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Connect to live data from ConstantContact with the API Driver

Connect to ConstantContact

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Use the CData ODBC Driver for ConstantContact in MicroStrategy Desktop


Connect to ConstantContact data in MicroStrategy Desktop using the CData ODBC Driver for ConstantContact.

MicroStrategy is an analytics and mobility platform that enables data-driven innovation. When paired with the CData ODBC Driver for ConstantContact, you gain database-like access to live ConstantContact data from MicroStrategy, expanding your reporting and analytics capabilities. In this article, we walk through adding ConstantContact as a data source in MicroStrategy Desktop and creating a simple visualization of ConstantContact data.

The CData ODBC Driver offers unmatched performance for interacting with live ConstantContact data in MicroStrategy due to optimized data processing built into the driver. When you issue complex SQL queries from MicroStrategy to ConstantContact, the driver pushes supported SQL operations, like filters and aggregations, directly to ConstantContact and utilizes the embedded SQL Engine to process unsupported operations (often SQL functions and JOIN operations) client-side. With built-in dynamic metadata querying, you can visualize and analyze ConstantContact data using native MicroStrategy data types.

Connect to ConstantContact as an ODBC Data Source

Information for connecting to ConstantContact follows, along with different instructions for configuring a DSN in Windows and Linux environments.

Start by setting the Profile connection property to the location of the ConstantContact Profile on disk (e.g. C:\profiles\ConstantContact.apip). Next, set the ProfileSettings connection property to the connection string for Profile (see below).

ConstantContact API Profile Settings

ConstantContact uses OAuth-based authentication.

First, you will need to register an OAuth application with ConstantContact. You can do so from the ConstantContact API Guide (https://v3.developer.constantcontact.com/api_guide/index.html), under "MyApplications" > "New Application". Your Oauth application will be assigned a client id (API Key) and you can generate a client secret (Secret).

After setting the following connection properties, you are ready to connect:

  • AuthScheme: Set this to OAuth.
  • InitiateOAuth: Set this to GETANDREFRESH. You can use InitiateOAuth to manage the process to obtain the OAuthAccessToken.
  • OAuthClientId: Set this to the client_id that is specified in you app settings.
  • OAuthClientSecret: Set this to the client_secret that is specified in you app settings.
  • CallbackURL: Set this to the Redirect URI you specified in your app settings.

When you configure the DSN, 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.

Windows

If you have not already, first specify connection properties in an ODBC DSN (data source name). This is the last step of the driver installation. You can use the Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator to create and configure ODBC DSNs.

Linux

If you are installing the CData ODBC Driver for ConstantContact in a Linux environment, the driver installation predefines a system DSN. You can modify the DSN by editing the system data sources file (/etc/odbc.ini) and defining the required connection properties.

/etc/odbc.ini

[CData API Sys] Driver = CData ODBC Driver for ConstantContact Description = My Description Profile = C:\profiles\ConstantContact.apip Authscheme = OAuth OAuthClientId = your_client_id OAuthClientSecret = your_client_secret CallbackUrl = your_callback_url

For specific information on using these configuration files, please refer to the help documentation (installed and found online).

Connect to and Visualize ConstantContact Data using MicroStrategy Desktop

In addition to connecting ConstantContact in MicroStrategy enterprise products, you can connect to ConstantContact in MicroStrategy Desktop. Follow the steps below to add ConstantContact data as a dataset and create visualizations and reports of ConstantContact data.

  1. Open MicroStrategy Desktop and create a new dossier.
  2. In the datasets panel, click New Data, select Databases, and select Type a Query as the Import Option.
  3. Add a new data source and choose DSN data sources.
  4. Choose the DSN you previously configured (likely CData API Sys) and select Generic DBMS in the Version menu.
  5. Set the User and Password properties for the DSN (or use placeholder values) and name the data source.
  6. Select the new database instance to view the tables. You may need to manually click the search icon in the Available Tables section to see the tables.
  7. Create a SQL query for the ConstantContact data (see below) and click Execute SQL to test the query. SELECT * FROM Contacts NOTE: Since we create a live connection, we can execute a SELECT * query and utilize the filtering and aggregation features native to the MicroStrategy products.
  8. Click Finish and choose to connect live.
  9. Choose a visualization, choose fields to display (data types are discovered automatically through dynamic metadata discovery) and apply any filters to create a new visualization of ConstantContact data. Where possible, the complex queries generated by the filters and aggregations will be pushed down to ConstantContact, while any unsupported operations (which can include SQL functions and JOIN operations) will be managed client-side by the CData SQL Engine embedded in the driver.
  10. Once you are finished configuring the dossier, click File -> Save.

Using the CData ODBC Driver for ConstantContact in MicroStrategy Desktop, you can easily create robust visualizations and reports on ConstantContact data. Read our other articles on connecting to ConstantContact in MicroStrategy and connecting to ConstantContact in MicroStrategy Web for more examples.