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Rapidly create and deploy powerful Java applications that integrate with Zendesk including Tickets, Groups, Users, Schedules, and more!

Access Zendesk Data in Mule Applications Using the CData JDBC Driver



Create a simple Mule Application that uses HTTP and SQL with the CData JDBC Driver for Zendesk to create a JSON endpoint for Zendesk data.

The CData JDBC Driver for Zendesk connects Zendesk data to Mule applications enabling read , write, update, and delete functionality with familiar SQL queries. The JDBC Driver allows users to easily create Mule applications to backup, transform, report, and analyze Zendesk data.

This article demonstrates how to use the CData JDBC Driver for Zendesk inside of a Mule project to create a Web interface for Zendesk data. The application created allows you to request Zendesk data using an HTTP request and have the results returned as JSON. The exact same procedure outlined below can be used with any CData JDBC Driver to create a Web interface for the 200+ available data sources.

  1. Create a new Mule Project in Anypoint Studio.
  2. Add an HTTP Connector to the Message Flow.
  3. Configure the address for the HTTP Connector.
  4. Add a Database Select Connector to the same flow, after the HTTP Connector.
  5. Create a new Connection (or edit an existing one) and configure the properties.
    • Set Connection to "Generic Connection"
    • Select the CData JDBC Driver JAR file in the Required Libraries section (e.g. cdata.jdbc.zendesk.jar).
    • Set the URL to the connection string for Zendesk

      Connecting to Zendesk

      To connect, set the URL and provide authentication. The URL is your Zendesk Support URL: https://{subdomain}.zendesk.com.

      Authenticating to Zendesk

      You can authenticate using the Basic or OAuth methods.

      Using Basic Authentication

      To use Basic authentication, specify your email address and password or your email address and an API token. Set User to your email address and follow the steps below to provide the Password or ApiToken.

      • Enable password access in the Zendesk Support admin interface at Admin > Channels > API.
      • Manage API tokens in the Zendesk Support Admin interface at Admin > Channels > API. More than one token can be active at the same time. Deleting a token deactivates it permanently.

      Using OAuth Authentication

      See the Getting Started guide in the CData driver documentation for an authentication guide.

      Built-in Connection String Designer

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

      java -jar cdata.jdbc.zendesk.jar

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

    • Set the Driver class name to cdata.jdbc.zendesk.ZendeskDriver.
    • Click Test Connection.
  6. Set the SQL Query Text to a SQL query to request Zendesk data. For example: SELECT Id, Subject FROM Tickets
  7. Add a Transform Message Component to the flow.
  8. Set the Output script to the following to convert the payload to JSON:
    %dw 2.0
    output application/json
    ---
    payload
            
  9. To view your Zendesk data, navigate to the address you configured for the HTTP Connector (localhost:8081 by default): http://localhost:8081. The Zendesk data is available as JSON in your Web browser and any other tools capable of consuming JSON endpoints.

At this point, you have a simple Web interface for working with Zendesk data (as JSON data) in custom apps and a wide variety of BI, reporting, and ETL tools. Download a free, 30 day trial of the JDBC Driver for Zendesk and see the CData difference in your Mule Applications today.