How to Work with NASA Data in ETL Validator JDBC

ETL Validator provides data movement and transformation capabilities for integrating data platforms across your organization. CData's JDBC driver seamlessly integrates with ETL Validator and extends its native connectivity to include NASA data.

This tutorial explains how to build a simple ETL validator data flow to extract data from NASA data and load it into an example data storage solution: SQL Server.

Add a new ETL Validator data source via CData

CData extends ETL Validator's data connectivity capabilities by providing the ability to add data sources that connect via CData's JDBC drivers. Connecting to NASA data simply requires creating a new data source in ETL Validator through CData's connectiviy suite as described below.

Login to ETL Validator

Begin by logging into ETL Validator to view the application dashboard.

Click on Add a DataSource

CData extends the data source options within ETL Validator.

Click on CData

CData's connectivity is embedded within ETL Validator's data source options.

Configure the CData Driver Connection String

You will need a JDBC connection string to establish a connection to NASA in ETL Validator.

Using API Key Authentication

Most NASA API endpoints (APOD, NeoWS, DONKI, TechTransfer) require a NASA API key. Register for a free key at https://api.nasa.gov. The default DEMO_KEY provides limited access (30 requests/hour, 50 requests/day); a registered key allows 1,000 requests/hour.

The following endpoints do not require an API key and work without authentication: EONET (Earth Observatory Natural Event Tracker), EPIC (Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera), NASA Image and Video Library, and TechPort.

After obtaining your API key, set the following connection properties:

• AuthScheme: Set this to APIKey.
• APIKey: Set this to your NASA API key. Use DEMO_KEY for limited testing.

Example Connection String

Profile=C:\profiles\NASA.apip;AuthScheme=APIKey;APIKey=YOUR_NASA_API_KEY

Connecting to NASA

Once the authentication is configured, you can connect to NASA and query data from any of the available tables such as AstronomyPictureOfDay, NearEarthObjectFeed, EonetEvents, and NasaImageLibrary.

Built-in Connection String Designer

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

java -jar cdata.jdbc.api.jar

A typical connection string looks like this:

jdbc:api:Profile=C:\profiles\NASA.apip;AuthScheme=APIKey;APIKey=YOUR_NASA_API_KEY

Licensing the Driver

To ensure the JDBC driver is licensed appropriately, copy the license file to the appropriate location:

Copy the JDBC Driver for NASA and lic file from "C:\Program Files\CData[product_name]\lib" to "C:\Datagaps\ETLValidator\Server\apache-tomcat\bin".

            cdata.jdbc.api.jar
            cdata.jdbc.api.lic
        

Note: If you do not copy the .lic file with the jar, you will see a licensing error that indicates you do not have a valid license installed. This is true for both the trial and full versions.

Save the connection

Should you encounter any difficulties loading the CData JDBC driver class, please contact DataGap's team, and they will provide you instructions on how to load the jar file for the relevant driver.

Add SQL Server as a Target

This example will use SQL Server as a destination for NASA data data, but any preferred destination can be used instead.

Go to DataSources and select MS_SQL_SERVER

This option is the default.

Fill in the necessary connection details and test the connection

The details will depend on the specific target, but these details may include a URL, authentiation credentials, etc.

Create a Dataflow in ETL Validator

Open the Dataflows tab

Configured data flows will appear in this window.

Select Create Dataflow

Name your new dataflow and save it.

Open the Dataflow to view the Dataflow Diagram

The details of the data movement will be configured in this panel.

Drag & drop the JDBC as a source from the right side

Give the new source an appropriate name and save it.

Fill in the Query section of the new source

Select the Table from the Schema option that reflects which data should be pulled from NASA data.

View the expected results of your query

The anticipated outcome of the configured query is displayed in the Result tab.

Add the destination to the Dataflow

Select Switch to Diagram, then drag & drop the DB Sink as a target from the right side (under Sink options). Give the sink an appropriate name and save it.

Set the appropriate Schema for the destination

Choose the Schema and table that matches the structure of the source table. For this example, the table on the target side was created to match the Source so that data flow seamlessly. More advanced schema transformation operations are beyond the scope of this article.

Hit the RUN option to begin replication

Running the job will take some time.

View the finished Dataflow

Return to the diagram to see the finished data replication job from NASA data to SQL Server.

Get Started Today

Download a free, 30-day trial of the CData JDBC Driver for NASA and start building NASA-connected applications with ETL Validator. Reach out to our Support Team if you have any questions.