Connect to Dynamics CRM Data in the Denodo Platform

Denodo Platform is a data virtualization product providing a single point of contact for enterprise database data. When paired with the CData JDBC Driver for Dynamics CRM, Denodo users can work with live Dynamics CRM data alongside other enterprise data sources. This article walks through creating a virtual data source for Dynamics CRM in the Denodo Virtual DataPort Administrator.

With built-in optimized data processing, the CData JDBC Driver offers unmatched performance for interacting with live Dynamics CRM data. When you issue complex SQL queries to Dynamics CRM, the driver pushes supported SQL operations, like filters and aggregations, directly to Dynamics CRM and utilizes the embedded SQL engine to process unsupported operations client-side (often SQL functions and JOIN operations). Its built-in dynamic metadata querying allows you to work with and analyze Dynamics CRM data using native data types.

Create the Dynamics CRM Virtual Port

To connect to live Dynamics CRM data from Denodo, you need to copy the JDBC Driver JAR file to the external library directory for Denodo and create a new JDBC Data Source from the Virtual DataPort Administrator tool.

1. Download the CData JDBC Driver for Dynamics CRM installer, unzip the package, and run the JAR file to install the driver.
2. Copy the JAR File (and license file if it exists) from the installation location (typically C:\Program Files\CData\CData JDBC Driver for Dynamics CRM\lib\) to the Denodo external library directory (C:\Denodo\Denodo Platform\lib-external\jdbc-drivers\cdata-dynamicscrm-19).
3. Open the Denodo Virtual DataPort Administrator tool and navigate to the Server Explorer tab.
4. Right-click "admin" and select New -> Data source -> JDBC.
5. Configure the JDBC Connection:
   • Name: your choice, e.g.: dynamicscrm
   • Database adapter: Generic
   • Driver class path: C:\Denodo\Denodo Platform\lib-external\jdbc-drivers\cdata-dynamicscrm-19
   • Driver class: cdata.jdbc.dynamicscrm.DynamicsCRMDriver

   • Database URI: Set this to a JDBC URL using the necessary connection properties. For example,

     jdbc:dynamicscrm:User=myuseraccount;Password=mypassword;URL=https://myOrg.crm.dynamics.com/;CRM Version=CRM Online;

     Information on creating the Database URI follows:

     Built-In Connection String Designer

     For assistance in constructing the JDBC URL, use the connection string designer built into the Dynamics CRM JDBC Driver. Either double-click the JAR file or execute the jar file from the command-line.

     java -jar cdata.jdbc.dynamicscrm.jar

     Fill in the connection properties and copy the connection string to the clipboard.

     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.

6. Click the "Test connection" button to confirm the configuration and click Save.

View Dynamics CRM Data in the VirtualPort Administrator Tool

After creating the data source, you can create a base view of Dynamics CRM data for use in the Denodo Platform.

1. Click the "Create base view" button in the newly created VirtualPort (admin.DynamicsCRM).
2. Expand the object tree and select the objects (tables) you wish to import.
3. Click the "Create selected" button to create views of the Dynamics CRM data.
   Optional: Click "Create associations from foreign keys" to define relationships between the objects.
4. With the view(s) created, navigate to a table (cdata_dynamicscrm_account) in the Server Explorer and double-click the selected table.
5. In the new tab, click "Execution panel" to open a query panel.
6. Customize the query in the "Execute" tab or use the default:

   SELECT * FROM cdata_dynamicscrm_account CONTEXT ('i18n'='us_est', 'cache_wait_for_load'='true')
   

7. Click Execute to view the data.

With the base view created, you can now work with live Dynamics CRM data like you would any other data source in Denodo Platform, for example, querying Dynamics CRM in the Denodo Data Catalog.

Download a free, 30-day trial of the CData JDBC Driver for Dynamics CRM and start working with your live Dynamics CRM data in Denodo Platform. Reach out to our Support Team if you have any questions.