Connect to Linear Data in the Denodo Platform

Denodo Platform is a data virtualization product providing a single point of contact for enterprise database data. When paired with the CData JDBC Driver for Linear, Denodo users can work with live Linear data alongside other enterprise data sources. This article explains how to create a virtual data source for Linear in the Denodo Virtual DataPort Administrator.

With built-in optimized data processing, the CData JDBC Driver offers unmatched performance for interacting with live Linear data. When you issue complex SQL queries to Linear, the driver pushes supported SQL operations, like filters and aggregations, directly to Linear and utilizes the embedded SQL engine to process unsupported operations client-side (often SQL functions and JOIN operations). Its built-in dynamic metadata querying allows you to work with and analyze Linear data using native data types.

Create the Linear Virtual Port

To connect to live Linear data from Denodo, you need to copy the JDBC Driver JAR file to the external library directory for Denodo and create a new JDBC Data Source from the Virtual DataPort Administrator tool.

1. Download the CData JDBC Driver for Linear installer, unzip the package, and run the JAR file to install the driver.
2. Copy the JAR File (and license file if it exists) from the installation location (typically C:\Program Files\CData\CData JDBC Driver for Linear\lib\) to the Denodo external library directory (C:\Denodo\Denodo Platform\lib-external\jdbc-drivers\cdata-linear-19).
3. Open the Denodo Virtual DataPort Administrator tool and navigate to the Server Explorer tab.
4. Right-click "admin" and select New -> Data source -> JDBC.
5. Configure the JDBC Connection:
   • Name: your choice, e.g.: linear
   • Database adapter: Generic
   • Driver class path: C:\Denodo\Denodo Platform\lib-external\jdbc-drivers\cdata-linear-19
   • Driver class: cdata.jdbc.linear.LinearDriver

   • Database URI: Set this to a JDBC URL using the necessary connection properties. For example,

     jdbc:linear:AuthScheme=APIKey;APIKey=myAPIKey;

     

     Information on creating the Database URI follows:

     Built-In Connection String Designer

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

     
     	java -jar cdata.jdbc.linear.jar
     	

     Fill in the connection properties and copy the connection string to the clipboard.

     You can authenticate to Linear with a personal API key or with OAuth 2.0. The API key is the simplest option for connecting with your own Linear account.

     Authenticating with an API Key

     Set the following connection properties:

     • AuthScheme: Set this to APIKey.
     • APIKey: A Linear personal API key.

     To create a personal API key, log in to Linear, open Settings > Security & access > Personal API keys, select New API key, and create it. Copy the key immediately, because Linear shows it only once.

     Authenticating with OAuth

     OAuth requires a custom OAuth application registered in Linear (Settings > API > OAuth applications), which provides the OAuthClientId and OAuthClientSecret. Two flows are supported:

     • Authorization code: Set AuthScheme to OAuth, InitiateOAuth to GETANDREFRESH, and provide OAuthClientId, OAuthClientSecret, and the CallbackURL defined in your application (e.g., http://localhost:33333). The driver opens Linear in your browser so you can grant access.
     • Client credentials: Set AuthScheme to OAuthClient and provide OAuthClientId and OAuthClientSecret. This authenticates the application itself, with no browser interaction, and suits machine-to-machine integrations.

     By default, the driver requests the read,write scopes. The driver refreshes the access token automatically when it expires.

     
6. Click the "Test connection" button to confirm the configuration and click Save.

View Linear Data in the VirtualPort Administrator Tool

After creating the data source, you can create a base view of Linear data for use in the Denodo Platform.

1. Click the "Create base view" button in the newly created VirtualPort (admin.Linear).
2. Expand the object tree and select the objects (tables) you wish to import.
3. Click the "Create selected" button to create views of the Linear data.
   Optional: Click "Create associations from foreign keys" to define relationships between the objects.
4. With the view(s) created, navigate to a table (cdata_linear_team) in the Server Explorer and double-click the selected table.
5. In the new tab, click "Execution panel" to open a query panel.
6. Customize the query in the "Execute" tab or use the default:

   SELECT * FROM cdata_linear_team CONTEXT ('i18n'='us_est', 'cache_wait_for_load'='true')
   

   
7. Click Execute to view the data.

With the base view created, you can now work with live Linear data like you would any other data source in Denodo Platform, for example, querying Linear in the Denodo Data Catalog.

Download a free, 30-day trial of the CData JDBC Driver for Linear and start working with your live Linear data in Denodo Platform. Reach out to our Support Team if you have any questions.