Visualize Live Azure Data Lake Storage Data in Tableau

Tableau is a visual analytics platform transforming the way businesses use data to solve problems. When paired with the CData Tableau Connector for Azure Data Lake Storage, you can easily get access to live Azure Data Lake Storage data within Tableau. This article shows how to connect to Azure Data Lake Storage in Tableau and build a simple chart.

The CData Tableau Connectors enable high-speed access to live Azure Data Lake Storage data in Tableau. Once you install the connector, you simply authenticate with Azure Data Lake Storage and you can immediately start building responsive, dynamic visualizations and dashboards. By surfacing Azure Data Lake Storage data using native Tableau data types and handling complex filters, aggregations, & other operations automatically, CData Tableau Connectors grant seamless access to Azure Data Lake Storage data.

NOTE: The CData Tableau Connectors require Tableau 2020.3 or higher. If you are using an older version of Tableau, you will need to use the CData Tableau Connector for Azure Data Lake Storage. If you wish to connect to Azure Data Lake Storage data in Tableau Cloud, you will need to use CData Connect Cloud.

Connect to Azure Data Lake Storage in Tableau

Open Tableau and click More under Connect -> To a Server. Select "Azure Data Lake Storage by CData," then configure the connection and click "Sign In."

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.

Discover Schemas and Query Data

1. Select CData from the Database pull-down menu.
2. Select ADLS from the Schema pull-down menu.
3. Drag the tables and views you wish to visualize onto the join area. You can include multiple tables.
4. Select Update Now or Automatically Update. Update Now lets you preview the first 10,000 rows of the data source (or enter the number of rows you want to see in the Rows text box). Automatically Update automatically reflects the changes in the preview area.
5. Click the tab for your worksheet. Columns are listed as Dimensions and Measures, depending on the data type. The CData Tableau Connector discovers data types automatically, allowing you to leverage the powerful data processing and visualization features of Tableau.
6. Drag a field from the Dimensions or Measures area to Rows or Columns. Tableau creates column or row headers.
7. Select one of the chart types from the Show Me tab. Tableau displays the chart type that you selected.

Using the CData Tableau Connector for Azure Data Lake Storage with Tableau, you can easily create robust visualizations and reports on Azure Data Lake Storage data. Download a free, 30-day trial and get started today.