Query Drift Data as a SQL Server in Node.js

You can use CData Connect Server to query Drift data through a SQL Server interface. Follow the procedure below to create a virtual database for Drift in Connect Server and start querying using Node.js.

CData Connect Server provides a pure SQL Server interface for Drift, allowing you to easily build reports from live Drift data in Node.js — without replicating the data to a natively supported database. As you build visualizations, Node.js generates SQL queries to gather data. Using optimized data processing out of the box, CData Connect Server pushes all supported SQL operations (filters, JOINs, etc) directly to Drift, leveraging server-side processing to quickly return the requested Drift data.

Create a Virtual SQL Server Database for Drift Data

CData Connect Server uses a straightforward, point-and-click interface to connect to data sources and generate APIs.

1. Login to Connect Server and click Connections.
2. Select "Drift" from Available Data Sources.
3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to Drift.

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

   Drift API Profile Settings

   Drift uses OAuth-based authentication.

   You must first register an application here: https://dev.drift.com. Your app will be assigned a client ID and a client secret. Set these in your connection string via the OAuthClientId and OAuthClientSecret properties. More information on setting up an OAuth application can be found at https://devdocs.drift.com/docs/.

   After setting the following options in the ProfileSettings connection property, you are ready to connect:

   • AuthScheme: Set this to OAuth.
   • OAuthClientId: Set this to the Client Id that is specified in your app settings.
   • OAuthClientSecret: Set this to Client Secret that is specified in your app settings.
   • CallbackURL: Set this to the Redirect URI you specified in your app settings.
   • InitiateOAuth: Set this to GETANDREFRESH. You can use InitiateOAuth to manage the process to obtain the OAuthAccessToken.
4. Click Save Changes
5. Click Privileges -> Add and add the new user (or an existing user) with the appropriate permissions.

With the virtual database created, you are ready to connect to Drift data from Node.js.

Query Drift from Node.js

The following example shows how to define a connection and execute queries to Drift with the SQL Server module. You will need the following information:

• Host name, or address, and port: The address of your Connect Server instance and the port (1433)
• Username and password: The username and password of a user you authorized on Connect Server
• Database name: The database you configured for Drift (API1)

Connect to Drift data and start executing queries with the code below:

const sql = require('mssql');

const config = {
    user: 'your_connect_username', 
    password: 'your_connect_password', 
    server: 'connect_server_url', 
    port: 1433, // optional, defaults to 1433
    database: 'API1',
    authentication: {
        type: 'default'
    },
    options: {
        encrypt: true
    }
}

console.log("Starting...");
connectAndQuery();

async function connectAndQuery() {
    try {
        var poolConnection = await sql.connect(config);

        console.log("Reading rows from the table...");
        var resultSet = await poolConnection.request().query(`SELECT * FROM table_name`);

        console.log(`${resultSet.recordset.length} rows returned.`);

        // output column headers
        var columns = "";
        for (var column in resultSet.recordset.columns) {
            columns += column + ", ";
        }
        console.log("%s	", columns.substring(0, columns.length - 2));

        // ouput row contents from default record set
        resultSet.recordset.forEach(row => {
            console.log("%s	%s", row.CategoryName, row.ProductName);
        });

        // close connection only when we're certain application is finished
        poolConnection.close();
    } catch (err) {
        console.error(err.message);
    }
}

SQL Server Access to Drift Data from Node.js

You have retrieved live Drift Data using Node.js. Now, you can easily access data sources and more — all without replicating Drift data.

To get SQL data access to 200+ SaaS, Big Data, and NoSQL sources directly from your applications, try CData Connect Server.