Build Automated Workflows with Live Databricks Data in Workato



Use CData Connect Cloud to connect to live Databricks data and build automated workflows in Workato.

Workato is a cloud-based automation platform that helps businesses integrate applications and automate workflows. When paired with CData Connect Cloud, you get instant, cloud-to-cloud access to Databricks data for visualizations, dashboards, and more. This article shows how to connect to Databricks and build workflows with live Databricks data in Workato.

About Databricks Data Integration

Accessing and integrating live data from Databricks has never been easier with CData. Customers rely on CData connectivity to:

  • Access all versions of Databricks from Runtime Versions 9.1 - 13.X to both the Pro and Classic Databricks SQL versions.
  • Leave Databricks in their preferred environment thanks to compatibility with any hosting solution.
  • Secure authenticate in a variety of ways, including personal access token, Azure Service Principal, and Azure AD.
  • Upload data to Databricks using Databricks File System, Azure Blog Storage, and AWS S3 Storage.

While many customers are using CData's solutions to migrate data from different systems into their Databricks data lakehouse, several customers use our live connectivity solutions to federate connectivity between their databases and Databricks. These customers are using SQL Server Linked Servers or Polybase to get live access to Databricks from within their existing RDBMs.

Read more about common Databricks use-cases and how CData's solutions help solve data problems in our blog: What is Databricks Used For? 6 Use Cases.


Getting Started


CData Connect Cloud provides a pure SQL Server, cloud-to-cloud interface for Databricks, allowing you to easily build visualizations from live Databricks data in Workato. As you build automations, Workato generates SQL queries to gather data. Using optimized data processing out of the box, CData Connect Cloud pushes all supported SQL operations (filters, JOINs, etc) directly to Databricks, leveraging server-side processing to quickly return Databricks data.

Configure Databricks Connectivity for Workato

Connectivity to Databricks from Workato is made possible through CData Connect Cloud. To work with Databricks data from Workato, we start by creating and configuring a Databricks connection.

  1. Log into Connect Cloud, click Connections and click Add Connection
  2. Select "Databricks" from the Add Connection panel
  3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to Databricks.

    To connect to a Databricks cluster, set the properties as described below.

    Note: The needed values can be found in your Databricks instance by navigating to Clusters, and selecting the desired cluster, and selecting the JDBC/ODBC tab under Advanced Options.

    • Server: Set to the Server Hostname of your Databricks cluster.
    • HTTPPath: Set to the HTTP Path of your Databricks cluster.
    • Token: Set to your personal access token (this value can be obtained by navigating to the User Settings page of your Databricks instance and selecting the Access Tokens tab).
  4. Click Create & Test
  5. Navigate to the Permissions tab in the Add Databricks Connection page and update the User-based permissions.

Add a Personal Access Token

If you are connecting from a service, application, platform, or framework that does not support OAuth authentication, you can create a Personal Access Token (PAT) to use for authentication. Best practices would dictate that you create a separate PAT for each service, to maintain granularity of access.

  1. Click on your username at the top right of the Connect Cloud app and click User Profile.
  2. On the User Profile page, scroll down to the Personal Access Tokens section and click Create PAT.
  3. Give your PAT a name and click Create.
  4. The personal access token is only visible at creation, so be sure to copy it and store it securely for future use.

With the connection configured, you are ready to connect to Databricks data from Workato.

Automate Databricks Data Workflows in Workato

To establish a connection from Workato to the CData Connect Cloud Virtual SQL Server API, follow these steps.

  1. Log into Workato.
  2. In the navigation bar, click Projects.
  3. In your new (or existing) project, click Create > Connection.
  4. In the search bar, enter "SQL Server" and open the Connect to SQL Server screen.
  5. In Connect to SQL Server, enter the connection name and the following connecting settings:
    • Location: enter the name of the project.
    • Connection type: select Cloud.
    • Host: enter tds.cdata.com
    • Port: enter 14333
    • Username: enter your CData Connect Cloud username. This is displayed in the top-right corner of the CData Connect Cloud interface. For example, [email protected].
    • Password: enter the PAT you previously generated page.
    • Database: enter the Connection Name of the CData Connect Cloud data source you want to connect to (for example, Databricks1).
  6. Click Connect to see the Connection established message.
  7. Next, set up your recipe. In your project, click Create > Recipe.
  8. In Set up your recipe, enter the name and location of your recipe.
  9. Select Run on a schedule.
  10. Select the action to occur on the schedule.
  11. Select a table from your Connect Cloud connection and any applicable filters.
  12. Click Save to save the recipe.
  13. Click Test Jobs to test you recipe.

Real-Time Access to Databricks Data from Cloud Applications

At this point, you have a direct, cloud-to-cloud connection to live Databricks data from Workato for workflows and automations. For more information on gaining live access to data from more than 100 SaaS, Big Data, and NoSQL sources from cloud applications like Workato, refer to our Connect Cloud page.

Ready to get started?

Learn more about CData Connect Cloud or sign up for free trial access:

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