Visualize Sage X3 Cloud Data in Tableau

The CData ODBC Driver for Sage X3 Cloud enables you to access live Sage X3 Cloud data in business intelligence tools like Tableau. In this article, you will integrate Sage X3 Cloud data into a dashboard that reflects changes to Sage X3 Cloud data in real time.

The CData ODBC drivers offer unmatched performance for interacting with live Sage X3 Cloud data in Tableau due to optimized data processing built into the driver. When you issue complex SQL queries from Tableau 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 Tableau 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.

Add Sage X3 Cloud Data to a Dashboard

1. Click Connect to Data -> More Servers -> Other Databases (ODBC).
   Select the CData Data Source Name (for example: CData SageX3Cloud 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 BPCUSTOMER 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 BPCNUM 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 BPCNAM column in the Measures field onto the Detail and Color buttons. Tableau executes the following query:

   
   SELECT BPCNUM, SUM(BPCNAM) FROM BPCUSTOMER GROUP BY BPCNUM
   

   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 BPCNAM 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 Sage X3 Cloud, you get live connectivity to your Sage X3 Cloud data, allowing you to build real-time charts, graphs, and more.