Create Presto-Connected Business Apps in AppSheet



Connect to Presto Data via CData Connect Cloud in Google AppSheet and create custom business applications with real-time access to Presto data.

Google AppSheet is a no-code development platform for application software, enabling users to design mobile, tablet, and web applications. When combined with CData Connect Cloud, you gain immediate cloud-to-cloud access to Presto data for business applications. This article outlines the process of connecting to Presto using Connect Cloud and constructing a basic app from Presto data within AppSheet.

CData Connect Cloud offers a dedicated cloud-to-cloud interface for Presto, enabling the creation of reports directly from live Presto data within AppSheet, all without the need for data replication to a native database. When you design applications that interact with data, AppSheet formulates SQL queries to retrieve the required information. With its inherent optimized data processing capabilities, CData Connect Cloud efficiently channels all supported SQL operations, including filters and JOINs, directly to Presto. This leverages server-side processing to swiftly deliver the requested Presto data.

About Presto Data Integration

Accessing and integrating live data from Trino and Presto SQL engines has never been easier with CData. Customers rely on CData connectivity to:

  • Access data from Trino v345 and above (formerly PrestoSQL) and Presto v0.242 and above (formerly PrestoDB)
  • Read and write access all of the data underlying your Trino or Presto instances
  • Optimized query generation for maximum throughput.

Presto and Trino allow users to access a variety of underlying data sources through a single endpoint. When paired with CData connectivity, users get pure, SQL-92 access to their instances, allowing them to integrate business data with a data warehouse or easily access live data directly from their preferred tools, like Power BI and Tableau.

In many cases, CData's live connectivity surpasses the native import functionality available in tools. One customer was unable to effectively use Power BI due to the size of the datasets needed for reporting. When the company implemented the CData Power BI Connector for Presto they were able to generate reports in real-time using the DirectQuery connection mode.


Getting Started


Configure Presto Connectivity for AppSheet

Connectivity to Presto from AppSheet is made possible through CData Connect Cloud. To work with Presto data from AppSheet, we start by creating and configuring a Presto connection.

  1. Log into Connect Cloud, click Sources, and then click Add Connection
  2. Select "Presto" from the Add Connection panel
  3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to Presto.

    Set the Server and Port connection properties to connect, in addition to any authentication properties that may be required.

    To enable TLS/SSL, set UseSSL to true.

    Authenticating with LDAP

    In order to authenticate with LDAP, set the following connection properties:

    • AuthScheme: Set this to LDAP.
    • User: The username being authenticated with in LDAP.
    • Password: The password associated with the User you are authenticating against LDAP with.

    Authenticating with Kerberos

    In order to authenticate with KERBEROS, set the following connection properties:

    • AuthScheme: Set this to KERBEROS.
    • KerberosKDC: The Kerberos Key Distribution Center (KDC) service used to authenticate the user.
    • KerberosRealm: The Kerberos Realm used to authenticate the user with.
    • KerberosSPN: The Service Principal Name for the Kerberos Domain Controller.
    • KerberosKeytabFile: The Keytab file containing your pairs of Kerberos principals and encrypted keys.
    • User: The user who is authenticating to Kerberos.
    • Password: The password used to authenticate to Kerberos.
  4. Click Create & Test
  5. Navigate to the Permissions tab in the Add Presto Connection page and update the User-based permissions.

Add a Personal Access Token

When connecting to Connect Cloud 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 Cloud. 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 Cloud 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.

With the connection configured and a PAT generated, you are ready to connect to Presto data from AppSheet.

Connect to Presto from AppSheet

The steps below outline connecting to CData Connect Cloud from AppSheet to create a new Presto data source.

  1. Log into AppSheet
  2. Click "My account" in the menu
  3. Click the Sources tab and add a new data source
  4. Select Cloud Database and set the connection information
    • Type: Sql Server
    • Server: tds.cdata.com,14333
    • Database: the Presto connection, for example, Presto1
    • Username: a Connect Cloud user, for example, [email protected]
    • Password: the PAT for the above Connect Cloud user
    • SSL: Require SSL
  5. Click "Test Connection"
  6. Click "Authorize Access"

Create an App

Once you create the data source for Presto, you can start building apps on Presto data. Start by clicking "My apps" in the menu.

  1. Click to create a new app and select "Start with your own data"
  2. Name the app and select an appropriate category, based on your data
  3. Select the newly created data source
  4. Select the table or view with the data you want

At this point, you can configure the design of your app, selecting which columns from the selected table to display, use as labels, and more. Preview the app in the preview panel and then publish or share it when ready.

To get live data access to 100+ SaaS, Big Data, and NoSQL sources directly from your cloud applications, try CData Connect Cloud today!

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