Query Vertica Data as a SQL Server Database in Node.js

You can use CData Connect AI to query Vertica data through a SQL Server interface. Follow the procedure below to create a virtual database for Vertica in Connect AI and start querying using Node.js.

CData Connect AI provides a pure MySQL, cloud-to-cloud interface for Vertica, allowing you to easily query live Vertica data in Node.js — without replicating the data to a natively supported database. As you query data in Node.js, CData Connect AI pushes all supported SQL operations (filters, JOINs, etc) directly to Vertica, leveraging server-side processing to quickly return Vertica data.

Configure Vertica Connectivity for NodeJS

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

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

2. Select "Vertica" from the Add Connection panel

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

   Set the following connection properties to connect with Vertica.

   • Server: Enter the host name or the IP address of the server that hosts the Vertica database.
   • Port: Enter the port number for your Vertica database. The default port is 5433.
   • User: Enter the username that you use to authenticate to the Vertica database.
   • Password: Enter the password that you use to authenticate to the Vertica database.
   • Database: Enter the name of the database hosted on your Vertica server.
   
4. Click Save & Test
5. Navigate to the Permissions tab in the Add Vertica 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, you are ready to connect to Vertica data from Node.js.

Query Vertica from Node.js

The following example shows how to define a connection and execute queries to Vertica with the SQL Server module. You will need the following information:

• server: tds.cdata.com
• port: 14333
• user: a Connect AI user (e.g. [email protected])
• password: the PAT for the above user
• database: The connection you configured for Vertica (Vertica1)

Connect to Vertica data and start executing queries with the code below:

var sql = require('mssql')
var config = {
	server: 'tds.cdata.com',
	port: 14333, 
	user: '[email protected]', //update me
	password: 'CONNECT_USER_PAT', //update me	
	options: {
		encrypt: true,
		database: 'Vertica1'
	}
}

sql.connect(config, err => { 
    if(err){
        throw err ;
    }
    new sql.Request().query('SELECT * FROM MyTable', (err, result) => {
        console.dir(result)
    })
        
});

sql.on('error', err => {
    console.log("SQL Error: " ,err);
})