Create NetSuite SuiteAnalytics-Connected Applications in Appsmith

Appsmith is an open-source internal tool builder that allows teams to quickly and easily build a UI to help improve their business operations. When combined with CData Connect AI, you gain immediate access to NetSuite SuiteAnalytics data for business applications. This article outlines the process of connecting to NetSuite SuiteAnalytics using Connect AI and creating a basic application from NetSuite SuiteAnalytics data within Appsmith.

CData Connect AI offers a pure SQL Server, cloud-to-cloud interface for NetSuite SuiteAnalytics, enabling the creation of business applications directly from live NetSuite SuiteAnalytics data within Appsmith, all without the need for data replication to a native database. As you build applications, Appsmith generates SQL queries to gather data. With its inherent optimized data processing capabilities, CData Connect AI efficiently channels all supported SQL operations, including filters and JOINs, directly to NetSuite SuiteAnalytics. This leverages server-side processing to swiftly deliver the requested NetSuite SuiteAnalytics data.

Configure NetSuite SuiteAnalytics Connectivity for Appsmith

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

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

2. Select "NetSuite SuiteAnalytics" from the Add Connection panel

3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to NetSuite SuiteAnalytics.

   Prerequisites

   Before you can connect to NetSuite SuiteAnalytics, you must set up SuiteAnalytics Connect in your NetSuite account:

   1. Enable the Connect Service feature.

      1. Ensure that your Account Administrator has enabled your Account and Role with the Connect Service feature.

      2. Navigate to Setup > Company > Enable Features.

      3. Click the Analytics tab and check the SuiteAnalytics Connect box.

   2. Add the SuiteAnalytics Connect permission to an existing Role, and note the Role ID for later.

   3. Find the Settings portlet on your home page and click Set Up SuiteAnalytics Connect, then click Your Configuration to view your service host and account ID. These settings map directly to the Server and Account Id properties.

   Add the NetSuite SuiteAnalytics Connection

   1. Open the Sources page of the Connect Cloud dashboard.

   2. Click Add Connection and select NetSuite SuiteAnalytics from the list of connectors.

   3. Enter a Connection Name of your choice.

   Authenticate to NetSuite SuiteAnalytics

   Set the following required properties:

   • Server: The Service Host value you found when setting up SuiteAnalytics Connect.

   • Account Id: The Account ID value you found when setting up SuiteAnalytics Connect.

   • Role Id: The internal ID of the login role you granted the SuiteAnalytics Connect permission.

   Next, choose one of the supported authentication methods:

   Basic authentication

   • User: The username you use to authenticate to your NetSuite account.

   • Password: The password associated with that account.

   Token-based authentication

   • Consumer Key and Consumer Secret: Generated when you create your integration record in NetSuite.

   • Token Key and Token Secret: The access token and secret generated for that integration.

   After you enter your credentials, click Save & Test to validate the connection.

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

Add a Personal Access Token

When connecting to Connect AI through the REST API, the OData API, or the Virtual SQL Server, a Personal Access Token (PAT) is used to authenticate the connection to Connect AI. It is best practice to create a separate PAT for each service to maintain granularity of access.

1. Click on the Gear icon () at the top right of the Connect AI app to open the settings page.
2. On the Settings page, go to the Access Tokens section and click Create PAT.
3. Give the PAT a name and click Create.
4. The personal access token is only visible at creation, so be sure to copy it and store it securely for future use.

With the connection configured and a PAT generated, we are ready to connect to NetSuite SuiteAnalytics data from Appsmith.

Create an Appsmith Application from live NetSuite SuiteAnalytics Data

To establish a connection from Appsmith to the CData Connect AI Virtual SQL Server, follow these steps:

Connect to NetSuite SuiteAnalytics in Appsmith

1. Log in to your Appsmith instance and create a new application.
2. In the new application, open the Data page and select Bring your data.
3. On this page, you can search for Microsoft SQL Server and select it as your data source.
4. Enter a name for the new data source and then enter the following connection settings:
   • Host address: tds.cdata.com
   • Port: 14333
   • Database name: enter the Connection Name of the CData Connect AI data source you want to connect to (for example, SuiteAnalytics1).
   • Username: enter your CData Connect AI username. This is displayed in the top-right corner of the CData Connect AI interface. For example, [email protected].
   • Password: enter the PAT you previously generated.
   
5. Click Test configuration to confirm a successful connection, then click Save to save the datasource.

Create a new query

With a connection configured to a datasource, we can add a SQL query to actually retrieve data from the data source.

1. On the screen with the new data source, click New Query.
2. This opens the Query Editor to enter a SQL query to select data. To assist with specifying a SQL query, use the Explorer of CData Connect AI to preview the SQL queries and the data you want to retrieve.
3. After creating the SQL query, return to the Query Editor in Appsmith and enter the SQL query, then click Run.
4. Once the query successfully runs, all that remains is to set up the Page to display the data retrieved.

Display NetSuite SuiteAnalytics data

1. Open the UI tab and click New UI element.
2. Choose a new UI element to grab, then drag and place the element on the page.
3. Click Connect data on the new UI element, then select the query previously created.
4. With the data connected, it is then displayed in the UI element.

Deploy the application

With the NetSuite SuiteAnalytics data connected to the UI elements in the application, we can deploy the Application. To do this, click Deploy in the top-right corner of Appsmith, then the application is opened in a separate window displaying the NetSuite SuiteAnalytics data.

Get CData Connect AI

To get live data access to hundreds of SaaS, Big Data, and NoSQL sources directly from your cloud applications, try CData Connect AI today!