Create Reports from GitLab Data in Looker Studio

Looker Studio, formerly known as Google Data Studio, empowers users to craft customized reports featuring data visualizations that can be shared with clients while reflecting your brand identity. When combined with CData Connect AI, you gain immediate cloud-to-cloud access to GitLab data to create visualizations, dashboards, and more. This article provides step-by-step instructions on establishing a virtual database for GitLab and generating reports from GitLab data within Looker Studio.

CData Connect AI offers a seamless cloud-to-cloud interface tailored for GitLab, making it straightforward to construct reports directly from live GitLab data within Looker Studio without the need for data replication. As you create visualizations, Looker Studio generates queries to retrieve data. With its inherent optimized data processing capabilities, CData Connect AI efficiently channels all supported query operations, including filters, JOINs, and more, directly to GitLab. This leverages server-side processing to swiftly provide the requested GitLab data.

Configure GitLab Connectivity for Looker Studio

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

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

2. Select "GitLab" from the Add Connection panel

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

   To connect to GitLab, use either OAuth or a personal access token:

   Using OAuth

   Register an OAuth application in GitLab under Edit Profile > Applications (or group Settings > Applications). Set the Redirect URI to https://oauth.cdata.com/oauth/. Note the Application ID (OAuth Client Id) and Secret (shown once). Then set:

   • OAuth Client Id: The Application ID from your GitLab OAuth application.
   • OAuth Client Secret: The Secret from your GitLab OAuth application.

   Click Sign In to complete OAuth authentication.

   Using a Personal Access Token

   In GitLab, navigate to Edit Profile > Access Tokens > Add new token. Select the required scopes (such as api, read_api, read_user, read_repository) and set an expiration date. Copy the token immediately (shown only once). Then set:

   • API Key: The personal access token from your GitLab account.
   
4. Click Save & Test
5. Navigate to the Permissions tab in the Add GitLab Connection page and update the User-based permissions.

With the connection configured, you are ready to connect to GitLab data from Looker Studio.

Visualize Live GitLab Data from Looker Studio

The steps below outline connecting to CData Connect AI from Looker Studio to create a new GitLab data source and build a simple visualization from the data.

1. Log into Looker Studio, click data sources, create a new data source, and choose CData Connect AI Connector.

2. Click Authorize and allow access to your Google account.
3. Click Authorize to authenticate with your CData Connect AI instance
4. In the CData Connect AI Connector in Looker Studio select Connections to import from the dropdown and click Next

5. Now select a Connection (e.g. API1) and click Next
6. Select a Table (e.g. AccessRequests) or use a Custom Query and click Connect to continue
7. If needed, modify columns, click Create Report, and add the data source to the report.

8. Select a visualization style and add it to the report.
9. Select Dimensions and Measures to customize your visualization.

Live Access to GitLab Data from Cloud Applications

Now you have a direct, cloud-to-cloud connection to live GitLab data from your Looker Studio workbook. You can create more data sources and new visualizations, build reports, and more — all without replicating GitLab data.

Try CData Connect AI and get real-time data access to hundreds of SaaS, Big Data, and NoSQL sources directly from your cloud applications.