How to work with Stripe Data in Apache Spark using SQL

Apache Spark is a fast and general engine for large-scale data processing. When paired with the CData JDBC Driver for Stripe, Spark can work with live Stripe data. This article describes how to connect to and query Stripe data from a Spark shell.

The CData JDBC Driver offers unmatched performance for interacting with live Stripe data due to optimized data processing built into the driver. When you issue complex SQL queries to Stripe, the driver pushes supported SQL operations, like filters and aggregations, directly to Stripe and utilizes the embedded SQL engine to process unsupported operations (often SQL functions and JOIN operations) client-side. With built-in dynamic metadata querying, you can work with and analyze Stripe data using native data types.

Install the CData JDBC Driver for Stripe

Download the CData JDBC Driver for Stripe installer, unzip the package, and run the JAR file to install the driver.

Start a Spark Shell and Connect to Stripe Data

1. Open a terminal and start the Spark shell with the CData JDBC Driver for Stripe JAR file as the jars parameter: $ spark-shell --jars /CData/CData JDBC Driver for Stripe/lib/cdata.jdbc.stripe.jar
2. With the shell running, you can connect to Stripe with a JDBC URL and use the SQL Context load() function to read a table.

   Use the OAuth authentication standard to connect to Stripe. To authenticate using OAuth, you will need to register an app to obtain the OAuthClientId, OAuthClientSecret, and CallbackURL connection properties. See the "Getting Started" chapter of the help documentation for a guide to using OAuth.

   Built-in Connection String Designer

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

   java -jar cdata.jdbc.stripe.jar

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

   Configure the connection to Stripe, using the connection string generated above.

   scala> val stripe_df = spark.sqlContext.read.format("jdbc").option("url", "jdbc:stripe:OAuthClientId=MyOAuthClientId;OAuthClientSecret=MyOAuthClientSecret;CallbackURL=http://localhost:33333;").option("dbtable","Customers").option("driver","cdata.jdbc.stripe.StripeDriver").load()
3. Once you connect and the data is loaded you will see the table schema displayed.

4. Register the Stripe data as a temporary table:

   scala> stripe_df.registerTable("customers")

5. Perform custom SQL queries against the Data using commands like the one below:

   scala> stripe_df.sqlContext.sql("SELECT Email, Discount FROM Customers WHERE Delinquent = False").collect.foreach(println)

   You will see the results displayed in the console, similar to the following:

Using the CData JDBC Driver for Stripe in Apache Spark, you are able to perform fast and complex analytics on Stripe data, combining the power and utility of Spark with your data. Download a free, 30 day trial of any of the 200+ CData JDBC Drivers and get started today.