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

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

CData Connect AI provides a pure MySQL, cloud-to-cloud interface for ZohoDesk, allowing you to easily query live ZohoDesk 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 ZohoDesk, leveraging server-side processing to quickly return ZohoDesk data.

Configure ZohoDesk Connectivity for NodeJS

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

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

2. Select "ZohoDesk" from the Add Connection panel

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

   To connect to Zoho Desk, register a Server-based Application in the Zoho Developer Console (accounts.zoho.com/developerconsole). Set the Authorized Redirect URI to https://oauth.cdata.com/oauth/. Note the Client Id and Client Secret. Then set the following:

   • OAuth Client Id: The Client Id from your Zoho Developer Console application.
   • OAuth Client Secret: The Client Secret from your Zoho Developer Console application.
   • Organization: (Optional) The Id of your Zoho Desk organization, found in the Organizations table.
   • Domain: (Optional) Your Zoho region domain — .com (default), .eu, .com.au, or .in.

   Click Sign In to complete OAuth authentication.

   
4. Click Save & Test
5. Navigate to the Permissions tab in the Add ZohoDesk 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 ZohoDesk data from Node.js.

Query ZohoDesk from Node.js

The following example shows how to define a connection and execute queries to ZohoDesk 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 ZohoDesk (API1)

Connect to ZohoDesk 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: 'API1'
	}
}

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

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