Tableau Connector for Azure Table Storage

Build 24.0.9060

Configuring a Connection

After Installing the Connector you can connect and create a Data Source for data in Azure Table Storage.

Setting Up a Data Source

Complete the following steps to connect to the data:

  1. Under Connect | To a Server, click More....
  2. Select the data source called Azure Table Storage by CData.
  3. Enter the information required for the connection.
  4. Click Sign In.
  5. If necessary, select a Database and Schema to discover what tables and views are available.

Using the Connection Builder

The connector makes the most common connection properties available directly in Tableau. However, it can be difficult to use if you need to use more advanced settings or need to troubleshoot connection issues. The connector includes a separate connection builder that allows you to create and test connections outside of Tableau.

There are two ways to access the connection builder:

  • On Windows, use a shortcut called Connection Builder in the Start menu, under the CData Tableau Connector for Azure Table Storage folder.
  • You can also start the connection builder by going to the driver install directory and running the .jar file in the lib directory.

In the connection builder, you can set values for connection properties and click Test Connection to validate that they work. You can also use the Copy to Clipboard button to save the connection string. This connection string can be given to the Connection String option included in the connector connection window in Tableau.

Connecting to Azure Table Storage APIs

The driver will connect to the Azure Table Storage account specified by Account. By default, connections to the Azure Table Storage are secured via SSL, though this can be controlled through UseSSL. The authentication method to the Azure Table Storage is determined by the AuthScheme property.

Authenticating to Azure Table Storage

The following mechanisms may be used to authenticate.

Access Key

Set Account to the storage account name and set the AccessKey of the storage account to connect. Follow the steps below to obtain these values:

If using Storage as the Backend (default):

  1. Log into the Azure portal and select Storage Accounts in the services menu on the left.
  2. If you currently do not have any storage accounts, create one by clicking the Add button.
  3. Click the link for the storage account you want to use and select Access Keys under Settings. The Access Keys window contains the storage account name and key (you can use either key1 or key2 to connect) that you will need to use in the connector. These properties map to the Account and AccessKey connector connection properties respectively.

If using CosmosDB as the Backend:

  1. Log into the Azure portal and select Cosmos DB in the services menu on the left.
  2. Click the link for the Cosmos DB account you want to use and select Connection String under Settings. The Connection String window contains the Cosmos DB account name and primary key that you will need to use in the connector. These properties map to the Account and AccessKey connector connection properties respectively.

Shared Access Signature

Set Account to the storage account name and set the SharedAccessSignature to a valid signature of a resource to connect to. The SharedAccessSignature may be generated with a tool such as Azure Storage Explorer.

Typically when SharedAccessSignature is used, the specific table to work with must also be specified via the Tables connection property. If no table is specified, a table listing will be attemped, but may fail due to a lack of permissions.

Next Step

See Using the Connector to create data visualizations.

Copyright (c) 2024 CData Software, Inc. - All rights reserved.
Build 24.0.9060