Bridge Azure Synapse Connectivity with Apache NiFi

Apache NiFi supports powerful and scalable directed graphs of data routing, transformation, and system mediation logic. When paired with the CData JDBC Driver for Azure Synapse, NiFi can work with live Azure Synapse data. This article describes how to connect to and query Azure Synapse data from an Apache NiFi Flow.

With built-in optimized data processing, the CData JDBC Driver offers unmatched performance for interacting with live Azure Synapse data. When you issue complex SQL queries to Azure Synapse, the driver pushes supported SQL operations, like filters and aggregations, directly to Azure Synapse 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 Azure Synapse data using native data types.

Connecting to Azure Synapse Data in Apache NiFi

1. Download the CData JDBC Driver for Azure Synapse installer, unzip the package, and run the JAR file to install the driver.

2. Copy the CData JDBC Driver JAR file (and license file if it exists), cdata.jdbc.azuresynapse.jar (and cdata.jdbc.azuresynapse.lic), to the Apache NiFi lib subfolder, for example, C:\nifi-1.3.0-bin\nifi-1.3.0\lib.

   On Windows, the default location for the CData JDBC Driver is C:\Program Files\CData\CData JDBC Driver for Azure Synapse.

3. Start Apache NiFi. For example:

   cd C:\nifi-1.3.0-bin\nifi-1.3.0\bin
   run-nifi.bat
   

4. Navigate to the Apache NiFi UI in your web browser: typically http://localhost:8080/nifi
5. Click the (Configuration) button from the Operate sidebar.
6. In the NiFi Flow Configuration page, navigate to the Controller Services tab.
7. Click the button to create a new controller service.
8. In the Add Controller Service page, select DBCPConnection Pool, and then click Add.
9. Click the gear button to configure the new DBCPConnection Pool.

10. In the Configure Controller Service page, navigate to the Properties tab. Fill in the properties:

    Property	Value
    Database Connection URL	jdbc:azuresynapse:User=myuser;Password=mypassword;Server=localhost;Database=Northwind;
    Database Driver Class Name	cdata.jdbc.azuresynapse.AzureSynapseDriver

    Built-in Connection String Designer

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

    java -jar cdata.jdbc.azuresynapse.jar

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

    Connecting to Azure Synapse

    In addition to providing authentication (see below), set the following properties to connect to a Azure Synapse database:

    • Server: The server running Azure. You can find this by logging into the Azure portal and navigating to Azure Synapse Analytics -> Select your database -> Overview -> Server name.
    • Database: The name of the database, as seen in the Azure portal on the Azure Synapse Analytics page.

    Authenticating to Azure Synapse

    Connect to Azure Synapse using the following properties:

    • User: The username provided for authentication with Azure.
    • Password: The password associated with the authenticating user.
11. Click the button to enable the new DBCPConnection Pool.

Your Azure Synapse data is now available for use in Apache NiFi. For example, you can use the DBCPConnection Pool as the source for a QueryDatabaseTable processor.

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