by Jerod Johnson | January 16, 2018

The Best Way to Embed Elasticsearch

Elasticsearch Logo

Elasticsearch is a distributed, RESTful search and analytics engine capable of solving a growing number of use cases. It centrally stores your data so you can discover the expected and uncover the unexpected. CData Software produces standards-based drivers for Elasticsearch (and over 100 other data sources), allowing you to access your Elasticsearch data from popular BI, reporting, ETL tools and custom applications, facilitating deep insights into your data from the tools you already use.

The Driver Advantage

As a leading provider of data connectivity solutions, we have produced a suite of robust, high-performance drivers that allow you to have SQL-like access to your Elasticsearch data. A breakdown of the features and benefits of our drivers follows:

SQL-92 Access to Elasticsearch data

With our drivers you are able to work with Elasticsearch data in any tool that uses SQL-92 queries to access data. You can also use our drivers in custom applications and create your own queries. Unlike the available open source offerings, our drivers do not require a server-side plugin in order to work with SQL and stand apart as the leading SQL option with full CRUD (create, read, update, delete) support.

API Abstraction

The CData drivers convert SQL statements into Elasticsearch JSON and communicate using the Elasticsearch JSON REST API; no server-side plugins are required. If your developers and data scientists know SQL, they can work with Elasticsearch data without having to learn the Elasticsearch API or update their applications or reports whenever the API changes. Because the REST API is version agnostic, the drivers are able to connect to Elasticsearch v2.2.0 and above, with no configuration changes required by the user.

Intelligent, Configurable Data Interpretation

Not all data is the same. Elasticsearch data can include complex JSON objects, including sub-objects, arrays, and arrays of objects. The CData Drivers are able to intelligently determine table schema for NoSQL data using row scanning and behavior set by the Flatten Arrays and Flatten Objects connection string properties. Elements in arrays are flattened to individual columns using the array index in the column name and nested fields are flattened to columns using a hierarchical notation for column names. For more information, refer to our Knowledge Base article.

Client-Side SQL Engine for Complex Query Processing

The drivers by CData include an embedded SQL Engine that enables full support of complex SQL-92 queries, like JOINs across indexes, regardless of the capabilities of the data source. Whenever possible, queries are pushed directly to the Elasticsearch JSON REST API, leveraging the speed and power of Elasticsearch. In the rare case that a query is not supported by the JSON API, all of the necessary data is requested and processed in-memory before being delivered to the user or tool.

Other Features

  • Wide range of supported technologies - offering connectivity through standards like ODBC, JDBC, and ADO.NET and directly within tools like Excel, SSIS, and PowerShell
  • Active development & maintenance - changes to the Elasticsearch API are implemented and supported as soon as possible, keeping up with the latest versions and updates
  • World-class support - our Support Team is available to answer your questions via email, live chat, and phone.

More Information & Next Steps

While the available open source solutions for Elasticsearch connectivity offer specific benefits, none of them can match the utility and capability of our drivers. The suite of CData drivers offers unmatched flexibility in where you work with your Elasticsearch data, allowing you to access your data in popular tools like Tableau and Microsoft Excel and in custom applications written in the language of your choice, all using familiar SQL. With our drivers, you gain access to a professionally developed, maintained, and supported solution from an industry leader with over 20 years of experience in data connectivity and integration.

If you are interested in connecting to your Elasticsearch data using standards-based drivers, you can download a free, 30-day trial of any of our drivers for Elasticsearch today! As always, our world-class Support Team is ready to help you integrate with your Elasticsearch data in the BI, reporting, ETL, and custom tools of your choice.