Create Interactive Metabase Dashboards that Work with SAS xpt Data

Metabase is an open source data visualization tool that allows users to create interactive dashboards. When paired with CData Connect Server, users can easily create visualizations and dashboards linked to live SAS xpt data. This article describes how to create a virtual database for SAS xpt and build a simple visualization using SAS xpt data.

CData Connect provides a pure SQL interface for SAS xpt, allowing you to easily integrate with live SAS xpt data in Metabase — without replicating the data. Connect looks exactly like a MySQL database to Metabase and uses optimized data processing out of the box to push all supported SQL operations (filters, JOINs, etc) directly to SAS xpt, leveraging server-side processing to quickly return SAS xpt data.

Create a Virtual MySQL Database for SAS xpt Data

CData Connect Server uses a straightforward, point-and-click interface to connect to data sources and generate APIs.

1. Log into Connect Server and click Connections.
2. Select "SAS xpt" from Available Data Sources.
3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to SAS xpt.

   Connecting to Local SASXpt Files

   You can connect to local SASXpt file by setting the URI to a folder containing SASXpt files.

   Connecting to S3 data source

   You can connect to Amazon S3 source to read SASXpt files. Set the following properties to connect:

   • URI: Set this to the folder within your bucket that you would like to connect to.
   • AWSAccessKey: Set this to your AWS account access key.
   • AWSSecretKey: Set this to your AWS account secret key.
   • TemporaryLocalFolder: Set this to the path, or URI, to the folder that is used to temporarily download SASXpt file(s).

   Connecting to Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2

   You can connect to ADLS Gen2 to read SASXpt files. Set the following properties to connect:

   • URI: Set this to the name of the file system and the name of the folder which contacts your SASXpt files.
   • AzureAccount: Set this to the name of the Azure Data Lake storage account.
   • AzureAccessKey: Set this to our Azure DataLakeStore Gen 2 storage account access key.
   • TemporaryLocalFolder: Set this to the path, or URI, to the folder that is used to temporarily download SASXpt file(s).

4. Click Save Changes
5. Click Privileges -> Add and add the new user (or an existing user) with the appropriate permissions.

Connect to CData Connect from Metabase

After creating the virtual database, navigate to your Metabase instance. Use the MySQL interface to connect to CData Connect.

1. Navigate to the administration screen (Settings -> Admin) and click "Add Database" from the "Databases" tab
2. Configure the connection to CData Connect and click "Save"
   • Database type: Select "MySQL"
   • Name: Name the connection (e.g. "SAS xpt (CData Connect)")
   • Host: The URL of your Connect instance (e.g. https://CONNECT_SERVER_URL)
   • Port: The port of the MySQL endpoint for your Connect instance (e.g. 3306)
   • Database name: The name of the virtual database you just created (e.g. SAS xpt1)
   • Username: A CData Connect username
   • Password: The password for the above CData Connect user
   • Click to Use a secure connection (SSL)

Query SAS xpt Data with Metabase

Once you configure the connection to CData Connect, you can query SAS xpt and build visualizations.

1. Use the "Write SQL" tool to retrieve the SAS xpt data
2. Write a SQL query based on the virtual database, e.g.
   
   

   SELECT Id, Column1 FROM SampleTable_1 WHERE Column2 = '100'

3. Navigate to the "Visualization" screen, choose a visualization, and configure the visualization

More Information & Free Trial

At this point, you have built a simple visualization from SAS xpt data in Metabase. You can continue to work with live SAS xpt data in Metabase just like you would any MySQL database. For more information on creating a virtual MySQL database for SAS xpt (and more than 200 other data sources), visit the Connect Server page. Sign up for a free trial and start working with live SAS xpt data in Metabase today.