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Analyze Dynamics CRM Data in Infragistics Reveal
Use CData Connect Cloud to create on OData API on top of Dynamics CRM data and visualize live Dynamics CRM data in Infragistics Reveal.
Reveal, an offering from Infragistics, serves as a data visualization tool that seamlessly integrates with CData Connect Cloud. Together, they empower users to deliver dynamic dashboards using real-time data from a diverse range of data sources, including Dynamics CRM data. In this article, we will guide you through the process of connecting to Dynamics CRM via Connect Cloud and subsequently linking Connect Cloud with Infragistics Reveal to construct a straightforward dashboard.
About Dynamics CRM Data Integration
CData simplifies access and integration of live Microsoft Dynamics CRM data. Our customers leverage CData connectivity to:
- Read and write data in the Dynamics CRM 2011+ Services and Dynamics CRM Online.
- Extend the native features of Dynamics CRM with customizable caching and intelligent query aggregation and separation.
- Authenticate securely with Dynamics CRM in a variety of ways, including Azure Active Directory, Azure Managed Service Identity credentials, and Azure Service Principal using either a client secret or a certificate.
CData customers use our Dynamics CRM connectivity solutions for a variety of reasons, whether they're looking to replicate their data into a data warehouse (alongside other data sources) or analyze live Dynamics CRMa data from their preferred data tools inside the Microsoft ecosystem (Power BI, Excel, etc.) or with external tools (Tableau, Looker, etc.).
Getting Started
Connect to Dynamics CRM from Infragistics Reveal
To work with live Dynamics CRM data in Infragistics Reveal, we need to connect to Dynamics CRM from Connect Cloud, provide user access to the connection, and create a Workspace for the Dynamics CRM data.
Connect to Dynamics CRM from Connect Cloud
CData Connect Cloud uses a straightforward, point-and-click interface to connect to data sources.
- Log into Connect Cloud, click Sources, and then click Add Connection
- Select "Dynamics CRM" from the Add Connection panel
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Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to Dynamics CRM.
The connection string options meet the authentication and connection requirements of different Dynamics CRM instances. To connect to your instance, set the User and Password properties, under the Authentication section, to valid Dynamics CRM user credentials and set the Url to a valid Dynamics CRM server organization root. Additionally, set the CRMVersion property to 'CRM2011+' or 'CRMOnline'. IFD configurations are supported as well; set InternetFacingDeployment to true.
Additionally, you can provide the security token service (STS) or AD FS endpoint in the STSURL property. This value can be retrieved with the GetSTSUrl stored procedure. Office 365 users can connect to the default STS URL by simply setting CRMVersion.
- Click Create & Test
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Navigate to the Permissions tab in the Add Dynamics CRM Connection page and update the User-based permissions.
Add a Personal Access Token
When connecting to Connect Cloud through the REST API, the OData API, or the Virtual SQL Server, a Personal Access Token (PAT) is used to authenticate the connection to Connect Cloud. It is best practice to create a separate PAT for each service to maintain granularity of access.
- Click on the Gear icon () at the top right of the Connect Cloud app to open the settings page.
- On the Settings page, go to the Access Tokens section and click Create PAT.
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Give the PAT a name and click Create.
- The personal access token is only visible at creation, so be sure to copy it and store it securely for future use.
Configure Dynamics CRM Endpoints for Infragistics Reveal
After connecting to Dynamics CRM, create a workspace for your desired table(s).
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Navigate to the Workspaces page and click Add to create a new Workspace (or select an existing workspace).
- Click Add to add new assets to the Workspace.
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Select the Dynamics CRM connection (e.g. DynamicsCRM1) and click Next.
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Select the table(s) you wish to work with and click Confirm.
- Make note of the OData Service URL for your workspace, e.g. https://cloud.cdata.com/api/odata/{workspace_name}
With the connection, PAT, and Workspace configured, you are ready to connect to Dynamics CRM data from Infragistics Reveal.
Create a Dashboard in Reveal
With Connect Cloud configured, we can visualize Dynamics CRM data in Reveal.
- Log into Reveal and click Dashboards -> New
- Click Data Sources -> OData Feed
- Specify the Connect Cloud OData API endpoint URL (found on the OData page): https://cloud.cdata.com/api/odata/{workspace_name}
- Select Generic Credentials and
- Set Username to a Connect Cloud username (e.g. [email protected])
- Set Password to the PAT for the user
- Select the entity you wish to visualize
- Select fields and choose a chart type
More Information & Free Trial
At this point, you have created a simple dashboard from live Dynamics CRM data. For more information on creating OData feeds from Dynamics CRM (and more than 100 other sources), visit the Connect Cloud page. Sign up for a free trial and start working live Dynamics CRM data in tools that consume OData APIs.
