Tableau Connector for Microsoft Project

Build 25.0.9434

Configuring a Connection

After Installing the Connector you can connect and create a Data Source for data in Microsoft Project.

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 Microsoft Project 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 Microsoft Project 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 Microsoft Project

To connect to the Microsoft Project data source, set these connection properties:

  • URL: A valid Microsoft Project Web App URL, such as http://contoso.com/sites/pwa/.
  • Schema: Either ODataV1 or ODataV2 (default). While ODataV2 can be used for full CRUD operations, ODataV1, which provides more granular data and exposes the custom fields, is superior for reporting purposes. For more information about the available functionality in each Schema, see Data Model.
  • ProjectId (optional): If the Schema is ODataV2, you can use this property to specify a default Project Id for all the operations that require one.

Authenticating to Microsoft Project

There are several authentication methods available for connecting to Microsoft Project, including the SharePoint Online Cookie Service, ADFS, OAuth, and SSO. The supported SSO identity providers are Azure AD, OneLogin, and OKTA.

SharePoint Online Cookie Service

To use your login credentials to connect to Microsoft Project on SharePoint Online, set the AuthScheme to SharePointOnlineCookies, User to your user login, and Password to your user login password.

OAuth

To enable this authentication from all Microsoft Project OAuth flows, you must create a custom OAuth application, and set AuthScheme to OAuth.

The following subsections describe how to authenticate to Microsoft Project from three common authentication flows. For information about how to create a custom OAuth application, see Creating a SharePoint Add-in (Legacy OAuth Model). For a complete list of connection string properties available in Microsoft Project, see Connection.

Desktop Applications

To authenticate with the credentials for a custom OAuth application, you must get and refresh the OAuth access token. After you do that, you are ready to connect.

Get and refresh the OAuth access token:

When you connect, the connector opens Microsoft Project's OAuth endpoint in your default browser. Log in and grant permissions to the application.

After you grant permissions to the application, the connector completes the OAuth process:

  1. The connector obtains an access token from Microsoft Project and uses it to request data.
  2. The OAuth values are saved in the path specified in OAuthSettingsLocation. These values persist across connections.

When the access token expires, the connector refreshes it automatically.

Automatic refresh of the OAuth access token:

To have the connector automatically refresh the OAuth access token:

  1. Before connecting to data for the first time, set these connection parameters:
  2. On subsequent data connections, set:

Manual refresh of the OAuth access token:

The only value needed to manually refresh the OAuth access token is the OAuth refresh token.

  1. To manually refresh the OAuthAccessToken after the ExpiresIn period (returned by GetOAuthAccessToken) has elapsed, call the RefreshOAuthAccessToken stored procedure.
  2. Set these connection properties:

  3. Call RefreshOAuthAccessToken with OAuthRefreshToken set to the OAuth refresh token returned by GetOAuthAccessToken.
  4. After the new tokens have been retrieved, set the OAuthAccessToken property to the value returned by RefreshOAuthAccessToken. This opens a new connection.

Store the OAuth refresh token so that you can use it to manually refresh the OAuth access token after it has expired.

Headless Machines

If you need to log in to a resource that resides on a headless machine, you must authenticate on another device that has an internet browser. You can do this in either of the following ways:

  • Option 1: Obtain the OAuthVerifier value.
  • Option 2: Install the connector on a machine with an internet browser and transfer the OAuth authentication values after you authenticate through the usual browser-based flow.

After you execute either Option 1 or Option 2, configure the driver to automatically refresh the access token on the headless machine.

Option 1: Obtaining and Exchanging a Verifier Code

To obtain a verifier code, you must authenticate at the OAuth authorization URL as follows:

  1. Authenticate from the machine with an internet browser, and obtain the OAuthVerifier connection property.

    Set these properties:

  2. Call the GetOAuthAuthorizationURL stored procedure. The stored procedure returns the CallbackURL established when the custom OAuth application was registered. (See Creating a SharePoint Add-in (Legacy OAuth Model).)

    Copy this URL and paste it into a new browser tab.

  3. Log in and grant permissions to the connector. The OAuth application redirects you the redirect URI, with a parameter called code appended. Note the value of this parameter; you will need it later, to configure the OAuthVerifier connection property.

  4. Exchange the OAuth verifier code for OAuth refresh and access tokens. On the headless machine, to obtain the OAuth authentication values, set these properties:

  5. Test the connection to generate the OAuth settings file.

  6. You are ready to connect after you re-set these properties:

    • InitiateOAuth: REFRESH.
    • OAuthSettingsLocation: The file containing the encrypted OAuth authentication values. To enable the automatic refreshing of the access token, be sure that this file gives read and write permissions to the connector.
    • OAuthClientId: The client Id assigned when you registered your application.
    • OAuthClientSecret: The client secret assigned when you registered your application.

Option 2: Transferring OAuth Settings

Prior to connecting on a headless machine, you must install and create a connection with the driver on a device that supports an internet browser. Set the connection properties as described above in "Desktop Applications".

After completing the instructions in "Desktop Applications", the resulting authentication values are encrypted and written to the path specified by OAuthSettingsLocation. The default filename is OAuthSettings.txt.

Test the connection to generate the OAuth settings file, then copy the OAuth settings file to your headless machine.

To connect to data via the headless machine, set these connection properties:

  • InitiateOAuth: REFRESH
  • OAuthSettingsLocation: The path to the OAuth settings file you copied from the machine with the browser. To enable automatic refreshing of the access token, ensure that this file gives read and write permissions to the connector.
  • OAuthClientId: The client Id assigned when you registered your custom OAuth application.
  • OAuthClientSecret: The client secret assigned when you registered your custom OAuth application.

ADFS

To connect to ADFS, set the AuthScheme to ADFS, and set these properties:

Example connection string: 

AuthScheme=ADFS;User=username;Password=password;SSOLoginURL='https://sts.company.com';

Supported SSO Providers

Okta

To connect to Okta, set the AuthScheme to Okta, and set these properties:

If you are using a trusted application or proxy that overrides the Okta client request OR configuring MFA, you must use combinations of SSOProperties to authenticate using Okta. Set any of the following, as applicable:

  • APIToken: When authenticating a user via a trusted application or proxy that overrides the Okta client request context, set this to the API Token the customer created from the Okta organization.
  • MFAType: If you have configured the MFA flow, set this to one of the following supported types: OktaVerify, Email, or SMS.
  • MFAPassCode: If you have configured the MFA flow, set this to a valid passcode.
    If you set this to empty or an invalid value, the connector issues a one-time password challenge to your device or email. After the passcode is received, reopen the connection where the retrieved one-time password value is set to the MFAPassCode connection property.
  • MFARememberDevice: True by default. Okta supports remembering devices when MFA is required. If remembering devices is allowed according to the configured authentication policies, the connector sends a device token to extend MFA authentication lifetime. If you do not want MFA to be remembered, set this variable to False.

Example connection string: 

AuthScheme=Okta;SSOLoginURL='https://example.okta.com/home/appType/0bg4ivz6cJRZgCz5d6/46';User=oktaUserName;Password=oktaPassword;

OneLogin

To connect to OneLogin, set the AuthScheme to OneLogin, and set these properties:

  • User: The OneLogin user.
  • Password: The OneLogin user's password.

To authenticate to OneLogin, set these SSOProperties:

  • OAuthClientId: The OAuthClientId, which can be obtained by selecting Developers > API Credentials > Credential > ClientId.
  • OAuthClientSecret: The OAuthClientSecret, which can be obtained by selecting Developers > API Credentials > Credential > ClientSecret.
  • Subdomain: The subdomain of the OneLogin user accessing the SSO application. For example, if your OneLogin URL is splinkly.onelogin.com, splinkly is the subdomain value.
  • AppId: The Id of the SSO application.
  • Region (optional): The region your OneLogin account resides in. Legal values are US (default) or EU.

The following example connection string uses an API key to connect to OneLogin: 

AuthScheme=OneLogin;User=OneLoginUserName;Password=OneLoginPassword;SSOProperties='OAuthClientID=3fc8394584f153ce3b7924d9cd4f686443a52b;OAuthClientSecret=ca9257fd5cc3277abb5818cea28c06fe9b3b285d73d06;Subdomain=OneLoginSubDomain;AppId=1433920';

Azure AD

To authenticate using Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory), set the AuthScheme to AzureAD. This method allows the connector to access your Project Web App (PWA) data through SharePoint Online on behalf of a signed-in user using delegated OAuth permissions.

You must create a custom OAuth application in the Azure Portal and configure it with a redirect URI and the necessary delegated permissions. For complete setup instructions, see Creating a Custom Entra ID (Azure AD) Application.

After registering the application, set the following connection properties:

  • AuthScheme: AzureAD
  • InitiateOAuth: GETANDREFRESH
  • OAuthClientId: The client Id assigned when you registered your custom OAuth application.
  • OAuthClientSecret: The client secret assigned when you registered your custom OAuth application.
  • URL: The project's web app URL.
  • CallbackURL: (optional) The redirect URI that was defined when you registered your application. For example, http://localhost:33333 (or your configured redirect URI)
  • AzureTenant: (optional) The Directory (tenant) ID
If you do not set a custom Scope, the connector automatically generates default scopes based on the URL: 
https://yourtenant.sharepoint.com/ProjectWebApp.FullControl
https://yourtenant.sharepoint.com/AllSites.FullControl
You can override these by setting a custom Scope value

For example: 

AuthScheme=AzureAD;
InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH;
OAuthClientId=xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx;
OAuthClientSecret=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx;
CallbackURL=http://localhost:33333;
URL=https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/pwa/;
AzureTenant=xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx;
Scope=https://contoso.sharepoint.com/ProjectWebApp.FullControl https://contoso.sharepoint.com/AllSites.Read

Next Step

See Using the Connector to create data visualizations.

Copyright (c) 2025 CData Software, Inc. - All rights reserved.
Build 25.0.9434