Getting Started with the CData ODBC Driver for Vercel

Complete guide to installing, licensing, and connecting with the CData ODBC Driver for Vercel.


This guide walks you through everything you need to get started with the CData ODBC Driver for Vercel. You'll learn how to install and license the driver, configure your first connection, and explore next steps for working with Vercel data in your applications.

Installation & Licensing

System Requirements

  • Windows: Windows 10/11 or Windows Server 2016+
  • Linux: Most modern distributions with UnixODBC

Installing the Driver

Windows Installation

  1. Download the ODBC driver installer from your CData account or the evaluation download page.
  2. Run the installer and follow the installation wizard.
  3. The installer will guide you through the setup process and automatically register the driver with the system.
  4. As part of the installation process, you will be prompted to input the license key in order to activate your license. You should have received your license key via email from the CData Orders Team. The license key looks like this: XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX.
    • Note: If you are running a trial, just select the Trial Key option.
  5. Both 32-bit and 64-bit drivers are included. Install both if you use applications with different architectures.

Linux Installation

  1. Ensure UnixODBC is installed: sudo apt-get install unixodbc unixodbc-dev (Debian/Ubuntu) sudo yum install unixODBC unixODBC-devel (RHEL/CentOS)
  2. Extract the driver package to /opt/cdata/
  3. The driver will be automatically registered in /etc/odbcinst.ini

Activating Your License

You should have received your license key via email from the CData Orders Team. The license key looks like this: XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX

Windows License Activation

Your license would typically be activated during installation. However, there are cases where you may need to activate it manually. The steps below walk you through manual activation:

  1. Open the ODBC driver application from the Start menu.
  2. Navigate to Help > Licensing
  3. Enter your license key in the provided field.
  4. Click Activate
  5. You should see "Licensed" status confirming successful activation.

Linux License Activation

  1. Navigate to the installation directory where you extracted the driver package. (i.e.cd /opt/cdata/cdata-odbc-driver-for-acumatica/bin/)
  2. Create a license file by running the following command sudo ./install-license.sh
  3. Replace with your actual license key.
  4. To activate a trial, omit the input.

Common Licensing Questions

Can I use my license on multiple machines?
Yes, depending on your subscription tier. Check your order confirmation or contact your account representative for details. If you are unsure of who your account representative is, contact [email protected].

I lost my license key. How do I retrieve it?
Email [email protected] with your order number, and we'll resend your license key.

Can I transfer my license to a different machine?
Yes. When transferring the license to a different machine, you will need to submit a License Transfer Request on our site linked below:

https://www.cdata.com/lic/transfer/

After the License Transfer Request is submitted and successfully processed, an activation will be added to your Product Key and you will be able to activate the full license on the other machine. Once this process is finished, the license on the previous machine will be invalid.

For additional licensing questions, contact [email protected]. Viewing and upgrading your license can now be done through our self-service portal at portal.cdata.com.


Connection Configuration

Once your driver is installed and licensed, you're ready to configure a connection to Vercel. The ODBC driver uses a DSN (Data Source Name) to store connection properties.

Creating a DSN

Windows: Using ODBC Data Source Administrator

  1. Open the ODBC Data Source Administrator (64-bit)
    Note: Use the 64-bit version for 64-bit applications and the 32-bit version for 32-bit applications.
    • Search for "ODBC" in the Windows Start menu
    • Or navigate to: Control Panel > Administrative Tools > ODBC Data Sources
  2. Click the System DSN or User DSN tab
    • System DSN: Available to all users on the machine (recommended for services)
    • User DSN: Available only to the current user
  3. Select CData API Driver for ODBC from the list, or click Add to create a new data source.
  4. Click OK or Finish to open the connection configuration dialog.

Linux: Editing Config Files (odbcinst.ini & odbc.ini)

  1. Register the Driver by adding the section below to the odbcinst.ini file.
  2. [CData API Driver for ODBC] Driver=/opt/cdata/cdata-odbc-driver-for-api/lib/libapiodbc.x64.so Description=CData API Driver for ODBC
  3. Save the file.
  4. Create the DSN by adding the entry below to the odbc.ini file:
  5. [CData Vercel Source] Driver=/opt/cdata/cdata-odbc-driver-for-api/lib/libapiodbc.x64.so ConnectionProperty1=Value1 ConnectionProperty2=Value2 Profile = C:\profiles\Vercel.apip AuthScheme = APIKey APIKey = your_access_token
  6. Save the file.

Configuring Connection Properties

Using API Key Authentication

Vercel uses Bearer token authentication. You can use either a personal access token or an OAuth access token as the API key.

To obtain a personal access token:

  1. Log into your Vercel account at https://vercel.com/
  2. Navigate to Account Settings > Tokens.
  3. Click Create Token, enter a name and expiration, and click Create.
  4. Copy the generated token (it will only be shown once).

After obtaining your token, set the following connection properties:

  • AuthScheme: Set this to APIKey.
  • APIKey: Set this to your Vercel personal access token or OAuth access token.

Example Connection String

Profile=C:\profiles\Vercel.apip;AuthScheme=APIKey;APIKey=your_access_token;

Working with Teams

Many Vercel resources are scoped to a team. To scope all requests to a specific team, set the TeamId connection property to your team's ID. You can find your team ID by querying the Teams table or from the Vercel dashboard. Alternatively, you can specify TeamId in your SQL queries using the WHERE clause where supported.

Connecting to Vercel

Once the authentication is configured, you can connect to Vercel and query data from any of the available tables such as Projects, Deployments, Teams, and Domains.


Testing Your Connection

  1. After entering your connection properties, click Test Connection.
  2. A successful test confirms:
    • Authentication credentials are correct.
    • Network connectivity is established.
    • Required permissions are in place.
  3. If the test fails, the error message will indicate what needs to be corrected.
  4. Click OK to save your DSN.

Common Connection Issues

Authentication Failed

Solution: Verify your credentials are current. For OAuth applications, you may need to authorize CData in your application's security settings. Contact [email protected] for authorization assistance.

Cannot Reach Server

Solution: Check firewall & proxy settings. Contact [email protected] for specific port requirements.

Table Not Found

Solution: Verify database and schema names. Use the Data Model tab in the DSN configuration to browse available tables.

Driver Not Found (Linux)

Solution: Verify the driver is correctly registered in odbcinst.ini. Contact [email protected] for further assistance.

For additional connection troubleshooting, contact [email protected] with your specific error message.


What's Next

Now that you have installed, licensed, and configured the driver, here are some scenarios you can use to explore our ODBC Drivers:

ODBC ClientArticle Title
Alteryx DesignerPrepare, Blend, and Analyze Vercel in Alteryx Designer (ODBC)
Clear AnalyticsBuild Charts with Vercel in Clear Analytics
DBxtraBuild Dashboards with Vercel in DBxtra
DomoCreate Datasets from Vercel in Domo Workbench
Dundas BIBuild Dashboards with Vercel in Dundas BI
IBM Cognos BICreate Data Visualizations in Cognos BI with Vercel
QlikViewConnect to and Query Vercel in QlikView over ODBC
RAnalyze Vercel in R (ODBC)
SASUse the CData ODBC Driver for Vercel in SAS for Real-Time Reporting and Analytics
SAS JMPUse the CData ODBC Driver for Vercel in SAS JMP
DB ArtisanConnect to Vercel in DBArtisan
MySQL WorkbenchQuery Vercel in MySQL Workbench (ODBC)
.NET QueryBuilderRapidly Develop Vercel-Driven Apps with Active Query Builder
C++BuilderDataBind Controls to Vercel Data in C++Builder
ColdFusionQuery Vercel in ColdFusion Using ODBC
DelphiDataBind Controls to Vercel Data in Delphi
Filemaker ProBidirectional Access to Vercel from FileMaker Pro
GoWrite a Simple Go Application to work with Vercel on Linux
Lazarus IDEEasily Integrate Vercel Data in Lazarus Pascal IDE
NodeJSQuery Vercel through ODBC in Node.js
PHPNatively Connect to Vercel in PHP
PyCharmUsing the CData ODBC Driver for Vercel in PyCharm
PythonConnect to Vercel in Python on Linux/UNIX
RubyConnect to Vercel in Ruby
VCL App (RAD Studio)Build a Simple VCL Application for Vercel
MySQL Federated TablesConnect to Vercel as Federated Tables in MySQL
Oracle DatabaseAccess Vercel as a Remote Oracle Database
SQL Server Linked ServersConnect to Vercel as a Linked Server
SQL Server PolyBaseConnect to Vercel as an External Data Source using PolyBase
FoxProWork with Vercel in FoxPro
UiPath StudioCreate an RPA Flow that Connects to Vercel in UiPath Studio
Blue PrismIntegrate Live Vercel Data for Intelligent Robotic Process Automation

Get Support

If you need assistance at any point:


FAQs

Installation & Licensing

  • Do I need administrator rights to install the driver?
    Yes, administrator rights are required for system-wide installation on Windows and Linux.
  • Can I install both 32-bit and 64-bit drivers on the same machine?
    Yes, both versions are installed by default.

Connecting

  • What's the difference between System DSN and User DSN?
    System DSNs are available to all users on a machine and are required for services. User DSNs are only available to the user who created them.
  • Can I use a DSN-less connection string instead of creating a DSN?
    Yes. Many applications support DSN-less connection strings. See the connection string example below:
    Driver={CData API Driver for ODBC};RequiredConnectionProperty1=Value1;RequiredConnectionProperty2=Value2;
  • How do I connect to multiple Vercel accounts?
    Create separate DSNs for each account, each with its own authentication credentials.
  • Can I connect through a proxy server?
    Yes. Configure proxy settings in your DSN connection properties. Refer to the Firewall & Proxy section in the help documentation for proxy configuration.

Performance & Troubleshooting

  • Why are my queries slow?
    Check the following:
    • Use caching for infrequently changing data. Refer to the Caching Data section in the help documentation for further details.
    • Add filters (WHERE clauses) to reduce result set size.
    • Contact [email protected] for query optimization assistance.
  • How do I enable logging for troubleshooting?
    Add the following to your DSN:
    • Logfile: /path/to/logfile.log
    • Verbosity: 3

    Be prepared to securely upload the log file upon request when reaching out to [email protected] for troubleshooting analysis.

  • What ports does the driver need access to?
    This depends on your data source. Most cloud applications use HTTPS (port 443). Contact [email protected] for specific firewall requirements.
  • Can I use the driver in a Linux container or Docker?
    Yes. Install the driver in your container image and configure your DSN in the container's /etc/odbc.ini file.

General

  • Where can I find the complete list of supported SQL operations?
    Refer to the SQL Compliance chapter in the help documentation for complete SQL reference.
  • How often is the driver updated?
    CData releases major version updates for our drivers annually. Check your account portal or contact [email protected] for the latest version.
  • Where can I find code examples for my programming language?
    Check the Using ODBC section of the help documentation for language-specific examples (Python, PHP, C#, etc.).

For questions not covered in this FAQ, contact [email protected].

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