Build GitLab Visualizations in Tableau Desktop

Tableau is a visual analytics platform transforming the way businesses use data to solve problems. When paired with CData Connect AI, you get instant, cloud-to-cloud access to GitLab data for visualizations, dashboards, and more. This article shows how to connect to GitLab and build visualizations from GitLab data in Tableau.

CData Connect AI provides a pure SQL Server, cloud-to-cloud interface for GitLab, allowing you to easily build visualizations from live GitLab data in Tableau without installing connectors. As you build visualizations, Tableau generates SQL queries to gather data. Using optimized data processing out of the box, CData Connect AI pushes all supported SQL operations (filters, JOINs, etc) directly to GitLab, leveraging server-side processing to quickly return GitLab data.

Configure GitLab Connectivity for Tableau

Connectivity to GitLab from Tableau is made possible through CData Connect AI. To work with GitLab data from Tableau, 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.

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 GitLab data from Tableau.

Visualize Live GitLab Data in Tableau

To establish a connection from Tableau Desktop to the CData Connect AI Virtual SQL Server, follow these steps.

1. In Tableau Desktop, open a new book. Under To a Server, select More, then Microsoft SQL Server.
2. Enter your credentials:
   • Server: enter the Virtual SQL Server endpoint and port separated by a comma: tds.cdata.com,14333
   • Database: enter the Connection Name of the CData Connect AI data source you want to connect to (for example, API1).
   • Authentication: select Use a specific username and password.
   • Username: enter your CData Connect AI username. This is displayed in the top-right corner of the CData Connect AI interface. For example, [email protected].
   • Password: enter the PAT you previously generated.
   • Require SSL: leave this selected.
   
3. Click Sign In.
4. Select the Database (Connect AI connection) you wish to work with and opt for a Live or Extract Connection type.
5. Select the table(s) you wish to visualize. If you select multiple tables, define the relationship between the tables using the appropriate columns.
6. Select the fields to visualize.

Real-Time Access to GitLab Data from Data Applications

At this point, you have a direct, cloud-to-cloud connection to live GitLab data from your Tableau workbook. You can create new visualizations, build dashboards, and more. For more information on gaining live access to data from more than 100 SaaS, Big Data, and NoSQL sources from applications like Tableau, refer to our Connect AI page.