Build Visualizations of JSON Services in Birst

Birst is a cloud business intelligence (BI) tool and analytics platform that helps organizations quickly understand and optimize complex processes. When paired with the CData JDBC Driver for JSON, you can connect to live JSON services through the Birst Cloud Agent and build real-time visualizations. In this article, we walk you through, step-by-step, how to connect to JSON using the Cloud Agent and create dynamic reports in Birst.

With powerful data processing capabilities, the CData JDBC Driver offers unmatched performance for live JSON services operations in Birst. When you issue complex SQL queries from Birst to JSON, the driver pushes supported SQL operations, like filters and aggregations, directly to JSON and utilizes the embedded SQL Engine to process unsupported operations client-side (often SQL functions and JOIN operations). With built-in dynamic metadata querying, the JDBC driver enables you to visualize and analyze JSON services using native Birst data types.

Configure a JDBC Connection to JSON Services in Birst

Before creating the Birst project, you will need to install the Birst Cloud Agent (in order to work with the installed JDBC Driver). Also, copy the JAR file for the JDBC Driver (and the LIC file, if it exists) to the /drivers/ directory in the installation location for the Cloud Agent.

With the driver and Cloud Agent installed, you are ready to begin.

1. Create a new project in Birst.
2. Name the connection (e.g. CDataJSON).
3. Choose Live Access.
4. Select an agent.
5. Set Database Type to Other.
6. Set SQL Type to MSSQL
7. Set the Connection string.

   See the Getting Started chapter in the data provider documentation to authenticate to your data source: The data provider models JSON APIs as bidirectional database tables and JSON files as read-only views (local files, files stored on popular cloud services, and FTP servers). The major authentication schemes are supported, including HTTP Basic, Digest, NTLM, OAuth, and FTP. See the Getting Started chapter in the data provider documentation for authentication guides.

   After setting the URI and providing any authentication values, set DataModel to more closely match the data representation to the structure of your data.

   The DataModel property is the controlling property over how your data is represented into tables and toggles the following basic configurations.

   • Document (default): Model a top-level, document view of your JSON data. The data provider returns nested elements as aggregates of data.
   • FlattenedDocuments: Implicitly join nested documents and their parents into a single table.
   • Relational: Return individual, related tables from hierarchical data. The tables contain a primary key and a foreign key that links to the parent document.

   See the Modeling JSON Data chapter for more information on configuring the relational representation. You will also find the sample data used in the following examples. The data includes entries for people, the cars they own, and various maintenance services performed on those cars.

   Built-in Connection String Designer

   For assistance in constructing the JDBC URL, use the connection string designer built into the JSON JDBC Driver. Either double-click the JAR file or execute the jar file from the command-line.

   java -jar cdata.jdbc.json.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 connection string for JSON:

   jdbc:json:URI=C:/people.json;DataModel=Relational;
8. Set the Driver Name: cdata.jdbc.json.JSONDriver and click Save.

NOTE: Since authentication to JSON is managed from the connection string, you can leave Security Credentials blank.

Configure JSON Services Objects

Now that the connection is configured, we are ready to configure the schema for the dataset, choosing the tables, views, and columns we wish to visualize.

1. Select the Schema (e.g. JSON).
2. Click on Tables and/or Views to connect to those entities and click Apply.
3. Select the Tables and Columns you want to access and click Done.

With the objects configured, you can perform any data preparation and discover any relationships in your data using the Pronto Prepare and Relate tools.

Build a Visualization

After you prepare your data and define relationships between the connected objects, you are ready to build your visualization.

1. Select the Visualizer tool from the menu.
2. Select Measures & Categories from your objects
3. Select and configure the appropriate visualization for the Measure(s) you selected.

Using the CData JDBC Driver for JSON with the Cloud Agent and Birst, you can easily create robust visualizations and reports on JSON services. Download a free, 30-day trial and start building Birst visualizations today.