Create Interactive Metabase Dashboards that Work with Greenplum Data

Metabase is an open source data visualization tool that allows users to create interactive dashboards. When paired with CData Connect Server, users can easily create visualizations and dashboards linked to live Greenplum data. This article describes how to create a virtual database for Greenplum and build a simple visualization using Greenplum data.

CData Connect provides a pure SQL interface for Greenplum, allowing you to easily integrate with live Greenplum data in Metabase — without replicating the data. Connect looks exactly like a MySQL database to Metabase and uses optimized data processing out of the box to push all supported SQL operations (filters, JOINs, etc) directly to Greenplum, leveraging server-side processing to quickly return Greenplum data.

Create a Virtual MySQL Database for Greenplum Data

CData Connect Server uses a straightforward, point-and-click interface to connect to data sources and generate APIs.

1. Log into Connect Server and click Connections.
2. Select "Greenplum" from Available Data Sources.
3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to Greenplum.

   To connect to Greenplum, set the Server, Port (the default port is 5432), and Database connection properties and set the User and Password you wish to use to authenticate to the server. If the Database property is not specified, the default database for the authenticate user is used.

4. Click Save Changes
5. Click Privileges -> Add and add the new user (or an existing user) with the appropriate permissions.

Connect to CData Connect from Metabase

After creating the virtual database, navigate to your Metabase instance. Use the MySQL interface to connect to CData Connect.

1. Navigate to the administration screen (Settings -> Admin) and click "Add Database" from the "Databases" tab
2. Configure the connection to CData Connect and click "Save"
   • Database type: Select "MySQL"
   • Name: Name the connection (e.g. "Greenplum (CData Connect)")
   • Host: The URL of your Connect instance (e.g. https://CONNECT_SERVER_URL)
   • Port: The port of the MySQL endpoint for your Connect instance (e.g. 3306)
   • Database name: The name of the virtual database you just created (e.g. Greenplum1)
   • Username: A CData Connect username
   • Password: The password for the above CData Connect user
   • Click to Use a secure connection (SSL)

Query Greenplum Data with Metabase

Once you configure the connection to CData Connect, you can query Greenplum and build visualizations.

1. Use the "Write SQL" tool to retrieve the Greenplum data
2. Write a SQL query based on the virtual database, e.g.
   
   

   SELECT Freight, ShipName 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 Greenplum data in Metabase. You can continue to work with live Greenplum data in Metabase just like you would any MySQL database. For more information on creating a virtual MySQL database for Greenplum (and more than 200 other data sources), visit the Connect Server page. Sign up for a free trial and start working with live Greenplum data in Metabase today.