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Get the Report →Connect to and Visualize Live Databricks Data in Tableau Prep
Use CData Tableau Connectors and Tableau Prep Builder to visualize live Databricks data.
Tableau is a visual analytics platform transforming the way businesses use data to solve problems. When paired with the CData Tableau Connector for Databricks, you can easily get access to live Databricks data within Tableau Prep. This article shows how to connect to Databricks in Tableau Prep and build a simple chart.
The CData Tableau Connectors enable high-speed access to live Databricks data in Tableau. Once you install the connector, you simply authenticate with Databricks and you can immediately start building responsive, dynamic visualizations and dashboards. By surfacing Databricks data using native Tableau data types and handling complex filters, aggregations, & other operations automatically, CData Tableau Connectors grant seamless access to Databricks data.
NOTE: The CData Tableau Connectors support Tableau Prep Builder 2020.4.1 or higher. If you are using an older version of Tableau Prep Builder, you will need to use the CData Tableau Connector for Databricks. If you wish to connect to Databricks data in Tableau Cloud, you will need to use CData Connect Cloud.
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
Install the CData Tableau Connector
When you install the CData Tableau Connector for Databricks, the installer should copy the TACO and JAR files to the appropriate directories. If your data source does not appear in the connection steps below, you will need to copy two files:
- Copy the TACO file (cdata.databricks.taco) found in the lib folder of the connector's installation location (C:\Program Files\CData\CData Tableau Connector for Databricks 20XX\lib on Windows) to the Tableau Prep Builder repository:
- Windows: C:\Users\[Windows User]\Documents\My Tableau Prep Repository\Connectors
- MacOS: /Users//Documents/My Tableau Prep Repository/Connectors
- Copy the JAR file (cdata.tableau.databricks.jar) found in the same lib folder to the Tableau drivers directory, typically [Tableau installation location]\Drivers.
Connect to Databricks in Tableau Prep Builder
Open Tableau Prep Builder and click "Connect to Data" and search for "Databricks by CData." Configure the connection and click "Sign In."
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).

Discover and Prep Data
Drag the tables and views you wish to work with onto the canvas. You can include multiple tables.

Data Cleansing & Filtering
To further prepare the data, you can implement filters, remove duplicates, modify columns and more.
- Start by clicking on the plus next to your table and selecting the Clean Step option.
- Select the field values to filter by. As you select values, you can see how your selections impact other fields.
- Opt to "Keep Only" or "Exclude" entries with your select values and the data changes in response.
Data Joins and Unions
Data joining involves combining data from two or more related tables based on a common field or key.
- To join multiple tables, drag a related table next to an existing table in the canvas and place it in the Join box.
- Select the foreign keys that exist in both tables.
Exporting Prepped Data
After you perform any cleansing, filtering, transformations, and joins, you can export the data for visualization in Tableau.
- Add any other needed transformations then insert an Output node at the end of the flow.
- Configure the node to save to a file in the format of your choice.
Once the output data is saved, you can work with it in Tableau, just like you would any other file source.
Using the CData Tableau Connector for Databricks with Tableau Prep Builder, you can easily join, cleanse, filter, and aggregate Databricks data for visualizations and reports in Tableau. Download a free, 30-day trial and get started today.