Query ServiceNow Data in DataGrip



Create a Data Source for ServiceNow in DataGrip and use SQL to query live ServiceNow data.

DataGrip is a database IDE that allows SQL developers to query, create, and manage databases. When paired with the CData JDBC Driver for ServiceNow, DataGrip can work with live ServiceNow data. This article shows how to establish a connection to ServiceNow data in DataGrip.

About ServiceNow Data Integration

CData simplifies access and integration of live ServiceNow data. Our customers leverage CData connectivity to:

  • Get optimized performance since CData uses the REST API for data and the SOAP API for schema.
  • Read, write, update, and delete ServiceNow objects like Schedules, Timelines, Questions, Syslogs and more.
  • Use SQL stored procedures for actions like adding items to a cart, submitting orders, and downloading attachments.
  • Securely authenticate with ServiceNow, including basic (username and password), OKTA, ADFS, OneLogin, and PingFederate authentication schemes.

Many users access live ServiceNow data from preferred analytics tools like Tableau, Power BI, and Excel, and use CData solutions to integrate ServiceNow data with their database or data warehouse.


Getting Started


Create a New Driver Definition for ServiceNow

The steps below describe how to create a new Data Source in DataGrip for ServiceNow.

  1. In DataGrip, click File -> New > Project and name the project
  2. In the Database Explorer, click the plus icon () and select Driver.
  3. In the Driver tab:
    • Set Name to a user-friendly name (e.g. "CData ServiceNow Driver")
    • Set Driver Files to the appropriate JAR file. To add the file, click the plus (), select "Add Files," navigate to the "lib" folder in the driver's installation directory and select the JAR file (e.g. cdata.jdbc.servicenow.jar).
    • Set Class to cdata.jdbc.servicenow.ServiceNow.jar
    Additionally, in the advanced tab you can change driver properties and some other settings like VM Options, VM environment, VM home path, DBMS, etc
    • For most cases, change the DBMS type to "Unknown" in Expert options to avoid native SQL Server queries (Transact-SQL), which might result in an invalid function error
  4. Click "Apply" then "OK" to save the Connection

Configure a Connection to ServiceNow

  1. Once the connection is saved, click the plus (), then "Data Source" then "CData ServiceNow Driver" to create a new ServiceNow Data Source.
  2. In the new window, configure the connection to ServiceNow with a JDBC URL.

    Built-in Connection String Designer

    For assistance in constructing the JDBC URL, use the connection string designer built into the ServiceNow JDBC Driver. Either double-click the JAR file or execute the jar file from the command-line.

    java -jar cdata.jdbc.servicenow.jar

    Fill in the connection properties and copy the connection string to the clipboard.

    ServiceNow uses the OAuth 2.0 authentication standard. To authenticate using OAuth, you will need to register an OAuth app with ServiceNow to obtain the OAuthClientId and OAuthClientSecret connection properties. In addition to the OAuth values, you will need to specify the Instance, Username, and Password connection properties.

    See the "Getting Started" chapter in the help documentation for a guide on connecting to ServiceNow.

  3. Set URL to the connection string, e.g., jdbc:servicenow:OAuthClientId=MyOAuthClientId;OAuthClientSecret=MyOAuthClientSecret;Username=MyUsername;Password=MyPassword;URL=https://myinstance12345.service-now-com;InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH
  4. Click "Apply" and "OK" to save the connection string

At this point, you will see the data source in the Data Explorer.

Execute SQL Queries Against ServiceNow

To browse through the ServiceNow entities (available as tables) accessible through the JDBC Driver, expand the Data Source.

To execute queries, right click on any table and select "New" -> "Query Console."

In the Console, write the SQL query you wish to execute. For example: SELECT sys_id, priority FROM incident

Download a free, 30-day trial of the CData JDBC Driver for ServiceNow and start working with your live ServiceNow data in DataGrip. Reach out to our Support Team if you have any questions.

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