connection string designer built into the Dynamics GP JDBC Driver. Either double-click the JAR file or execute the jar file from the command-line.

  java -jar cdata.jdbc.dynamicsgp.jar

  Fill in the connection properties and copy the connection string to the clipboard.

  A typical JDBC URL is below:

  jdbc:dynamicsgp:CompanyId=mycompanyId;user=myuser;password=mypassword;URL= http://{servername}:{port}/Dynamics/GPService;

Build the JDBC Foreign Data Wrapper

The Foreign Data Wrapper can be installed as an extension to PostgreSQL, without recompiling PostgreSQL. The jdbc2_fdw extension is used as an example (downloadable here).

1. Add a symlink from the shared object for your version of the JRE to /usr/lib/libjvm.so. For example: ln -s /usr/lib/jvm/java-6-openjdk/jre/lib/amd64/server/libjvm.so /usr/lib/libjvm.so
2. Start the build: make install USE_PGXS=1

Query Dynamics GP Data as a PostgreSQL Database

After you have installed the extension, follow the steps below to start executing queries to Dynamics GP data:

1. Log into your database.
2. Load the extension for the database: CREATE EXTENSION jdbc2_fdw;
3. Create a server object for Dynamics GP: CREATE SERVER DynamicsGP FOREIGN DATA WRAPPER jdbc2_fdw OPTIONS ( drivername 'cdata.jdbc.dynamicsgp.DynamicsGPDriver', url 'jdbc:dynamicsgp:CompanyId=mycompanyId;user=myuser;password=mypassword;URL= http://{servername}:{port}/Dynamics/GPService;', querytimeout '15', jarfile '/home/MyUser/CData/CData\ JDBC\ Driver\ for\ Salesforce MyDriverEdition/lib/cdata.jdbc.dynamicsgp.jar');
4. Create a user mapping for the username and password of a user known to the MySQL daemon. CREATE USER MAPPING for postgres SERVER DynamicsGP OPTIONS ( username 'admin', password 'test');
5. Create a foreign table in your local database: postgres=# CREATE FOREIGN TABLE salesinvoice ( salesinvoice_id text, salesinvoice_CustomerName text, salesinvoice_TotalAmount numeric) SERVER DynamicsGP OPTIONS ( table_name 'salesinvoice');