You can use the CData API Server and the ADO.NET Provider for Dynamics CRM (or any of 200+ other ADO.NET Providers) to create data visualizations based on Dynamics CRM data in SAP Lumira. The API Server enables connectivity to live data: dashboards and reports can be refreshed on demand. This article shows how to create a chart that is always up to date.
Set Up the API Server
Follow the steps below to begin producing secure Dynamics CRM OData services:
Deploy
The API Server runs on your own server. On Windows, you can deploy using the stand-alone server or IIS. On a Java servlet container, drop in the API Server WAR file. See the help documentation for more information and how-tos.
The API Server is also easy to deploy on Microsoft Azure, Amazon EC2, and Heroku.
Connect to Dynamics CRM
After you deploy the API Server and the ADO.NET Provider for Dynamics CRM, provide authentication values and other connection properties needed to connect to Dynamics CRM by clicking Settings -> Connection and adding a new connection in the API Server administration console.
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.
When you configure the connection, you may also want to set the Max Rows connection property. This will limit the number of rows returned, which is especially helpful for improving performance when designing reports and visualizations.
You can then choose the Dynamics CRM entities you want to allow the API Server access to by clicking Settings -> Resources.
Authorize API Server Users
After determining the OData services you want to produce, authorize users by clicking Settings -> Users. The API Server uses authtoken-based authentication and supports the major authentication schemes. Access can also be restricted based on IP address; by default, only connections to the local machine are allowed. You can authenticate as well as encrypt connections with SSL.
Connect to Dynamics CRM from SAP Lumira
Follow the steps below to retrieve Dynamics CRM data into SAP Lumira. You can execute an SQL query or use the UI.
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In SAP Lumira, click File -> New -> Query with SQL. The Add New Dataset dialog is displayed.
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Expand the Generic section and click the Generic OData 2.0 Connector option.
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In the Service Root URI box, enter the OData endpoint of the API Server. This URL will resemble the following:
https://your-server:8032/api.rsc
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In the User Name and Password boxes, enter the username and authtoken of an API user. These credentials will be used in HTTP Basic authentication.
Select entities in the tree or enter an SQL query. This article imports Dynamics CRM Account entities.
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When you click Connect, SAP Lumira will generate the corresponding OData request and load the results into memory. You can then use any of the data processing tools available in SAP Lumira, such as filters, aggregates, and summary functions.
Create Data Visualizations
After you have imported the data, you can create data visualizations in the Visualize room. Follow the steps below to create a basic chart.
In the Measures and Dimensions pane, drag measures and dimensions onto the x-axis and y-axis fields in the Visualization Tools pane. SAP Lumira automatically detects dimensions and measures from the metadata service of the API Server.
By default, the SUM function is applied to all measures. Click the gear icon next to a measure to change the default summary.
- In the Visualization Tools pane, select the chart type.
- In the Chart Canvas pane, apply filters, sort by measures, add rankings, and update the chart with the current Dynamics CRM data.
