Import ServiceDesk Plus Data into the Power BI Service for Visualizations

Power BI transforms your company's data into rich visuals for you to collect and organize so you can focus on what matters to you. When paired with CData Connect AI, you get access to ServiceDesk Plus data for visualizations, dashboards, and more. This article shows how to connect to ServiceDesk Plus in CData Connect AI, publish a dataset from Power BI Desktop to the Power BI Service and then create reports on ServiceDesk Plus data in the Power BI service.

Configure ServiceDesk Plus Connectivity for Power BI Service

Connectivity to ServiceDesk Plus from Power BI Service is made possible through CData Connect AI. To work with ServiceDesk Plus data from Power BI Service, we start by creating and configuring a ServiceDesk Plus connection.

1. Log into Connect AI, click Sources, and then click Add Connection

2. Select "ServiceDesk Plus" from the Add Connection panel

3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to ServiceDesk Plus.

   Using OAuth Authentication

   ServiceDeskPlus uses Zoho OAuth 2.0 for secure authentication. To set up OAuth access:

   1. Register your application in the Zoho Developer Console at https://api-console.zoho.com
   2. Configure your redirect URI to match your application setup
   3. Note your Client ID and Client Secret from the application settings

   After setting the following connection properties, you are ready to connect:

   • AuthScheme: Set this to OAuth.
   • OAuthClientId: Set this to your Zoho application Client ID.
   • OAuthClientSecret: Set this to your Zoho application Client Secret.
   • Scope: Set this to the required ServiceDeskPlus permissions (default includes read access to requests, problems, assets, and projects).
   • Domain: Set this to your ServiceDeskPlus domain
   • Portal: Set this to your ServiceDeskPlus portal

   Example Connection String

   Profile=C:\profiles\ServiceDeskPlus.apip;ProfileSettings="Portal=itdesk;Domain=.in;Scope=SDPOnDemand.requests.READ SDPOnDemand.problems.READ SDPOnDemand.assets.READ SDPOnDemand.projects.READ";AuthScheme=OAuth;OAuthClientId=your_client_id;OAuthClientSecret=your_client_secret;
   

   
4. Click Save & Test
5. Navigate to the Permissions tab in the Add ServiceDesk Plus Connection page and update the User-based permissions.

With the connection configured, you are ready to connect to ServiceDesk Plus data from the Power BI service.

Publish a Dataset from Power BI Desktop

Once you connect to ServiceDesk Plus in Connect AI, you can create a dataset in Power BI desktop and publish the dataset to the Power BI service.

1. Open Power BI Desktop and click Get Data -> Online Services -> CData Connect AI and click "Connect"
2. Click "Sign in" and authenticate with your CData Connect AI account
3. After signing in, click "Connect"
4. Select tables in the Navigator dialog
5. Click Load to establish the connection to your ServiceDesk Plus data from Power BI

6. Define any relationships between the selected entities on the Relationships tab.
7. Click Publish (from the Home menu) and select a Workspace.

Build Reports and Dashboards on ServiceDesk Plus Data in the Power BI Service

Now that you have published a dataset to the Power BI service, you can create new reports and dashboards based on the published data:

1. Log in to PowerBI.com.
2. Click Workspaces and select a workspace.
3. Click Create and select Report.
4. Select the published dataset for the report.
5. Choose fields and visualizations to add to your report.

Live Access to ServiceDesk Plus Data from Cloud Applications

Now you have a direct connection to live ServiceDesk Plus data from the Power BI service. You can create more data sources and new visualizations, build reports, and more — all without replicating ServiceDesk Plus data.

To get live data access to hundreds of SaaS, Big Data, and NoSQL sources directly from your cloud applications, sign up for a free trial of CData Connect AI.