How to integrate Metabase with EnterpriseDB 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 EnterpriseDB data. This article describes how to connect to EnterpriseDB and build a simple visualization using EnterpriseDB data.

CData Connect provides a pure cloud-to-cloud interface for EnterpriseDB, allowing you to easily integrate with live EnterpriseDB 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 EnterpriseDB, leveraging server-side processing to quickly return EnterpriseDB data.

Configure EnterpriseDB Connectivity for Metabase

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

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

2. Select "EnterpriseDB" from the Add Connection panel

3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to EnterpriseDB.

   The following connection properties are required in order to connect to data.

   • Server: The host name or IP of the server hosting the EnterpriseDB database.
   • Port: The port of the server hosting the EnterpriseDB database.

   You can also optionally set the following:

   • Database: The default database to connect to when connecting to the EnterpriseDB Server. If this is not set, the user's default database will be used.

   Connect Using Standard Authentication

   To authenticate using standard authentication, set the following:

   • User: The user which will be used to authenticate with the EnterpriseDB server.
   • Password: The password which will be used to authenticate with the EnterpriseDB server.

   Connect Using SSL Authentication

   You can leverage SSL authentication to connect to EnterpriseDB data via a secure session. Configure the following connection properties to connect to data:

   • SSLClientCert: Set this to the name of the certificate store for the client certificate. Used in the case of 2-way SSL, where truststore and keystore are kept on both the client and server machines.
   • SSLClientCertPassword: If a client certificate store is password-protected, set this value to the store's password.
   • SSLClientCertSubject: The subject of the TLS/SSL client certificate. Used to locate the certificate in the store.
   • SSLClientCertType: The certificate type of the client store.
   • SSLServerCert: The certificate to be accepted from the server.
   
4. Click Save & Test
5. Navigate to the Permissions tab in the Add EnterpriseDB 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 EnterpriseDB 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. "EnterpriseDB (Connect AI)")
   • Host: tds.cdata.com
   • Port: 14333
   • Database name: The name of the connection you just created (e.g. EnterpriseDB1)
   • Username: A Connect AI username (e.g. [email protected])
   • Password: The PAT previously created
   • Click to Use a secure connection (SSL)
   

Execute EnterpriseDB Data with Metabase

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

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

   SELECT ShipName, ShipCity FROM Orders WHERE ShipCountry = 'USA'

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