Tableau Connector for Microsoft SharePoint

Build 24.0.8963

Configuring a Connection

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

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 SharePoint 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 SharePoint 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 SharePoint

Regardless of whether you will connect online or on-premesis, what architecture will be used, and which Lists and Documents will be accessed, connecting to Microsoft SharePoint requires exactly two things:
  • Set the URL connection property.
  • Set the appropriate authentication properties for your working environment.

Setting URL:

Microsoft SharePoint works with all Lists and Documents in the global Microsoft Sharepoint site, or all Lists and Documents at individual sites.

To work with all Lists and Documents in the global Microsoft Sharepoint site, set the URL connection property to your Site Collection URL. For example:

https://teams.contoso.com

To work with all Lists and Documents at an individual site, set the URL connection property to your individual site URL. For example:

 https://teams.contoso.com/TeamA

The following sections describe how to set the appropriate authentication properties for your working environment. For information about how to create a custom OAuth application (required for use with AzureAD in a Web application; optional for AzureAD access via a Desktop application or a Headless Server), see Creating a Custom OAuth Application.

Microsoft SharePoint Online

Set SharePointEdition to "SharePoint Online" and set the User and Password to the credentials you use to log onto SharePoint, for example, the credentials to your Microsoft Online Services account.

Microsoft SharePoint online supports a number of cloud-based architectures, each of which supports a different set of authentication schemes:

  • AzureAD
  • Single sign-on (SSO) via the ADFS, Okta, OneLogin, or PingFederate SSO identity provider
  • Azure MSI
  • Azure Password
  • OAuthJWT
  • SharePointOAuth

If the user account domain is different from the domain configured with the identity provider, set SSODomain to the latter. This property may be required for any SSO.

AzureAD

Azure Active Directory (AzureAD) is a connection type that leverages OAuth to authenticate. OAuth requires the authenticating user to interact with Microsoft SharePoint using an internet browser. The driver facilitates this in several ways as described below. Set your AuthScheme to AzureAD. The AzureAD flows described below assume that you have done so.

Your organization may require Admin Consent when authorizing a new AzureAD application for your Azure Tenant. In all AzureAD flows, any initial installation and use of an AzureAD application requires that an administrator approve the application for their Azure Tenant. For details, see Creating a Custom OAuth Application.

Desktop Applications
CData provides an embedded OAuth application that simplifies OAuth desktop authentication. Alternatively, you can create a custom AzureAD application. See Creating a Custom OAuth Application 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 AzureAD applications.

After setting the following connection properties, you are ready to connect:

  • InitiateOAuth: GETANDREFRESH. You can use InitiateOAuth to avoid repeating the OAuth exchange and manually setting the OAuthAccessToken.
  • CallbackURL: The Redirect URL in your application settings.
  • Custom applications only:
    • OAuthClientId: The client Id in your application settings.
    • OAuthClientSecret: The client secret in your application settings.

When you connect the connector opens the OAuth endpoint in your default browser. Log in and grant permissions to the application. The connector then completes the OAuth process:

  1. Extracts the access token from the callback URL and authenticates requests.
  2. Obtains a new access token when the old one expires.
  3. Saves OAuth values in OAuthSettingsLocation. These stored values persist across connections.

Single Sign-On Identity Providers

ADFS

Set the AuthScheme to ADFS. You must set the following connection properties:

  • User: The ADFS user.
  • Password: The user's ADFS password.
  • SSODomain (optional): The domain configured with the ADFS identity provider.
Example connection string:
AuthScheme=ADFS;User=ADFSUserName;Password=ADFSPassword;URL='http://sharepointserver/mysite';
Okta

Set the AuthScheme to Okta. The following connection properties are used to connect to Okta:

  • User: The Okta user.
  • Password: The user's Okta password.
  • SSODomain (optional): The domain configured with the OKTA identity provider.

Example connection string:

AuthScheme=Okta;User=oktaUserName;Password=oktaPassword;URL='http://sharepointserver/mysite';
OneLogin

Set the AuthScheme to OneLogin. The following connection properties are used to connect to OneLogin:

  • User: The OneLogin user.
  • Password: The user's OneLogin password.
  • SSODomain (optional): The domain configured with the OneLogin identity provider.

Example connection string:

AuthScheme=OneLogin;User=OneLoginUserName;Password=OneLoginPassword;URL='http://sharepointserver/mysite';
PingFederate

Set the AuthScheme to PingFederate. The following connection properties are used to connect to PingFederate:

  • User: The PingFederate user.
  • Password: PingFederate password for the user.
  • SSODomain (optional): The domain configured with the PingFederate identity provider.

Example connection string:

AuthScheme=PingFederate;User=PingFederateUserName;Password=PingFederatePassword;URL='http://sharepointserver/mysite';

Azure MSI

If you are running Microsoft SharePoint on an Azure VM, you can leverage Azure Managed Service Identity (MSI) credentials to connect:

  • AuthScheme: AzureMSI.

The MSI credentials are automatically obtained for authentication.

Azure Password

To connect using your Azure dredentials directly, specify the following connection properties:
  • AuthScheme: AzurePassword
  • User: The user account used to connect to Azure
  • Password: The password used to connect to Azure
  • AzureTenant: Directory (tenant) ID, found on the Overview page of the OAuth application used to authenticate to Microsoft SharePoint on Azure.

OAuthJWT Certificate

Set the AuthScheme to OAUTHJWT. The following connection properties are used to connect to Microsoft SharePoint:

  • AzureTenant: The tenant you wish to connect to.
  • OAuthJWTCert: The JWT certificate store.
  • OAuthJWTCertType: The type of key store containing the JWT certificate.
  • OAuthJWTIssuer: The OAuth client Id.
  • OAuthJWTCertPassword: The password associated with the JWT certificate. Set this is your certificate type requires a password.

SharePointOAuth

Set the AuthScheme to SharePointOAuth. The following connection properties are used to connect to SharePointOAuth:

  • Schema: REST.
  • InitiateOAuth: GETANDREFRESH.
  • OAuthClientId: The application's identity/Client Id.
  • OAuthClientSecret: The application's Client Secret.

Example connection string:

SharePointEdition='SharepointOnline';URL=https://rssbuscrm.sharepoint.com;Schema=REST;AuthScheme=SharepointOAuth;InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH;OAuthClientId=11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111;OAuthClientSecret=1111111111111/11111111111111/11111111111111=;
This AuthScheme works with the custom OAuth application. To generate credentials from a custom OAuth application, see Creating a Custom OAuth Application.

Microsoft SharePoint On-Premises

Microsoft SharePoint On-Premises supports a number of premise-based architectures:

  • Windows (NTLM)
  • Kerberos
  • ADFS
  • Anonymous Access

Set SharePointEdition to "SharePoint On-Premises" to use the following authentication types.

Windows (NTLM)

This is the most common authentication type. As such, the connector is preconfigured to use NTLM as the default; simply set the Windows User and Password to connect.

Kerberos

Set the AuthScheme to NEGOTIATE, and then set the following Kerberos connection properties:

  • KerberosKDC: The host name or IP Address of your Kerberos KDC machine.
  • KerberosRealm: The realm of the Microsoft SharePoint Kerberos principal. This is the value after the '@' symbol (for instance, EXAMPLE.COM) of the principal value (for instance, MyService/[email protected]).
  • KerberosSPN: The service and host of the Microsoft SharePoint Kerberos Principal. This is the value prior to the '@' symbol (for instance, MyService/MyHost) of the principal value (for instance, MyService/[email protected]).

For details on how to authenticate with Kerberos, see Using Kerberos.

ADFS

Set the AuthScheme to ADFS, and then set the following connection properties:

  • User: The ADFS user.
  • Password: ADFS password for the user.
  • SSOLoginURL: The WS-trust endpoint of the ADFS server.
You also need the to set SSOProperties to authenticate to ADFS. Specify the value of the RelyingParty parameter; it is located on the ADFS server for Sharepoint. Example connection string:
AuthScheme=ADFS;User=ADFSUserName;Password=ADFSPassword;SSOLoginURL='https://<authority>/adfs/services/trust/2005/usernamemixed';SSO Properties ='RelyingParty=urn:sharepoint:sp2016;';

Anonymous Access

Set the AuthScheme to NONE along with the URL.

Next Step

See Using the Connector to create data visualizations.

Copyright (c) 2024 CData Software, Inc. - All rights reserved.
Build 24.0.8963