Integrate Azure Synapse Data in Pentaho Data Integration

The CData JDBC Driver for Azure Synapse enables access to live data from data pipelines. Pentaho Data Integration is an Extraction, Transformation, and Loading (ETL) engine that data, cleanses the data, and stores data using a uniform format that is accessible.This article shows how to connect to Azure Synapse data as a JDBC data source and build jobs and transformations based on Azure Synapse data in Pentaho Data Integration.

Configure to Azure Synapse Connectivity

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.

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.

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

When you configure the JDBC URL, you may also want to set the Max Rows connection property. This will limit the number of rows returned, which is especially helpful for improving performance when designing reports and visualizations.

Below is a typical JDBC URL:

Save your connection string for use in Pentaho Data Integration.

Connect to Azure Synapse from Pentaho DI

Open Pentaho Data Integration and select "Database Connection" to configure a connection to the CData JDBC Driver for Azure Synapse

1. Click "General"
2. Set Connection name (e.g. Azure Synapse Connection)
3. Set Connection type to "Generic database"
4. Set Access to "Native (JDBC)"
5. Set Custom connection URL to your Azure Synapse connection string (e.g.
   jdbc:azuresynapse:User=myuser;Password=mypassword;Server=localhost;Database=Northwind;
6. Set Custom driver class name to "cdata.jdbc.azuresynapse.AzureSynapseDriver"
7. Test the connection and click "OK" to save.

Create a Data Pipeline for Azure Synapse

Once the connection to Azure Synapse is configured using the CData JDBC Driver, you are ready to create a new transformation or job.

1. Click "File" >> "New" >> "Transformation/job"
2. Drag a "Table input" object into the workflow panel and select your Azure Synapse connection.
3. Click "Get SQL select statement" and use the Database Explorer to view the available tables and views.
4. Select a table and optionally preview the data for verification.

At this point, you can continue your transformation or jb by selecting a suitable destination and adding any transformations to modify, filter, or otherwise alter the data during replication.

Free Trial & More Information

Download a free, 30-day trial of the CData JDBC Driver for Azure Synapse and start working with your live Azure Synapse data in Pentaho Data Integration today.