Configuring a Connection
After Installing the Connector you can connect and create a Data Source for data in Salesforce Marketing Cloud.
Setting Up a Data Source
Complete the following steps to connect to the data:
- Under Connect | To a Server, click More....
- Select the data source called Salesforce Marketing Cloud by CData.
- Enter the information required for the connection.
- Click Sign In.
- 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 Salesforce Marketing Cloud 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 Salesforce Marketing Cloud
For both REST and SOAP APIs, you have the option to refine data access using the following properties:
- Instance: The instance of the Salesforce Marketing Cloud API used. The default Instance is s7 of the Web Services API; however, you can use this property to specify a different instance.
- Subdomain: If the instance is greater than s10, you must also specify the subdomain.
REST API
To connect, set Schema to REST.The Salesforce Marketing Cloud REST API uses the OAuth authentication standard. To authenticate using OAuth, you must create a custom OAuth application to obtain values for the OAuthClientId and OAuthClientSecret connection properties. See Creating a Custom OAuth App for more information.
SOAP API
To connect, set Schema to SOAP.The Salesforce Marketing Cloud SOAP API can connect using OAuth, but also supports a legacy use of login credentials.
Note: Data extension objects in Salesforce Marketing Cloud are only accessible through the SOAP API.
Authenticating to Salesforce Marketing Cloud
User Accounts (OAuth)
Set the AuthScheme to OAUTH. Also, in all OAuth flows, set AccountId to the specific MID of the target business unit. NOTE: This is not available for legacy packages. The following OAuth sections assume that you have set both these connection properties.Desktop Apps
Follow the steps below to authenticate with the credentials for a custom OAuth application. See Creating a Custom OAuth App for information about custom OAuth applications. Get an OAuth Access TokenAfter setting the following, you are ready to connect:
- OAuthClientId: The Client Id in your application settings.
- OAuthClientSecret: The Client Secret in your application settings.
- CallbackURL: The Redirect URL in your application settings.
- InitiateOAuth: GETANDREFRESH. You can use InitiateOAuth to avoid repeating the OAuth exchange and manually setting the OAuthAccessToken.
- Extracts the access token from the callback URL and authenticates requests.
- Obtains a new access token when the old one expires.
- Saves OAuth values in OAuthSettingsLocation. These values persist across connections.
Headless Machines
To configure the driver to use OAuth with a user account on a headless machine, you need to authenticate on another device that has an internet browser.
- Choose one of two options:
- Option 1: Obtain the OAuthVerifier value as described in "Obtain and Exchange a Verifier Code" below.
- 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, as described in "Transfer OAuth Settings" below.
- Then configure the connector to automatically refresh the access token on the headless machine.
Option 1: Obtain and Exchange a Verifier Code
To obtain a verifier code, you must authenticate at the OAuth authorization URL.
Follow the steps below to authenticate from the machine with an Internet browser and obtain the OAuthVerifier connection property.
- Choose one of these options:
- If you are using the Embedded OAuth Application click Salesforce Marketing Cloud OAuth endpoint to open the endpoint in your browser.
- If you are using a custom OAuth application, create the Authorization URL by setting the following properties:
- InitiateOAuth: Set to OFF.
- OAuthClientId: Set to the client Id assigned when you registered your application.
- OAuthClientSecret: Set to the client secret assigned when you registered your application.
- Log in and grant permissions to the connector. You are then redirected to the callback URL, which contains the verifier code.
- Save the value of the verifier code. Later you will set this in the OAuthVerifier connection property.
On the headless machine, set the following connection properties to obtain the OAuth authentication values:
- InitiateOAuth: REFRESH.
- OAuthVerifier: The verifier code.
- OAuthClientId: (custom applications only) The Client Id in your custom OAuth application settings.
- OAuthClientSecret: (custom applications only) The Client Secret in the custom OAuth application settings.
- OAuthSettingsLocation: The location of the settings file where OAuth values are saved when you set InitiateOAuth to GETANDREFRESH or REFRESH. Alternatively, you can hold this location in memory by specifying a value starting with 'memory://'. When this connection property is set, the data persists across connections.
After the OAuth settings file is generated, you need to re-set the following properties to connect:
- InitiateOAuth: REFRESH.
- OAuthClientId: (custom applications only) The client Id assigned when you registered your application.
- OAuthClientSecret: (custom applications only) The client secret assigned when you registered your application.
- OAuthSettingsLocation: The location containing the encrypted OAuth authentication values. Make sure this location gives read and write permissions to the connector to enable the automatic refreshing of the access token.
Option 2: Transfer OAuth Settings
Prior to connecting on a headless machine, you need to create and install a connection with the driver on a device that supports an Internet browser. Set the connection properties as described in "Desktop Applications" above.
After completing the instructions in "Desktop Applications", the resulting authentication values are encrypted and written to the location specified by OAuthSettingsLocation. The default filename is OAuthSettings.txt.
Once you have successfully tested the connection, copy the OAuth settings file to your headless machine.
On the headless machine, set the following connection properties:
- OAuthClientId: (custom applications only) The client Id assigned when you registered your application.
- OAuthClientSecret: (custom applications only) The client secret assigned when you registered your application.
- OAuthSettingsLocation: The location of your OAuth settings file. Make sure this location gives read and write permissions to the connector to enable the automatic refreshing of the access token.
Server-to-Server (OAuthClient)
When creating an application in Salesforce Marketing Cloud, you can select server-to-server authentication. In this case, the application's permissions are configured directly in the Salesforce Marketing Cloud UI. As such, there is no user context and hence no browser-based login or permission grants. For this scheme, you must create your own credentials.Specify the following properties to enable server-to-server OAuth authentication for your application:
- AuthScheme: OAuthClient.
- InitiateOAuth: GETANDREFRESH.
- OAuthClientId: The client Id.
- OAuthClientSecret: The client secret.
- Subdomain: Specify the Salesforce Marketing Cloud API subdomain.
User/Password Accounts (Basic)
The Salesforce Marketing Cloud SOAP API can connect using either your login credentials or OAuth authentication. Note that this authentication scheme is not available for REST API-based applications.To connect to data using login credentials authentication, set the following:
- AuthScheme: Basic.
- User: The Salesforce Marketing Cloud user account.
- Password: The password used to authenticate the user.
- UseLegacyAuthentication: True.
Next Step
See Using the Connector to create data visualizations.