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Consume Dynamics CRM OData Feeds in SAP Lumira
Use the API Server to create data visualizations on Dynamics CRM feeds that reflect any changes in SAP Lumira.
You can use the CData API Server 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.
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
Set Up the API Server
If you have not already done so, download the CData API Server. Once you have installed the API Server, follow the steps below to begin producing secure Dynamics CRM OData services:
Connect to Dynamics CRM
To work with Dynamics CRM data from SAP Lumira, we start by creating and configuring a Dynamics CRM connection. Follow the steps below to configure the API Server to connect to Dynamics CRM data:
- First, navigate to the Connections page.
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Click Add Connection and then search for and select the Dynamics CRM connection.
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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.
- After configuring the connection, click Save & Test to confirm a successful connection.
Configure API Server Users
Next, create a user to access your Dynamics CRM data through the API Server. You can add and configure users on the Users page. Follow the steps below to configure and create a user:
- On the Users page, click Add User to open the Add User dialog.
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Next, set the Role, Username, and Privileges properties and then click Add User.
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An Authtoken is then generated for the user. You can find the Authtoken and other information for each user on the Users page:
Creating API Endpoints for Dynamics CRM
Having created a user, you are ready to create API endpoints for the Dynamics CRM tables:
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First, navigate to the API page and then click
Add Table
.
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Select the connection you wish to access and click Next.
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With the connection selected, create endpoints by selecting each table and then clicking Confirm.
Gather the OData Url
Having configured a connection to Dynamics CRM data, created a user, and added resources to the API Server, you now have an easily accessible REST API based on the OData protocol for those resources. From the API page in API Server, you can view and copy the API Endpoints for the API:
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.
- In SAP Lumira, click File -> New -> Query with SQL. The Add New Dataset dialog is displayed.
- 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:8080/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.
