How to load Sage 50 UK data into Elasticsearch via Logstash

Elasticsearch is a popular distributed full-text search engine. By centrally storing data, you can perform ultra-fast searches, fine-tuning relevance, and powerful analytics with ease. Elasticsearch has a pipeline tool for loading data called "Logstash". You can use CData JDBC Drivers to easily import data from any data source into Elasticsearch for search and analysis.

This article explains how to use the CData JDBC Driver for Sage 50 UK to load data from Sage 50 UK into Elasticsearch via Logstash.

Using CData JDBC Driver for Sage 50 UK with Elasticsearch Logstash

• Install the CData JDBC Driver for Sage 50 UK on the machine where Logstash is running.
• The JDBC Driver will be installed at the following path (the year part, e.g. 20XX, will vary depending on the product version you are using). You will use this path later. Place this .jar file (and the .lic file if it's a licensed version) in Logstash.
  C:\Program Files\CData\CData JDBC Driver for Sage50UK 20XX\lib\cdata.jdbc.sage50uk.jar
  
• Next, install the JDBC Input Plugin, which connects Logstash to the CData JDBC driver. The JDBC Plugin comes by default with the latest version of Logstash, but depending on the version, you may need to add it.
  https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/logstash/5.4/plugins-inputs-jdbc.html
• Move the CData JDBC Driver’s .jar file and .lic file to Logstash's "/logstash-core/lib/jars/".

Sending Sage 50 UK data to Elasticsearch with Logstash

Now, let's create a configuration file for Logstash to transfer Sage 50 UK data to Elasticsearch.

• Write the process to retrieve Sage 50 UK data in the logstash.conf file, which defines data processing in Logstash. The input will be JDBC, and the output will be Elasticsearch. The data loading job is set to run at 30-second intervals.
• Set the CData JDBC Driver's .jar file as the JDBC driver library, configure the class name, and set the connection properties to Sage 50 UK in the form of a JDBC URL. The JDBC URL allows detailed configuration, so please refer to the product documentation for more specifics.

Note: Only Sage 50 UK 2012 and above are supported.

The User and Password properties, under the Connection section, must be set to valid Sage 50 UK user credentials. These values will be the same used to log in to the Sage 50 UK software.

Additionally, the URL property, under the Connection section, will need to be set to the address of the company dataset desired. To obtain the address, do the following:

1. If you have not already done so, open the Sage 50 UK software.
2. Click Tools -> Internet Options.
3. Select the SData Settings tab.
4. Click the Details button next to Sage 50 Accounts. A window is displayed containing a list of company names along with the address to their corresponding datasets.
5. Set the URL property to the value in the address field next to the company desired.

Executing data movement with Logstash

Now let's run Logstash using the created "logstash.conf" file.

A log indicating success will appear. This means the Sage 50 UK data has been loaded into Elasticsearch.

For example, let's view the data transferred to Elasticsearch in Kibana.

    GET sage50uk_table/_search
    {
        "query": {
            "match_all": {}
        }
    }

We have confirmed that the data is stored in Elasticsearch.

By using the CData JDBC Driver for Sage 50 UK with Logstash, it functions as a Sage 50 UK connector, making it easy to load data into Elasticsearch. Please try the 30-day free trial.