How to integrate Metabase with Dynamics NAV Data

Metabase is an open source data visualization tool that allows users to create interactive dashboards. When paired with CData Connect AI, users can easily create visualizations and dashboards linked to live Dynamics NAV data. This article describes how to connect to Dynamics NAV and build a simple visualization using Dynamics NAV data.

CData Connect provides a pure cloud-to-cloud interface for Dynamics NAV, allowing you to easily integrate with live Dynamics NAV data in Metabase — without replicating the data. Connect looks exactly like a SQL Server database to Metabase and uses optimized data processing out of the box to push all supported SQL operations (filters, JOINs, etc) directly to Dynamics NAV, leveraging server-side processing to quickly return Dynamics NAV data.

Configure Dynamics NAV Connectivity for Metabase

Connectivity to Dynamics NAV from Metabase is made possible through CData Connect AI. To work with Dynamics NAV data from Metabase, we start by creating and configuring a Dynamics NAV connection.

1. Log into Connect AI, click Sources, and then click Add Connection

2. Select "Dynamics NAV" from the Add Connection panel

3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to Dynamics NAV.

   Before you can connect, OData Services will need to be enabled on the server. Once OData Services are enabled, you will be able to query any Services that are published on the server.

   The User and Password properties, under the Authentication section, must be set to valid Dynamics NAV user credentials. In addition, specify a URL to a valid Dynamics NAV server organization root and a ServerInstance. If there is not a Service Default Company for the server, set the Company as well.

   
4. Click Save & Test
5. Navigate to the Permissions tab in the Add Dynamics NAV Connection page and update the User-based permissions.

Add a Personal Access Token

When connecting to Connect AI 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 AI. It is best practice to create a separate PAT for each service to maintain granularity of access.

1. Click on the Gear icon () at the top right of the Connect AI app to open the settings page.
2. On the Settings page, go to the Access Tokens section and click Create PAT.
3. Give the PAT a name and click Create.
4. The personal access token is only visible at creation, so be sure to copy it and store it securely for future use.

With the connection configured and a PAT generated, you are ready to connect to Dynamics NAV data from Metabase.

Connect to CData Connect AI from Metabase

After creating the connection in Connect AI, navigate to your Metabase instance. Use the SQL Server interface to connect to Connect AI.

1. Navigate to the administration screen (Settings -> Admin) and click "Add Database" from the "Databases" tab
2. Configure the connection to Connect AI and click "Save"
   • Database type: Select "SQL Server"
   • Name: Name the connection (e.g. "Dynamics NAV (Connect AI)")
   • Host: tds.cdata.com
   • Port: 14333
   • Database name: The name of the connection you just created (e.g. DynamicsNAV1)
   • Username: A Connect AI username (e.g. [email protected])
   • Password: The PAT previously created
   • Click to Use a secure connection (SSL)
   

Execute Dynamics NAV Data with Metabase

Once you configure the connection to Connect AI, you can query Dynamics NAV and build visualizations.

1. Use the "Write SQL" tool to retrieve the Dynamics NAV data
2. Write a SQL query based on the Dynamics NAV connection in CData Connect AI, e.g.
   
   

   SELECT Name, Prices_Including_VAT FROM Customer

   
3. Navigate to the "Visualization" screen, choose a visualization, and configure the visualization

More Information & Free Trial

At this point, you have built a simple visualization from Dynamics NAV data in Metabase. You can continue to work with live Dynamics NAV data in Metabase just like you would any SQL Server database. For more information on creating a live connection to Dynamics NAV (and more than 100 other data sources), visit the Connect AI page. Sign up for a free trial and start working with live Dynamics NAV data in Metabase today.