Query Workday Data in MySQL Workbench



Create a virtual MySQL database for Workday data in CData Connect (or Connect Server) and work with live Workday data in MySQL Workbench.

MySQL Workbench allows users to administer MySQL environments and gain better visibility into databases. When paired with CData Connect (on-premise or Connect Server), you get live access to Workday data as if it were a MySQL database. This article shows how to create a virtual database for Workday in Connect and work with live Workday data in MySQL Workbench.

About Workday Data Integration

CData provides the easiest way to access and integrate live data from Workday. Customers use CData connectivity to:

  • Access the tables and datasets you create in Prism Analytics Data Catalog, working with the native Workday data hub without compromising the fidelity of your Workday system.
  • Access Workday Reports-as-a-Service to surface data from departmental datasets not available from Prism and datasets larger than Prism allows.
  • Access base data objects with WQL, REST, or SOAP, getting more granular, detailed access but with the potential need for Workday admins or IT to help craft queries.

Users frequently integrate Workday with analytics tools such as Tableau, Power BI, and Excel, and leverage our tools to replicate Workday data to databases or data warehouses. Access is secured at the user level, based on the authenticated user's identity and role.

For more information on configuring Workday to work with CData, refer to our Knowledge Base articles: Comprehensive Workday Connectivity through Workday WQL and Reports-as-a-Service & Workday + CData: Connection & Integration Best Practices.


Getting Started


Create a Virtual MySQL Database for Workday Data

CData Connect uses a straightforward, point-and-click interface to connect to data sources and generate APIs.

  1. Login to Connect and click Connections.
  2. Select "Workday" from Available Data Sources.
  3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to Workday.

    To connect to Workday, users need to find the Tenant and BaseURL and then select their API type.

    Obtaining the BaseURL and Tenant

    To obtain the BaseURL and Tenant properties, log into Workday and search for "View API Clients." On this screen, you'll find the Workday REST API Endpoint, a URL that includes both the BaseURL and Tenant.

    The format of the REST API Endpoint is: https://domain.com/subdirectories/mycompany, where:

    • https://domain.com/subdirectories/ is the BaseURL.
    • mycompany (the portion of the url after the very last slash) is the Tenant.
    For example, in the REST API endpoint https://wd3-impl-services1.workday.com/ccx/api/v1/mycompany, the BaseURL is https://wd3-impl-services1.workday.com and the Tenant is mycompany.

    Using ConnectionType to Select the API

    The value you use for the ConnectionType property determines which Workday API you use. See our Community Article for more information on Workday connectivity options and best practices.

    APIConnectionType Value
    WQLWQL
    Reports as a ServiceReports
    RESTREST
    SOAPSOAP

    Authentication

    Your method of authentication depends on which API you are using.

    • WQL, Reports as a Service, REST: Use OAuth authentication.
    • SOAP: Use Basic or OAuth authentication.

    See the Help documentation for more information on configuring OAuth with Workday.

  4. Click Save Changes
  5. Click Privileges -> Add and add the new user (or an existing user) with the appropriate permissions.

With the virtual database created, you are ready to connect to Workday from MySQL Workbench.

Query Workday from MySQL Workbench

The steps below outline connecting to the virtual Workday database in Connect from MySQL Workbench and issuing basic queries to work with live Workday data.

Connect to Workday through Connect

  1. In MySQL Workbench, click to add a new MySQL connection.
  2. Name the connection (CData Connect).
  3. Set the Hostname, Port, and Username parameters to connect to the SQL Gateway.
  4. Click Store in Vault to set and store the password.
  5. Click Test Connection to ensure the connection is configured properly and click OK.

Query Workday Data

  1. Open the connection you just created (CData Connect).
  2. Click File -> New Query Tab.
  3. Write a SQL query to retrieve Workday data, like SELECT * FROM workdaydb.Workers;

With access to live Workday data from MySQL Workbench, you can easily query and update Workday, just like you would a MySQL database. Request a demo of the CData Connect and start working with Workday just like a MySQL database today.

Ready to get started?

Learn more or sign up for a free trial:

CData Connect Server