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CData Connect Server

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Create Azure Data Lake Storage-Connected Business Apps in AppSheet


Use CData Connect Server to connect to Azure Data Lake Storage from AppSheet and build custom business apps using live Azure Data Lake Storage data.

AppSheet provides a no-code development platform for application software, which allows users to create mobile, tablet, and web applications. When paired with CData Connect Server, you get instant access to Azure Data Lake Storage data for business applications. This article shows how to create a virtual database for Azure Data Lake Storage in Connect Server and build a simple app from Azure Data Lake Storage data in AppSheet.

CData Connect Server provides a pure SQL Server interface for Azure Data Lake Storage, allowing you to easily build reports from live Azure Data Lake Storage data in AppSheet — without replicating the data to a natively supported database. As you build visualizations, AppSheet generates SQL queries to gather data. Using optimized data processing out of the box, CData Connect Server pushes all supported SQL operations (filters, JOINs, etc) directly to Azure Data Lake Storage, leveraging server-side processing to quickly return the requested Azure Data Lake Storage data.

Create a Virtual SQL Server Database for Azure Data Lake Storage Data

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

  1. Login to Connect Server and click Connections.
  2. Select "Azure Data Lake Storage" from Available Data Sources.
  3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to Azure Data Lake Storage.

    Authenticating to a Gen 1 DataLakeStore Account

    Gen 1 uses OAuth 2.0 in Azure AD for authentication.

    For this, an Active Directory web application is required. You can create one as follows:

    1. Sign in to your Azure Account through the .
    2. Select "Azure Active Directory".
    3. Select "App registrations".
    4. Select "New application registration".
    5. Provide a name and URL for the application. Select Web app for the type of application you want to create.
    6. Select "Required permissions" and change the required permissions for this app. At a minimum, "Azure Data Lake" and "Windows Azure Service Management API" are required.
    7. Select "Key" and generate a new key. Add a description, a duration, and take note of the generated key. You won't be able to see it again.

    To authenticate against a Gen 1 DataLakeStore account, the following properties are required:

    • Schema: Set this to ADLSGen1.
    • Account: Set this to the name of the account.
    • OAuthClientId: Set this to the application Id of the app you created.
    • OAuthClientSecret: Set this to the key generated for the app you created.
    • TenantId: Set this to the tenant Id. See the property for more information on how to acquire this.
    • Directory: Set this to the path which will be used to store the replicated file. If not specified, the root directory will be used.

    Authenticating to a Gen 2 DataLakeStore Account

    To authenticate against a Gen 2 DataLakeStore account, the following properties are required:

    • Schema: Set this to ADLSGen2.
    • Account: Set this to the name of the account.
    • FileSystem: Set this to the file system which will be used for this account.
    • AccessKey: Set this to the access key which will be used to authenticate the calls to the API. See the property for more information on how to acquire this.
    • Directory: Set this to the path which will be used to store the replicated file. If not specified, the root directory will be used.
  4. Click Save Changes
  5. Click Privileges -> Add and add the new user (or an existing user) with the appropriate permissions.

With the virtual database created, you are ready to connect to Azure Data Lake Storage data from AppSheet.

Connect to Azure Data Lake Storage in AppSheet

The steps below outline connecting to CData Connect Server from AppSheet to create a new Azure Data Lake Storage data source.

  1. Log into AppSheet.
  2. Click the letter icon in the top-right corner, then select Account Settings.
  3. Click the Sources tab and click + New Data Source. Then, select Cloud Database.
  4. Set the connection information to the following:
    • Type: SQLServer
    • Server: the endpoint for your instance, including port, for example, CONNECT_SERVER_URL,3306
    • Database: the virtual database, for example, ADLS1
    • Username: a Connect Server user with permissions for the database
    • Password: the password for the above Connect Server user
    • SSL: Require SSL
  5. Click Test. Then, click Authorize Access.

Create an App

Once you create the data source for Azure Data Lake Storage, you can start building apps on Azure Data Lake Storage data.

  1. Start by clicking + Create -> App -> Start with existing data.
  2. Name the app and select an appropriate category, based on your data. Then, click Choose your data.
  3. Select the newly created data source (e.g., ADLS1).
  4. Select the table or view with the data you want.

At this point, you can configure the design of your app, selecting which columns from the selected table to display, use as labels, and more. Preview the app in the preview panel and then publish or share it when ready.

To get SQL data access to 200+ SaaS, Big Data, and NoSQL sources directly from your applications, try the CData Connect Server.