How to Use CData Connect to Access Live Microsoft Planner Data in Power Automate

CData Connect enables you to access live Microsoft Planner data in workflow automation tools like Power Automate. This article shows how to integrate Microsoft Planner data into a simple workflow, moving Microsoft Planner data into a CSV file.

CData Connect provides a pure SQL interface for Microsoft Planner, allowing you to easily integrate with live Microsoft Planner data in Power Automate — without replicating the data. Connect looks exactly like a SQL Server database to Power Automate and uses optimized data processing out of the box to push all supported SQL operations (filters, JOINs, etc) directly to Microsoft Planner, leveraging server-side processing to quickly return Microsoft Planner data.

Create a Virtual SQL Database for Microsoft Planner Data

CData Connect Server uses a straightforward, point-and-click interface to connect to data sources and generate APIs.

1. Log into Connect Server and click Connections.
2. Select "Microsoft Planner" from Available Data Sources.
3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to Microsoft Planner.

   You can connect without setting any connection properties for your user credentials. Below are the minimum connection properties required to connect.

   • InitiateOAuth: Set this to GETANDREFRESH. You can use InitiateOAuth to avoid repeating the OAuth exchange and manually setting the OAuthAccessToken.
   • Tenant (optional): Set this if you wish to authenticate to a different tenant than your default. This is required to work with an organization not on your default Tenant.

   When you connect the Driver opens the MS Planner OAuth endpoint in your default browser. Log in and grant permissions to the Driver. The Driver then completes the OAuth process.

   1. Extracts the access token from the callback URL and authenticates requests.
   2. Obtains a new access token when the old one expires.
   3. Saves OAuth values in OAuthSettingsLocation to be persisted across connections.
4. Click Save Changes
5. Click Privileges -> Add and add the new user (or an existing user) with the appropriate permissions.

How to Integrate Microsoft Planner Data into Power Automate Workflows

After configuring CData Connect with Microsoft Planner, you are ready to integrate Microsoft Planner data into your Power Automate workflows. Open Microsoft Power Automate, add a new flow, and name the flow.

In the flow editor, you can add the actions to connect to Microsoft Planner, query Microsoft Planner using SQL, and write the query results to a CSV document.

Add an Open SQL Connection Action

Add an "Open SQL connection" action (Actions -> Database) and click the option to build the Connection string. In the Data Link Properties wizard:

1. On the Provider tab: select Microsoft OLE DB Driver for SQL Server
2. On the Connection tab:
   1. Select or enter a server name: set to the address and port of the SQL (TDS) endpoint of CData Connect, separated by a comma (e.g. localhost,8033)
   2. Enter information to log onto the server: select "Use a specific username and password" and use CData Connect credentials
   3. Select the database: use the database configured above (e.g. MicrosoftPlanner1)
3. Click "Test Connection" to ensure the connection is configured properly
4. Click "OK"

After building the connection string in the Data Link Properties wizard, save the action.

Add an Execute SQL Statement Action

Add an "Execute SQL statement" action (Actions -> Database) and configure the properties.

• Get connection by: SQL connection variable
• SQL connection: %SQLConnection% (the variable from the "Open SQL connection" action above)
• SQL statement: SELECT * FROM Tasks

After configuring the properties, save the action.

Add a Write to CSV File Action

Add a "Write to CSV file" action (Actions -> File) and configure the properties.

• Variable to write to: %QueryResult% (the variable from the "Execute SQL statement" action above)
• File path: set to a file on disk
• Configure Advanced settings as needed.

After configuring the properties, save the action.

Add a Close SQL Connection Action

Add a "Close SQL connection" action (Actions -> Database) and configure the properties.

• SQL Connection: %SQLConnection% (the variable from the "Open SQL connection" action above)

After configuring the properties, save the action.

Save & Run the Flow

Once you have configured all the actions for the flow, click the disk icon to save the flow. Click the play icon to run the flow.

Now you have a workflow to move Microsoft Planner data into a CSV file.

With CData Connect, you get live connectivity to Microsoft Planner data within your Microsoft Power Automate workflows.

Related Power Automate Articles

This article walks through using CData Connect Server with Power Automate Desktop. Check out our other articles for more ways to work with Power Automate (Desktop & Online):

• Microsoft Planner Data in Power Automate Desktop via ODBC
• Microsoft Planner Data in Power Automate (Online) using CData Connect Server