Connect to Amazon DynamoDB Data in RapidMiner

This article shows how you can easily integrate the CData JDBC driver for Amazon DynamoDB into your processes in RapidMiner. This article uses the CData JDBC Driver for Amazon DynamoDB to transfer Amazon DynamoDB data to a process in RapidMiner.

Connect to Amazon DynamoDB in RapidMiner as a JDBC Data Source

You can follow the procedure below to establish a JDBC connection to Amazon DynamoDB:

1. Add a new database driver for Amazon DynamoDB: Click Connections -> Manage Database Drivers.
2. In the resulting wizard, click the Add button and enter a name for the connection.
3. Enter the prefix for the JDBC URL: jdbc:amazondynamodb:
4. Enter the path to the cdata.jdbc.amazondynamodb.jar file, located in the lib subfolder of the installation directory.
5. Enter the driver class: cdata.jdbc.amazondynamodb.AmazonDynamoDBDriver
6. Create a new Amazon DynamoDB connection: Click Connections -> Manage Database Connections.
7. Enter a name for your connection.
8. For Database System, select the Amazon DynamoDB driver you configured previously.
9. Enter your connection string in the Host box.

   The connection to Amazon DynamoDB is made using your AccessKey, SecretKey, and optionally your Domain and Region. Your AccessKey and SecretKey can be obtained on the security credentials page for your Amazon Web Services account. Your Region will be displayed in the upper left-hand corner when you are logged into DynamoDB.

   Built-in Connection String Designer

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

   java -jar cdata.jdbc.amazondynamodb.jar

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

   A typical connection string is below:

   Access Key=xxx;Secret Key=xxx;Domain=amazonaws.com;Region=OREGON;
10. Enter your username and password if necessary.

You can now use your Amazon DynamoDB connection with the various RapidMiner operators in your process. To retrieve Amazon DynamoDB data, drag the Retrieve operator from the Operators view. With the Retrieve operator selected, you can then define which table to retrieve in the Parameters view by clicking the folder icon next to the "repository entry." In the resulting Repository Browser, you can expand your connection node to select the desired example set.

Finally, wire the output to the Retrieve process to a result, and run the process to see the Amazon DynamoDB data.