Validate YouTube Analytics Data with QuerySurge

QuerySurge is a smart data testing solution that automates data validation and testing. When paired with the CData JDBC Driver for YouTube Analytics, QuerySurge can work with live YouTube Analytics data. This article walks through connecting to YouTube Analytics data from QuerySurge.

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

Connecting to YouTube Analytics Data in QuerySurge

To connect to live YouTube Analytics data from QuerySurge, you need to deploy the JDBC Driver JAR file to your QuerySurge Agent(s) and add a new connection from the QuerySurge Admin view.

Deploy the JDBC Driver

1. Download the CData JDBC Driver for YouTube Analytics installer, unzip the package, and run the JAR file to install the driver.
2. Once the driver is installed, stop the Agent Service.
3. Copy the JAR File (and license file if it exists) from the installation location (typically C:\Program Files\CData\CData JDBC Driver for YouTube Analytics\lib\) to your Agent(s) (QuerySurge_install_dir\agent\jdbc).
4. Restart the Agent Service.

For more information on deploying JDBC drivers for QuerySurge, refer to the QuerySurge Knowledge Base.

Configure a New Connection to YouTube Analytics

1. Log into QuerySurge and navigate to the Admin view.
2. Click Configuration -> Connections in the Administration Tree.
3. Click Add to create a new connection.
4. In the QuerySurge Connection Wizard, click Next.
5. Name the connection (e.g. CData JDBC Connection to YouTube Analytics).
6. Set the Data Source to "All Other JDBC Connections (Connection Extensibility)" and click Next.
7. Set the Driver Class to cdata.jdbc.youtubeanalytics.YouTubeAnalyticsDriver and click Next.

8. Set the Connection URL using the necessary connection properties to authenticate with YouTube Analytics. Your Connection URL will look something like the following:

   jdbc:youtubeanalytics:ContentOwnerId=MyContentOwnerId;ChannelId=MyChannelId;InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH

   Built-in Connection String Designer

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

   java -jar cdata.jdbc.youtubeanalytics.jar

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

   YouTube Analytics uses the OAuth authentication standard. You can use the embedded CData OAuth credentials or you can register an application with Google to obtain your own.

   In addition to the OAuth values, to access YouTube Analytics data set ChannelId to the Id of a YouTube channel. You can obtain the channel Id in the advanced account settings for your channel. If not specified, the channel of the currently authenticated user will be used.

   If you want to generate content owner reports, specify the ContentOwnerId property. This is the Id of the copyright holder for content in YouTube's rights management system. The content owner is the person or organization that claims videos and sets their monetization policy.

9. Set the Test Query to enable the Test Connection button for the Connection (e.g. SELECT * FROM Groups LIMIT 1) and click Next.
10. Click Test Connection to ensure the connection is configured properly and click Save to add the connection.

Once the connection is added, you can write SQL queries against your YouTube Analytics data in QuerySurge.

Compare YouTube Analytics Data Queries with a QueryPair

With the connection configured, you can follow the steps below to compare querying YouTube Analytics data with a QueryPair.

1. Select "Design Library" from the Design Menu
2. Click QueryPairs under QuerySurge Design
3. Click "Create New QueryPair"
4. Name the QueryPair and click Save
5. In either the Source or Target panes, select the connection created above (select the same connection to query YouTube Analytics twice or another connection to perform a comparison)
6. Write queries in the Editor for each pane, e.g. SELECT * FROM Groups
7. Click the "Design-Time Run" tab to execute the queries
8. When the query execution is finished, click "View Query Results" to see the YouTube Analytics data returned by the query

Download a free, 30-day trial of the CData JDBC Driver for YouTube Analytics and start working with your live YouTube Analytics data in QuerySurge. Reach out to our Support Team if you have any questions.