Configuring a Connection
After Installing the Connector you can connect and create a Data Source for data in Google Data Catalog.
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 Google Data Catalog 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 Google Data Catalog 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 Google Data Catalog
Provide the following connection properties before adding the authentication properties.
- OrganizationId: The ID associated with the Google Cloud Platform organization resource you would like to connect to. Find this by navigating to the cloud console.
Open the Project drop-down menu and click the link to your organization from the list. The organization ID is displayed on this page. - ProjectId: The ID associated with the Google Cloud Platform project resource you would like to connect to.
Find this by navigating to the cloud console dashboard and selecting your project from the Select from drop-down menu. The project ID is displayed in the Project info card.
Authenticating to Google Data Catalog
The connector supports using user accounts, service accounts and GCP instance accounts for authentication.
The following sections discuss the available authentication schemes for Google Data Catalog:
- User Accounts (OAuth)
- Service Account (OAuthJWT)
- GCP Instance Account
User Accounts (OAuth)
AuthScheme must be set to OAuth in all user account flows.
Desktop Applications
CData provides an embedded OAuth application that simplifies OAuth desktop Authentication. Alternatively, you can create a custom OAuth application. See Creating a Custom OAuth App for information about creating custom applications and reasons for doing so.
For authentication, the only difference between the two methods is that you must set two additional connection properties when using custom OAuth applications.
After setting the following connection properties, you are ready to connect:
- InitiateOAuth: Set this to GETANDREFRESH, which instructs the connector to automatically attempt to get and refresh the OAuth access token.
- OAuthClientId: (custom applications only) Set this to the Client Id in your custom OAuth application settings.
- OAuthClientSecret: (custom applications only) Set this to the Client Secret in the custom OAuth application settings.
- Extracts the access token from the callback URL.
- Obtains a new access token when the old one expires.
- Saves OAuth values in OAuthSettingsLocation that 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 Google Data Catalog 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: Set this to REFRESH.
- OAuthVerifier: Set this to the verifier code.
- OAuthClientId: (custom applications only) Set this to the Client Id in your custom OAuth application settings.
- OAuthClientSecret: (custom applications only) Set this to the Client Secret in the custom OAuth application settings.
- OAuthSettingsLocation: Set this to persist the encrypted OAuth authentication values to the specified location.
After the OAuth settings file is generated, you need to re-set the following properties to connect:
- InitiateOAuth: Set this to REFRESH.
- OAuthClientId: (custom applications only) Set this to the client Id assigned when you registered your application.
- OAuthClientSecret: (custom applications only) Set this to the client secret assigned when you registered your application.
- OAuthSettingsLocation: Set this to 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 to connect to data:
- InitiateOAuth: Set this to REFRESH.
- OAuthClientId: (custom applications only) Set this to the client Id assigned when you registered your application.
- OAuthClientSecret: (custom applications only) Set this to the client secret assigned when you registered your application.
- OAuthSettingsLocation: Set this to 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.
Service Accounts (OAuthJWT)
To authenticate using a service account, you must create a new service account and have a copy of the accounts certificate. If you do not already have a service account, you can create one by following the procedure in Creating a Custom OAuth App.
For a JSON file, set these properties:
- AuthScheme: Set this to OAuthJWT.
- InitiateOAuth: Set this to GETANDREFRESH.
- OAuthJWTCertType: Set this to GOOGLEJSON.
- OAuthJWTCert: Set this to the path to the .json file provided by Google.
- OAuthJWTSubject: (optional) Only set this value if the service account is part of a GSuite domain and you want to enable delegation. The value of this property should be the email address of the user whose data you want to access.
For a PFX file, set these properties instead:
- AuthScheme: Set this to OAuthJWT.
- InitiateOAuth: Set this to GETANDREFRESH.
- OAuthJWTCertType: Set this to PFXFILE.
- OAuthJWTCert: Set this to the path to the .pfx file provided by Google.
- OAuthJWTCertPassword: (optional) Set this to the .pfx file password. In most cases you must provide this since Google encrypts PFX certificates.
- OAuthJWTCertSubject: (optional) Set this only if you are using a OAuthJWTCertType, which stores multiple certificates. This should not be set for PFX certificates generated by Google.
- OAuthJWTIssuer: Set this to the email address of the service account. This address usually includes the domain iam.gserviceaccount.com.
- OAuthJWTSubject: (optional) Only set this value if the service account is part of a GSuite domain and you want to enable delegation. The value of this property is the email address of the user whose data you want to access.
GCP Instance Accounts
When running on a GCP virtual machine, the connector can authenticate using a service account tied to the virtual machine. To use this mode, set AuthScheme to GCPInstanceAccount.
Next Step
See Using the Connector to create data visualizations.