Build Pipelines with Live QuickBooks Data in Google Cloud Data Fusion (via CData Connect AI)

Mohsin Turki
Mohsin Turki
Technical Marketing Engineer
Use CData Connect AI to connect to QuickBooks from Google Cloud Data Fusion, enabling the integration of live QuickBooks data into the building and management of effective data pipelines.

Google Cloud Data Fusion simplifies building and managing data pipelines by offering a visual interface to connect, transform, and move data across various sources and destinations, streamlining data integration processes. When combined with CData Connect AI, it provides access to QuickBooks data for building and managing ELT/ETL data pipelines. This article explains how to use CData Connect AI to create a live connection to QuickBooks and how to connect and access live QuickBooks data from the Cloud Data Fusion platform.

About QuickBooks Data Integration

CData simplifies access and integration of live QuickBooks data. Our customers leverage CData connectivity to:

  • Access both local and remote company files.
  • Connect across editions and regions: QuickBooks Premier, Professional, Enterprise, and Simple Start edition 2002+, as well as Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and UK editions from 2003+.
  • Use SQL stored procedures to perform actions like voiding or clearing transactions, merging lists, searching entities, and more.

Customers regularly integrate their QuickBooks data with preferred tools, like Power BI, Tableau, or Excel, and integrate QuickBooks data into their database or data warehouse.


Getting Started


Configure QuickBooks Connectivity for Cloud Data Fusion

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

  1. Log into Connect AI, click Sources, and then click Add Connection
    2. Adding a Connection
  2. Select "QuickBooks" from the Add Connection panel
    3. Selecting a data source
  3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to QuickBooks.

    QuickBooks runs on-premises, so Connect AI requires the Connect Gateway to reach it. Install and start the gateway on the same machine (or network) as QuickBooks, then set the URL connection property to the Remote Connector address (e.g., http://remotehost:8166) and enter your User and Password.

    Configuring a connection (Salesforce is shown)
  4. Click Save & Test
  5. Navigate to the Permissions tab in the Add QuickBooks Connection page and update the User-based permissions. Updating 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. Creating a new PAT
  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 QuickBooks data from Cloud Data Fusion.

Connecting to QuickBooks from Cloud Data Fusion

Follow these steps to establish a connection from Cloud Data Fusion to QuickBooks through the CData Connect AI JDBC driver:

  1. Download and install the CData Connect AI JDBC driver:
    1. Open the Integrations page of CData Connect AI.
    2. Search for and select JDBC.
    3. Download and run the setup file.
    4. When the installation is complete, copy the JAR file(cdata.jdbc.connect.jar) from the installation directory (e.g., C:\Program Files\CData\JDBC Driver for CData Connect\lib).
  2. Log into Cloud Data Fusion.
  3. Click the green "+" button at the top right to add an entity.
  4. Under Driver, click Upload. Upload the driver JAR file
  5. Now, upload the CData Connect AI JDBC driver (JAR file).
  6. Enter the driver settings:
    • Name: Enter the name of the driver
    • Class name: Enter "cdata.jdbc.connect.ConnectDriver"
    • Version: Enter the driver version
    • Description (optional): Enter a description for the driver Enter the driver settings
  7. Click on Finish.
  8. Enter source configuration settings:
    • Label: Helps to identify the connection
    • JDBC driver name: Enter the JDBC driver name to identify the driver configured in Step 6.
    • Connection string: Enter the JDBC connection string, for example: 
      jdbc:connect:AuthScheme=Basic;user=username;password=PAT;
    • User: Enter your CData Connect AI username, 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. Enter the source configuration settings
  9. Click Validate in the top right corner.
  10. If the connection is successful, you can manage the pipeline by editing it through the UI. Build and manage the pipeline in the UI
  11. Run the pipepline created. Run the pipeline

Troubleshooting

Please be aware that there is a known issue in Cloud Data Fusion where "int" types from source data are automatically cast as "long".

Live Access to QuickBooks Data from Cloud Applications

Now you have a direct connection to live QuickBooks data from from Google Cloud Data Fusion. You can create more connections to ensure a smooth movement of data across various sources and destinations, thereby streamlining data integration processes - all without replicating QuickBooks data.

To get real-time data access to hundreds of SaaS, Big Data, and NoSQL sources (including QuickBooks) directly from your cloud applications, explore the CData Connect AI.

Ready to get started?

Learn more about CData Connect AI or sign up for free trial access:

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