Build Postmark-Connected ETL Processes in Google Data Fusion

Google Data Fusion allows users to perform self-service data integration to consolidate disparate data. Uploading the CData API Driver for JDBC enables users to access live Postmark data from within their Google Data Fusion pipelines. While the CData JDBC Driver enables piping Postmark data to any data source natively supported in Google Data Fusion, this article explains how to pipe data from Postmark to Google BigQuery,

Upload the CData API Driver for JDBC to Google Data Fusion

Upload the CData API Driver for JDBC to your Google Data Fusion instance to work with live Postmark data. Due to the naming restrictions for JDBC drivers in Google Data Fusion, create a copy or rename the JAR file to match the following format driver-version.jar. For example: cdataapi-2020.jar

1. Open your Google Data Fusion instance
2. Click the to add an entity and upload a driver
3. On the "Upload driver" tab, drag or browse to the renamed JAR file.
4. On the "Driver configuration" tab:
   • Name: Create a name for the driver (cdata.jdbc.api) and make note of the name
   • Class name: Set the JDBC class name: (cdata.jdbc.api.APIDriver)
   
5. Click "Finish"

Connect to Postmark Data in Google Data Fusion

With the JDBC Driver uploaded, you are ready to work with live Postmark data in Google Data Fusion Pipelines.

1. Navigate to the Pipeline Studio to create a new Pipeline
2. From the "Source" options, click "Database" to add a source for the JDBC Driver
3. Click "Properties" on the Database source to edit the properties

   NOTE: To use the JDBC Driver in Google Data Fusion, you will need a license (full or trial) and a Runtime Key (RTK). For more information on obtaining this license (or a trial), contact our sales team.

   • Set the Label
   • Set Reference Name to a value for any future references (i.e.: cdata-api)
   • Set Plugin Type to "jdbc"
   • Set Connection String to the JDBC URL for Postmark. For example:
     
     jdbc:api:RTK=5246...;Profile=C:\profiles\Postmark.apip;AuthScheme=APIKey;ProfileSettings="APIKey=your-server-api-token"

     Using API Key Authentication

     Postmark uses server API tokens to authenticate requests. Each Postmark server has its own API token, which controls access to messages, bounces, templates, and statistics associated with that server.

     To obtain your Server API Token, log in to your Postmark account and navigate to the server you want to connect to. Go to API Tokens under the server settings and copy the token labeled Server API token.

     After setting the following connection properties, you are ready to connect:

     • AuthScheme: Set this to APIKey.
     • APIKey: Set this to your Postmark Server API Token. This value is sent as the X-Postmark-Server-Token header on every request.

     Example connection string:

     Profile=C:\profiles\Postmark.apip;AuthScheme=APIKey;ProfileSettings="APIKey=your-server-api-token"
     

     Connecting to Postmark

     Once the authentication is configured, you can connect to Postmark and query data from any of the available tables such as OutboundMessages, Bounces, and Templates.

     Built-in Connection String Designer

     For assistance in constructing the JDBC URL, use the connection string designer built into the Postmark 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.

     
   • Set Import Query to a SQL query that will extract the data you want from Postmark, i.e.:
     SELECT * FROM Bounces
   
4. From the "Sink" tab, click to add a destination sink (we use Google BigQuery in this example)
5. Click "Properties" on the BigQuery sink to edit the properties
   • Set the Label
   • Set Reference Name to a value like api-bigquery
   • Set Project ID to a specific Google BigQuery Project ID (or leave as the default, "auto-detect")
   • Set Dataset to a specific Google BigQuery dataset
   • Set Table to the name of the table you wish to insert Postmark data into
   

With the Source and Sink configured, you are ready to pipe Postmark data into Google BigQuery. Save and deploy the pipeline. When you run the pipeline, Google Data Fusion will request live data from Postmark and import it into Google BigQuery.

While this is a simple pipeline, you can create more complex Postmark pipelines with transforms, analytics, conditions, and more. Download a free, 30-day trial of the CData API Driver for JDBC and start working with your live Postmark data in Google Data Fusion today.