Integrating Gumloop with IBM Cloud Object Storage Data via CData Connect AI

Gumloop is a visual automation platform designed to create AI-powered workflows by combining triggers, AI nodes, APIs, and data connectors. By integrating Gumloop with CData Connect AI through the built-in MCP (Model Context Protocol) Server, workflows can seamlessly access and interact with live IBM Cloud Object Storage data.

The platform provides a low-code environment, making it easier to orchestrate complex processes without heavy development effort. Its flexibility allows integration across multiple business applications, enabling end-to-end automation with live data.

This article outlines the steps required to configure IBM Cloud Object Storage connectivity in Connect AI, register the MCP server in Gumloop, and build a workflow that queries IBM Cloud Object Storage data.

Step 1: Configure IBM Cloud Object Storage Connectivity for Gumloop

Connectivity to IBM Cloud Object Storage from Gumloop is made possible through CData Connect AI's Remote MCP Server. To interact with IBM Cloud Object Storage data from Gumloop, we start by creating and configuring a IBM Cloud Object Storage connection in CData Connect AI.

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

2. Select "IBM Cloud Object Storage" from the Add Connection panel

3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to IBM Cloud Object Storage.

   Register a New Instance of Cloud Object Storage

   If you do not already have Cloud Object Storage in your IBM Cloud account, follow the procedure below to install an instance of SQL Query in your account:

   1. Log in to your IBM Cloud account.
   2. Navigate to the page, choose a name for your instance and click Create. You will be redirected to the instance of Cloud Object Storage you just created.

   Connecting using OAuth Authentication

   There are certain connection properties you need to set before you can connect. You can obtain these as follows:

   API Key

   To connect with IBM Cloud Object Storage, you need an API Key. You can obtain this as follows:

   1. Log in to your IBM Cloud account.
   2. Navigate to the Platform API Keys page.
   3. On the middle-right corner click "Create an IBM Cloud API Key" to create a new API Key.
   4. In the pop-up window, specify the API Key name and click "Create". Note the API Key as you can never access it again from the dashboard.

   Cloud Object Storage CRN

   If you have multiple accounts, specify the CloudObjectStorageCRN explicitly. To find the appropriate value, you can:

   • Query the Services view. This will list your IBM Cloud Object Storage instances along with the CRN for each.
   • Locate the CRN directly in IBM Cloud. To do so, navigate to your IBM Cloud Dashboard. In the Resource List, Under Storage, select your Cloud Object Storage resource to get its CRN.

   Connecting to Data

   You can now set the following to connect to data:

   • InitiateOAuth: Set this to GETANDREFRESH. You can use InitiateOAuth to avoid repeating the OAuth exchange and manually setting the OAuthAccessToken.
   • ApiKey: Set this to your API key which was noted during setup.
   • CloudObjectStorageCRN (Optional): Set this to the cloud object storage CRN you want to work with. While the connector attempts to retrieve this automatically, specifying this explicitly is recommended if you have more than Cloud Object Storage account.

   When you connect, the connector completes the OAuth process.

   1. Extracts the access token and authenticates requests.
   2. Saves OAuth values in OAuthSettingsLocation to be persisted across connections.
   
4. Click Save & Test
5. Navigate to the Permissions tab in the Add IBM Cloud Object Storage Connection page and update the User-based permissions.

Add a Personal Access Token

A Personal Access Token (PAT) is used to authenticate the connection to Connect AI from Gumloop. 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 IBM Cloud Object Storage connection configured and a PAT generated, Gumloop is prepared to connect to IBM Cloud Object Storage data through the CData MCP server.

Step 2: Connect to the MCP server in Gumloop

The MCP server endpoint and authentication values from Connect AI must be added to Gumloop credentials.

1. Sign in to Gumloop and create an account
2. Visit the Gumloop Credentials page to configure MCP server
3. Click on Add Credentials and search and select MCP Server

4. Provide the following details:
   • URL: https://mcp.cloud.cdata.com/mcp
   • Label: A descriptive name such as IBM Cloud Object Storage-mcp-server
   • Access Token / API Key: leave blank
   • Additional Header: Authorization: Basic YOUR EMAIL:YOUR PAT
   
   • Save the credentials
   

The MCP server is now available to build workflows in Gumloop.

Step 3: Build a workflow and explore live IBM Cloud Object Storage data with Gumloop

1. Visit Gumloop Personal workspace and click on the Create Flow

2. Select the icon or press Ctrl + B to add a node or a subflow

3. Search for Ask AI and select it

4. Click Show More Options and enable the Connect MCP Server? option

5. From the MCP Servers dropdown, choose the saved MCP credential
6. Add a Prompt and Choose an AI Model according to your requirements

7. After configuring the required details, Click Run to run the pipeline

With the workflow run completed, Gumloop demonstrates successful retrieval of IBM Cloud Object Storage data through the CData Connect AI MCP server, with the MCP Client node providing the ability to ask questions, retrieve records, and perform actions on the data.

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