Visualize RabbitMQ Data in Tableau

The CData ODBC Driver for RabbitMQ enables you to access live RabbitMQ data in business intelligence tools like Tableau. In this article, you will integrate RabbitMQ data into a dashboard that reflects changes to RabbitMQ data in real time.

The CData ODBC drivers offer unmatched performance for interacting with live RabbitMQ data in Tableau due to optimized data processing built into the driver. When you issue complex SQL queries from Tableau to RabbitMQ, the driver pushes supported SQL operations, like filters and aggregations, directly to RabbitMQ and utilizes the embedded SQL engine to process unsupported operations (often SQL functions and JOIN operations) client-side. With built-in dynamic metadata querying, you can visualize and analyze RabbitMQ data using native Tableau data types.

Connect to RabbitMQ as an ODBC Data Source

If you have not already, first specify connection properties in an ODBC DSN (data source name). This is the last step of the driver installation. You can use the Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator to create and configure ODBC DSNs.

About RabbitMQ Management HTTP API

RabbitMQ is an open-source message broker that supports multiple messaging protocols. The RabbitMQ Management HTTP API provides HTTP-based access to management and monitoring data for a RabbitMQ server. The API exposes information about virtual hosts, exchanges, queues, bindings, connections, channels, consumers, users, permissions, policies, and cluster-wide statistics.

The Management plugin must be enabled on the RabbitMQ server for the HTTP API to be available. By default, the management interface listens on port 15672.

Using Basic Authentication

RabbitMQ Management HTTP API uses HTTP Basic authentication. You must supply the username and password of a RabbitMQ management user.

To enable access to the management API:

1. Ensure the RabbitMQ Management plugin is enabled on your server (rabbitmq-plugins enable rabbitmq_management).
2. Use an existing management user or create one with the appropriate management tag (management, policymaker, monitoring, or administrator).
3. Note the full base URL of your RabbitMQ Management HTTP API (e.g., http://localhost:15672).

After configuring your RabbitMQ server, set the following connection properties to connect:

• AuthScheme: Set this to Basic.
• URL: Set this to the base URL of your RabbitMQ Management HTTP API (e.g., http://localhost:15672).
• User: Set this to your RabbitMQ management username (e.g., guest).
• Password: Set this to your RabbitMQ management password.

Example connection string:

Profile=C:\profiles\RabbitMQ.apip;AuthScheme=Basic;URL=http://localhost:15672;User=guest;Password=guest;

Available Tables

The RabbitMQ profile provides access to the following tables:

• Overview - Cluster-wide statistics and information about the RabbitMQ node
• Nodes - Information about individual nodes in the RabbitMQ cluster
• NodeMemory - Detailed memory usage breakdown for a specific cluster node
• Connections - List of all open AMQP connections to the broker
• Channels - List of all open AMQP channels across all connections
• Consumers - List of all consumers registered across all queues
• Exchanges - List of exchanges declared across all virtual hosts
• Queues - List of queues declared across all virtual hosts
• Bindings - List of all bindings between exchanges and queues
• VirtualHosts - List of virtual hosts configured on the broker
• VhostPermissions - User permissions within a specific virtual host
• Users - List of all RabbitMQ users
• Permissions - Permission records for all users across all virtual hosts
• TopicPermissions - Topic-level permission records for all users
• Policies - List of policies applied to queues and exchanges in virtual hosts
• OperatorPolicies - List of operator policies applied to queues in virtual hosts
• Parameters - List of component parameters (e.g., federation, shovel) per virtual host
• GlobalParameters - List of global parameters that apply across all virtual hosts
• VhostLimits - Resource limits configured for specific virtual hosts
• UserLimits - Resource limits configured for specific users
• FeatureFlags - List of feature flags and their enabled/disabled state on the node
• DeprecatedFeatures - List of deprecated features and their usage state
• AuthAttempts - Authentication attempt statistics for the node
• ClusterName - The name of the RabbitMQ cluster
• WhoAmI - Information about the currently authenticated management user
• ExchangeBindingsSource - Bindings for which a specific exchange is the source
• ExchangeBindingsDestination - Bindings for which a specific exchange is the destination
• QueueBindings - Bindings for a specific queue within a virtual host

When you configure the DSN, you may also want to set the Max Rows connection property. This will limit the number of rows returned, which is especially helpful for improving performance when designing reports and visualizations.

Add RabbitMQ Data to a Dashboard

1. Click Connect to Data -> More Servers -> Other Databases (ODBC).
   Select the CData Data Source Name (for example: CData API Source).
2. In the Database menu, select CData.
3. In the Table box, enter a table name or click New Custom SQL to enter an SQL query. This article retrieves the AuthAttempts table.
4. Drag the table onto the join area. At this point, you can include multiple tables, leveraging the built-in SQL engine to process complex data requests.
5. In the Connection menu, select the Live option, so that you skip loading a copy of the data into Tableau and instead work on real-time data. The optimized data processing native to CData ODBC drivers enables unmatched performance in live connectivity.
6. Click the tab for your worksheet. Columns are listed as Dimensions and Measures, depending on the data type. The CData driver discovers data types automatically, allowing you to leverage the powerful data processing and visualization features of Tableau.
7. Drop the column in the Dimensions pane onto the dashboard. When you select dimensions, Tableau builds a query to the driver. The results are grouped based on that dimension. In Tableau, the raw query is automatically modified as you select dimensions and measures.

8. Drag the column in the Measures field onto the Detail and Color buttons. Tableau executes the following query:

   SELECT , SUM() FROM AuthAttempts GROUP BY 
   

   When you select a measure, Tableau executes a command to the driver to calculate a summary function, such as SUM, AVG, etc., on the grouped values. The SQL engine (embedded within the driver) is leveraged to process the aggregation of the data, where needed, providing a seamless experience in Tableau, regardless of the data source.

   To change the summary function, open the menu and select the summary you want in the Measure command.

   

9. You can create other charts using dimensions and measures to build SQL queries visually:

   

With the CData ODBC Driver for RabbitMQ, you get live connectivity to your RabbitMQ data, allowing you to build real-time charts, graphs, and more.