Create Reports from Google Cloud Storage 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 Google Cloud Storage data to create visualizations, dashboards, and more. This article provides step-by-step instructions on establishing a virtual database for Google Cloud Storage and generating reports from Google Cloud Storage data within Looker Studio.

CData Connect AI offers a seamless cloud-to-cloud interface tailored for Google Cloud Storage, making it straightforward to construct reports directly from live Google Cloud Storage 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 Google Cloud Storage. This leverages server-side processing to swiftly provide the requested Google Cloud Storage data.

Configure Google Cloud Storage Connectivity for Looker Studio

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

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

2. Select "Google Cloud Storage" from the Add Connection panel

3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to Google Cloud Storage.

   Authenticate with a User Account

   You can connect without setting any connection properties for your user credentials. After setting InitiateOAuth to GETANDREFRESH, you are ready to connect.

   When you connect, the Google Cloud Storage OAuth endpoint opens in your default browser. Log in and grant permissions, then the OAuth process completes

   Authenticate with a Service Account

   Service accounts have silent authentication, without user authentication in the browser. You can also use a service account to delegate enterprise-wide access scopes.

   You need to create an OAuth application in this flow. See the Help documentation for more information. After setting the following connection properties, you are ready to connect:

   • InitiateOAuth: Set this to GETANDREFRESH.
   • OAuthJWTCertType: Set this to "PFXFILE".
   • OAuthJWTCert: Set this to the path to the .p12 file you generated.
   • OAuthJWTCertPassword: Set this to the password of the .p12 file.
   • OAuthJWTCertSubject: Set this to "*" to pick the first certificate in the certificate store.
   • OAuthJWTIssuer: In the service accounts section, click Manage Service Accounts and set this field to the email address displayed in the service account Id field.
   • OAuthJWTSubject: Set this to your enterprise Id if your subject type is set to "enterprise" or your app user Id if your subject type is set to "user".
   • ProjectId: Set this to the Id of the project you want to connect to.

   The OAuth flow for a service account then completes.

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

With the connection configured, you are ready to connect to Google Cloud Storage data from Looker Studio.

Visualize Live Google Cloud Storage Data from Looker Studio

The steps below outline connecting to CData Connect AI from Looker Studio to create a new Google Cloud Storage 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. GoogleCloudStorage1) and click Next
6. Select a Table (e.g. Buckets) 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 Google Cloud Storage Data from Cloud Applications

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