Visualize Live SFTP Data in Power BI (via CData Connect AI)

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 SFTP data for visualizations, dashboards, and more. This article shows how to use CData Connect to create a live connection to SFTP, connect to SFTP data from Power BI and then create reports on SFTP data in Power BI.

Configure SFTP Connectivity for Power BI

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

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

2. Select "SFTP" from the Add Connection panel

3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to SFTP.

   SFTP can be used to transfer files to and from SFTP servers using the SFTP Protocol. To connect, specify the RemoteHost;. service uses the User and Password and public key authentication (SSHClientCert). Choose an SSHAuthMode and specify connection values based on your selection.

   Set the following connection properties to control the relational view of the file system:

   • RemotePath: Set this to the current working directory.
   • TableDepth: Set this to control the depth of subfolders to report as views.
   • FileRetrievalDepth: Set this to retrieve files recursively and list them in the Root table.
   Stored Procedures are available to download files, upload files, and send protocol commands. See gdatamodel for more on using SQL to interact with the server.
   
4. Click Save & Test
5. Navigate to the Permissions tab in the Add SFTP Connection page and update the User-based permissions.

With the connection configured, you are ready to connect to SFTP data from Power BI.

Query SFTP Tables

Follow the steps below to build a query to pull SFTP data into the report:

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 SFTP data from Power BI

Create SFTP Data Visualizations

After connecting to the data into Power BI, you can create data visualizations in the Report view by dragging fields from the Fields pane onto the canvas. Select the dimensions and measures you wish to visualize along with the chart type.

Click Refresh to synchronize your report with any changes to the data.

Live Access to SFTP Data from Data Applications

With CData Connect AI you have a direct connection to SFTP data from Power BI. You can import more data, create new visualizations, build reports, and more — all without replicating SFTP data.

To get SQL data access to hundreds of SaaS, Big Data, and NoSQL sources (including SFTP) directly from your on-premise BI, reporting, ETL and other data applications, visit the CData Connect AI page and start a free trial.