Process & Analyze Parallel Data in Databricks (AWS)

Databricks is a cloud-based service that provides data processing capabilities through Apache Spark. When paired with the CData JDBC Driver, customers can use Databricks to perform data engineering and data science on live Parallel data. This article explains how to host the CData JDBC Driver in AWS, as well as connect to and process live Parallel data in Databricks.

With built-in optimized data processing, the CData JDBC Driver offers unmatched performance for interacting with live Parallel data. When you issue complex SQL queries to Parallel, the driver pushes supported SQL operations, like filters and aggregations, directly to Parallel 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 Parallel data using native data types.

Install the CData JDBC Driver in Databricks

To work with live Parallel data in Databricks, install the driver on your Databricks cluster.

1. Navigate to your Databricks administration screen and select the target cluster.
2. On the Libraries tab, click "Install New."
3. Select "Upload" as the Library Source and "Jar" as the Library Type.
4. Upload the JDBC JAR file (cdata.jdbc.api.jar) from the installation location (typically C:\Program Files\CData[product_name]\lib).

Access Parallel Data in your Notebook: Python

With the JAR file installed, we are ready to work with live Parallel data in Databricks. Start by creating a new notebook in your workspace. Name the notebook, select Python as the language (though Scala is available as well), and choose the cluster where you installed the JDBC driver. When the notebook launches, we can configure the connection, query Parallel, and create a basic report.

Configure the Connection to Parallel

Connect to Parallel by referencing the JDBC Driver class and constructing a connection string to use in the JDBC URL. Additionally, you will need to set the RTK property in the JDBC URL (unless you are using a Beta driver). You can view the licensing file included in the installation for information on how to set this property.

Step 1: Connection Information

driver = "cdata.jdbc.api.APIDriver"
url = "jdbc:api:RTK=5246...;Profile=C:\profiles\Parallel.apip;AuthScheme=APIKey;ProfileSettings='APIKey=your_api_key';"

Built-in Connection String Designer

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

java -jar cdata.jdbc.api.jar

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

The Parallel API uses API Key authentication via the x-api-key request header.

Using API Key Authentication

Your Parallel API key is required to create a connection. To obtain your API key:

1. Log into your Parallel account at app.parallel.ai.
2. Navigate to Settings or API Keys in your account dashboard.
3. Generate or copy your API key.

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

• AuthScheme: Set this to APIKey.
• APIKey: Set this to your Parallel API key.

Example connection string:

Profile=C:\profiles\Parallel.apip;AuthScheme=APIKey;ProfileSettings='APIKey=your_api_key';

Load Parallel Data

Once you configure the connection, you can load Parallel data as a dataframe using the CData JDBC Driver and the connection information.

Step 2: Reading the data

remote_table = spark.read.format ( "jdbc" ) \
	.option ( "driver" , driver) \
	.option ( "url" , url) \
	.option ( "dbtable" , "MonitorEvents") \
	.load ()

Display Parallel Data

Check the loaded Parallel data by calling the display function.

Step 3: Checking the result

display (remote_table.select (""))

Analyze Parallel Data in Databricks

If you want to process data with Databricks SparkSQL, register the loaded data as a Temp View.

Step 4: Create a view or table

remote_table.createOrReplaceTempView ( "SAMPLE_VIEW" )

With the Temp View created, you can use SparkSQL to retrieve the Parallel data for reporting, visualization, and analysis.

% sql

SELECT ,  FROM SAMPLE_VIEW ORDER BY  DESC LIMIT 5

The data from Parallel is only available in the target notebook. If you want to use it with other users, save it as a table.

remote_table.write.format ( "parquet" ) .saveAsTable ( "SAMPLE_TABLE" )

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