Seamlessly Bring Okta Data into Retool Using CData Connect AI

Retool enables the rapid creation of custom internal tools using a low-code or no-code approach. By integrating Okta into Retool with CData Connect AI, you can access live data from Okta in real time, enabling you to build more efficient apps and streamline workflows.

This guide walks you through the simple steps to connect Okta to Retool via CData Connect AI using OpenAPI or the Virtual SQL Server API. You can securely connect to your Okta data, ensuring seamless integration and real-time updates, empowering you to create smarter apps and enhance operational efficiency. Let's get started!

Configure the Okta Connectivity for Retool (in CData Connect AI)

Overview

Here is an overview of the steps:

1. Configure: (Optional) Set up your Okta data source in CData Connect AI, add a Workspace, add assets to your Workspace, and generate a Personal Access Token (PAT).
2. Connect: Link Retool to CData Connect AI using OpenAPI or the Virtual SQL Server API.
3. Explore: Use your connected data to build smarter apps and explore advanced integrations.

Prerequisites

Ensure you have the following before starting:

1. An active Okta account and credentials.
2. A CData Connect AI account. Log in or sign up for a free trial here.
3. A Retool account. Sign up here.

Connect to Okta from Connect AI

CData Connect AI uses a straightforward, point-and-click interface to connect to data sources.

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

2. Select "Okta" from the Add Connection panel

3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to Okta.

   To connect to Okta, set the Domain connection string property to your Okta domain.

   You will use OAuth to authenticate with Okta, so you need to create a custom OAuth application.

   Creating a Custom OAuth Application

   From your Okta account:

   1. Sign in to your Okta developer edition organization with your administrator account.
   2. In the Admin Console, go to Applications > Applications.
   3. Click Create App Integration.
   4. For the Sign-in method, select OIDC - OpenID Connect.
   5. For Application type, choose Web Application.
   6. Enter a name for your custom application.
   7. Set the Grant Type to Authorization Code. If you want the token to be automatically refreshed, also check Refresh Token.
   8. Set the callback URL:
      • For desktop applications and headless machines, use http://localhost:33333 or another port number of your choice. The URI you set here becomes the CallbackURL property.
      • For web applications, set the callback URL to a trusted redirect URL. This URL is the web location the user returns to with the token that verifies that your application has been granted access.
   9. In the Assignments section, either select Limit access to selected groups and add a group, or skip group assignment for now.
   10. Save the OAuth application.
   11. The application's Client Id and Client Secret are displayed on the application's General tab. Record these for future use. You will use the Client Id to set the OAuthClientId and the Client Secret to set the OAuthClientSecret.
   12. Check the Assignments tab to confirm that all users who must access the application are assigned to the application.
   13. On the Okta API Scopes tab, select the scopes you wish to grant to the OAuth application. These scopes determine the data that the app has permission to read, so a scope for a particular view must be granted for the driver to have permission to query that view. To confirm the scopes required for each view, see the view-specific pages in Data Model < Views in the Help documentation.
   
4. Click Save & Test
5. Navigate to the Permissions tab in the Add Okta Connection page and update the User-based permissions.

Add a Personal Access Token

When connecting to Connect AI through the REST API, the OData API, or the Virtual SQL Server, a Personal Access Token (PAT) is used to authenticate the connection to Connect AI. 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.

Configure Okta Endpoints for Retool

After connecting to Okta, create a workspace for your desired table(s).

1. Navigate to the Workspaces page and click Add to create a new Workspace (or select an existing workspace).
2. Click Add to add new assets to the Workspace.
3. Select the Okta connection (e.g. Okta1) and click Next.
4. Select the table(s) you wish to work with and click Confirm.
5. Make note of the OpenAPI URL or the Virtual SQL Server URL for your workspace, e.g. https://cloud.cdata.com/api/openapi/v3/{workspace_name}...

With the connection, PAT, and Workspace configured, you are ready to connect to Okta data from Retool.

Connect Retool to Okta in CData Connect AI

Now that you've configured your Okta connection in CData Connect AI, it's time to integrate it with Retool.

Retool can be connected to Okta in CData Connect AI via either OpenAPI or the Virtual SQL Server API. Choose the method that best suits your workflow:

Connect via OpenAPI

To connect using the OpenAPI specification, follow these steps:

1. On CData Connect AI, from the left-hand side, go to Workspaces then select a Workspace.
2. Click the View Endpoints, and under the OpenAPI, copy the OpenAPI URL for the workspace. Keep the default options. See OpenAPI section for more information.
3. Login to Retool and then go to the Resources tab, click Create new > Resource.
4. In the Select a resource type search bar, and search for OpenAPI.
   
5. Click OpenAPI. The Configure OpenAPI screen appears. Enter the following information to configure the OpenAPI connector:
• Name: The Connection Name to identify the connector on Retool.
• Specification URL: The OpenAPI URL you copied from the Workspace in CData Connect AI. Paste the URL here.
• Forward headers when fetching OpenAPI spec: Check this box.
• Under the URL parameters, keep the key-value pair unchanged.
• In the Headers section, write the key as Authorization and in the value, write Basic.
• For the Basic connection value, Retool requires a base64-encoded version of your CData Connect AI username:PAT combination (where PAT is the token you generated earlier). Use a tool like this to encode the value. For example, [email protected]:12345 encodes to dGVzdEBjZGF0YS5TIzNDU=. Copy this encoded value and paste it into the value field after Basic with a space.
• Username: Enter your CData Connect AI username. This is displayed in the top-right corner of the CData Connect AI interface. For example, [email protected].
• Password: Enter the PAT you generated on the Settings page.

6. Click Test connection to test your connection configuration. Once you have a successful connection, click Create resource.
7. Create the app in Retool in which to integrate your data.
8. Click Create resource query.
9. Select the new resource you created, and view the endpoints that are available.
10. You can now build your app with your live Okta data.

Connect via Virtual SQL Server API

To connect using the Virtual SQL Server API, follow these steps:

1. Login to Retool, then go to Resources. Click Connect New at the top-right and select Resources.

2. Enter Microsoft SQL in the search bar, click the resulting option, and enter the following details:

• Name: A name for the connection to CData Connect AI.
• Host: tds.cdata.com.
• Port: 1433.
• Database Name: Enter the Connection Name of the CData Connect AI data source you want to connect to (for example, Salesforce1).
• Database Username: Enter your CData Connect AI username. This is displayed in the top-right corner of the CData Connect AI interface. For example, [email protected].
• Database Password: Enter the PAT you generated on the Settings page.

3. Click Test Connection. If the connection fails, you might need to whitelist CData Connect AI IPs for Retool and other data sources. Check out the documentation here.
4. If it succeeds, click Create Resource.
5. Your connection is now set up, and you can build your app with live Okta data.

Build Retool Apps with Your Live Okta Data

Now that you have integrated Okta with Retool using CData Connect AI, it's time to utilize your live data to its full potential. Let's build a simple app:

• Step 1: Set Up the Table (on home screen)
  • Create a New App in Retool.
  • Select your Okta connection.
  • Add a Table component and bind it to Okta's data.
  
• Step 2: Add Filters (on top-right)
  • Add a Dropdown to filter by Opportunity Stage.
  • Add a Text Input for searching Account Name.
  
• Step 3: Display Key Metrics (below Table)
  • Add a Text component to show Total Amount of filtered opportunities.
  • Use a query to sum the Amount for filtered data.
• Step 4: Add Visuals (top-right or side panel)
  • Add a Bar Chart to visualize opportunities by Stage.
  • Add a Line Chart to show Expected Revenue over time.
• Step 5: Test and Deploy (top-right)
  • Test filters, search, and charts.
  • Deploy the app and share the link for access.

With these steps, you've successfully created a dynamic app to manage and visualize your Salesforce opportunities. Enjoy exploring your live data and leveraging it for better insights!

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