How to Query Workday Data in MySQL Workbench



Execute MySQL queries against live Workday data from MySQL Workbench.

You can use the SQL Gateway from the ODBC Driver for Workday to query Workday data through a MySQL interface. Follow the procedure below to start the MySQL remoting service of the SQL Gateway 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


Connect to Workday Data

If you have not already done so, provide values for the required connection properties in the data source name (DSN). You can use the built-in Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator to configure the DSN. This is also the last step of the driver installation. See the "Getting Started" chapter in the help documentation for a guide to using the Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator to create and configure a DSN.

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.

Configure the SQL Gateway

See the SQL Gateway Overview to set up connectivity to Workday data as a virtual MySQL database. You will configure a MySQL remoting service that listens for MySQL requests from clients. The service can be configured in the SQL Gateway UI.

Creating a MySQL Remoting Service in SQL Gateway (Salesforce is shown)

Query Workday from MySQL Workbench

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

Connect to Workday through the SQL Gateway

  1. In MySQL Workbench, click to add a new MySQL connection.
  2. Name the connection (CData SQL Gateway for Workday).
  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.

NOTE: When we refer to Username and Password, we mean the credentials for the user(s) created for the SQL Gateway.

Query Workday Data

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

With access to live Workday data from MySQL Workbench, you can easily query and update Workday, just like you would a MySQL database. Get started now with a free, 30-day trial of the CData ODBC Driver for Workday and the CData SQL Gateway.

Ready to get started?

Download a free trial of the Workday ODBC Driver to get started:

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Learn more:

Workday Icon Workday ODBC Driver

The Workday ODBC Driver is a powerful tool that allows you to connect with live data from Workday, directly from any applications that support ODBC connectivity.

Access Workday data like you would a database - read, write, and update Workday Cash Management, Compensation, Financial Management, Payroll, etc. through a standard ODBC Driver interface.