How to Easily Query IBM Cloud Object Storage Data in OpenOffice Base

Apache OpenOffice Base is a versatile, free database tool that makes connecting and managing data easy. With CData ODBC Driver for IBM Cloud Object Storage, you can seamlessly integrate and query live IBM Cloud Object Storage data, bringing real-time insights directly into OpenOffice.

This guide simplifies the setup, showing you how to connect IBM Cloud Object Storage to OpenOffice Base so you can easily generate reports, analyze trends, and make informed decisions right within your familiar workspace.

Overview

Here is an overview of the steps:

1. CONFIGURE: Configure the DSN for IBM Cloud Object Storage data in the CData ODBC Driver for IBM Cloud Object Storage, using the required connection properties.
2. CONNECT: Set up the ODBC connection in OpenOffice Base using the configured DSN.
3. IMPORT: Once connected, review the available metadata and tables.
4. CREATE: Create a report based on the queried IBM Cloud Object Storage data data.

Configure the IBM Cloud Object Storage DSN Using the CData ODBC Driver for IBM Cloud Object Storage

To start, configure the DSN (Data Source Name) for IBM Cloud Object Storage data in your system using the CData ODBC Driver for IBM Cloud Object Storage. Download and install a 30-day free trial with all the features from here.

Once installed, launch the ODBC Data Source Administrator:

• On Windows: Search for ODBC Data Source Administrator in the Start menu and open the application.
• On Mac: Open Applications, go to Utilities, and select ODBC Manager.
• On Linux: Use the command line to launch ODBC Data Source Administrator or use unixODBC if installed.

Once launched, double-click on the CData IBM Cloud Object Storage data Source and enter the required values to establish a connection:

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, you will need to 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.

Setup an ODBC Connection in OpenOffice Base

Once you've set up the DSN, it's time to connect to it in OpenOffice Base and start querying data:

• Launch OpenOffice Base and select Database from the home screen.
• In the Database Wizard, choose ODBC from the 'Connect to an existing database' option and click Next.
• Click Browse to locate and select the DSN you created, then click OK.
• Enter the username associated with the DSN, click Test Connection to verify, and then click Next.
• Finally, click Finish to save the new database file to your desired directory. This will connect OpenOffice Base to your live IBM Cloud Object Storage data data, ready for querying and analysis.

Your connection is now established — ready to query and analyze data seamlessly within OpenOffice Base.

Review the Metadata and Tables

After the database file is created and the connection is established, the table list will automatically display all available IBM Cloud Object Storage data objects.

• Review the IBM Cloud Object Storage data Object List: In the left pane, click on Tables to view the IBM Cloud Object Storage data objects now available within OpenOffice Base.
• View Object Data: Click on any object to view its contents. The IBM Cloud Object Storage data data will display directly within OpenOffice Base, allowing you to review records and fields with ease.

That's it! You have now successfully established a connection to IBM Cloud Object Storage data in OpenOffice Base, with data readily available for analysis and reporting.

Create a Report

Now, let's generate a report based on your IBM Cloud Object Storage data data.

• Open your database and go to the Reports tab, then select Create Report Using Wizard.
• In the Report Wizard, choose the IBM Cloud Object Storage data table from the Table or Query section. Select the columns from Available Fields that you want to include in your report and move them to the Fields in Report section using the arrows.
• After configuring the fields, click Finish to generate your report.
• Analyze, adjust, save, and publish the report as needed.

Your report is now created, drawing live data directly from IBM Cloud Object Storage data, and ready for analysis.

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