How to work with SurveyMonkey Data in Apache Spark using SQL

Apache Spark is a fast and general engine for large-scale data processing. When paired with the CData JDBC Driver for SurveyMonkey, Spark can work with live SurveyMonkey data. This article describes how to connect to and query SurveyMonkey data from a Spark shell.

The CData JDBC Driver offers unmatched performance for interacting with live SurveyMonkey data due to optimized data processing built into the driver. When you issue complex SQL queries to SurveyMonkey, the driver pushes supported SQL operations, like filters and aggregations, directly to SurveyMonkey and utilizes the embedded SQL engine to process unsupported operations (often SQL functions and JOIN operations) client-side. With built-in dynamic metadata querying, you can work with and analyze SurveyMonkey data using native data types.

Install the CData JDBC Driver for SurveyMonkey

Download the CData JDBC Driver for SurveyMonkey installer, unzip the package, and run the JAR file to install the driver.

Start a Spark Shell and Connect to SurveyMonkey Data

1. Open a terminal and start the Spark shell with the CData JDBC Driver for SurveyMonkey JAR file as the jars parameter: $ spark-shell --jars /CData/CData JDBC Driver for SurveyMonkey/lib/cdata.jdbc.surveymonkey.jar
2. With the shell running, you can connect to SurveyMonkey with a JDBC URL and use the SQL Context load() function to read a table.

   SurveyMonkey uses the OAuth 2 authentication standard. See the Getting Started section in the help documentation for a guide.

   Built-in Connection String Designer

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

   java -jar cdata.jdbc.surveymonkey.jar

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

   Configure the connection to SurveyMonkey, using the connection string generated above.

   scala> val surveymonkey_df = spark.sqlContext.read.format("jdbc").option("url", "jdbc:surveymonkey:OAuthClientId=MyOAuthClientId;OAuthClientSecret=MyOAuthClientSecret;CallbackURL=http://localhost:portNumber;").option("dbtable","MySurvey_Responses").option("driver","cdata.jdbc.surveymonkey.SurveyMonkeyDriver").load()
3. Once you connect and the data is loaded you will see the table schema displayed.

4. Register the SurveyMonkey data as a temporary table:

   scala> surveymonkey_df.registerTable("mysurvey_responses")

5. Perform custom SQL queries against the Data using commands like the one below:

   scala> surveymonkey_df.sqlContext.sql("SELECT RespondentId, ChoiceId FROM MySurvey_Responses WHERE ChoiceText = blue").collect.foreach(println)

   You will see the results displayed in the console, similar to the following:

Using the CData JDBC Driver for SurveyMonkey in Apache Spark, you are able to perform fast and complex analytics on SurveyMonkey data, combining the power and utility of Spark with your data. Download a free, 30 day trial of any of the 200+ CData JDBC Drivers and get started today.