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Get the Report →Integrate GraphQL Data in Pentaho Data Integration
Build ETL pipelines based on GraphQL data in the Pentaho Data Integration tool.
The CData JDBC Driver for GraphQL enables access to live data from data pipelines. Pentaho Data Integration is an Extraction, Transformation, and Loading (ETL) engine that data, cleanses the data, and stores data using a uniform format that is accessible.This article shows how to connect to GraphQL data as a JDBC data source and build jobs and transformations based on GraphQL data in Pentaho Data Integration.
Configure to GraphQL Connectivity
You must specify the URL of the GraphQL service. The driver supports two types of authentication:
- Basic: Set AuthScheme to Basic. You must specify the User and Password of the GraphQL service.
- OAuth 1.0 & 2.0: Take a look at the OAuth section in the Help documentation for detailed instructions.
Built-in Connection String Designer
For assistance in constructing the JDBC URL, use the connection string designer built into the GraphQL JDBC Driver. Either double-click the JAR file or execute the jar file from the command-line.
java -jar cdata.jdbc.graphql.jar
Fill in the connection properties and copy the connection string to the clipboard.

When you configure the JDBC URL, you may also want to set the Max Rows connection property. This will limit the number of rows returned, which is especially helpful for improving performance when designing reports and visualizations.
Below is a typical JDBC URL:
jdbc:graphql:AuthScheme=Basic;User=username;Password=password;URL=https://mysite.com;InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH
Save your connection string for use in Pentaho Data Integration.
Connect to GraphQL from Pentaho DI
Open Pentaho Data Integration and select "Database Connection" to configure a connection to the CData JDBC Driver for GraphQL
- Click "General"
- Set Connection name (e.g. GraphQL Connection)
- Set Connection type to "Generic database"
- Set Access to "Native (JDBC)"
- Set Custom connection URL to your GraphQL connection string (e.g.
jdbc:graphql:AuthScheme=Basic;User=username;Password=password;URL=https://mysite.com;InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH
- Set Custom driver class name to "cdata.jdbc.graphql.GraphQLDriver"
- Test the connection and click "OK" to save.
Create a Data Pipeline for GraphQL
Once the connection to GraphQL is configured using the CData JDBC Driver, you are ready to create a new transformation or job.
- Click "File" >> "New" >> "Transformation/job"
- Drag a "Table input" object into the workflow panel and select your GraphQL connection.
- Click "Get SQL select statement" and use the Database Explorer to view the available tables and views.
- Select a table and optionally preview the data for verification.
At this point, you can continue your transformation or jb by selecting a suitable destination and adding any transformations to modify, filter, or otherwise alter the data during replication.

Free Trial & More Information
Download a free, 30-day trial of the CData JDBC Driver for GraphQL and start working with your live GraphQL data in Pentaho Data Integration today.