Connect to and Query Sage X3 Cloud Data in QlikView over ODBC

The CData ODBC drivers expand your ability to work with data from hundreds of data sources. QlikView is a business discovery platform that provides self-service BI for all business users in an organization. This article outlines simple steps to connect to Sage X3 Cloud data using the CData ODBC driver and create data visualizations in QlikView.

The CData ODBC drivers offer unmatched performance for interacting with live Sage X3 Cloud data in QlikView due to optimized data processing built into the driver. When you issue complex SQL queries from QlikView to Sage X3 Cloud, the driver pushes supported SQL operations, like filters and aggregations, directly to Sage X3 Cloud 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 Sage X3 Cloud data using native QlikView data types.

Connect to Sage X3 Cloud 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.

Sage X3 Cloud uses the OAuth 2.0 Client Credentials flow, and an X-API-Key is also required for API access. Set AuthScheme to OAuth and specify the following connection properties:

• URL: The base URL of your Sage X3 Cloud instance.
• OAuthAccessTokenUrl: The OAuth token endpoint (e.g., https://your-auth-domain/oauth/token).
• OAuthClientId: Your OAuth application client ID.
• OAuthClientSecret: Your OAuth application client secret.
• Audience: The API audience value for the token request.
• XAPIKey: The X-API-Key provided by your Sage X3 Cloud administrator.
• Folder: The Sage X3 folder name (e.g., SEED). This folder is used as the default schema.
• Folders (optional): A comma-separated list of Sage X3 folders (e.g., SEED,PERF). Each folder is exposed as a separate schema, so you can query across folders with the Schema.Table syntax.

The driver obtains an access token with the Client Credentials flow and sends it with the X-API-Key on every API request. With InitiateOAuth set to GETANDREFRESH (the default), the driver acquires and refreshes the token automatically.

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.

Populate a Chart with Sage X3 Cloud Data

The steps below supply the results of an SQL query to a visualization in QlikView. In this article, you will create a bar chart with the query below:

SELECT BPCNUM, BPCNAM FROM BPCUSTOMER WHERE BPCNUM = 'MARTIN'

1. Click File -> Edit Script (or click the Edit Script button in the Toolbar).
2. On the Data tab, select ODBC in the Database menu and click Connect.
3. Select the DSN (CData SageX3Cloud Sys) in the resulting dialog. A command like the following is generated:

   
   ODBC CONNECT TO [CData SageX3Cloud Sys];
   

4. Enter the SQL query directly into the script with the SQL command (or click Select to build the query in the SELECT statement wizard).

   
   SQL SELECT BPCNUM, BPCNAM FROM BPCUSTOMER WHERE BPCNUM = 'MARTIN';
   

   Where possible, the SQL operations in the query, like filters and aggregations, will be pushed down to Sage X3 Cloud, while any unsupported operations (which can include SQL functions and JOIN operations) will be managed client-side by the CData SQL engine embedded in the driver.

   
5. Close the script editor and reload the document to execute the script.
6. Click Tools -> Quick Chart Wizard. In the wizard, select the chart type. This example uses a bar chart. When building the chart, you have access to the fields from Sage X3 Cloud, typed appropriately for QlikView, thanks to built-in dynamic metadata querying.
7. When defining Dimensions, select BPCNUM in the First Dimension menu.
8. When defining Expressions, click the summary function you want and select BPCNAM in the menu.

9. Finish the wizard to generate the chart. The CData ODBC Driver for Sage X3 Cloud connects to live Sage X3 Cloud data, so the chart can be refreshed to see real-time changes. Live connections are possible and effective, thanks to the high-performance data processing native to CData ODBC Drivers.