Power BI Connector for Twitter

Build 24.0.9060

Creating the Data Source Name

This section describes how to edit the DSN configuration and then authenticate and connect to Twitter APIs.

DSN Configuration

You can use the Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator to edit the DSN configuration. Note that the installation process creates a both a user DSN and a system DSN, as described in Installing the Connector.

Note: The connector stores connection information in the Windows registry. To ensure that the connector can write to the registry, either run Power BI as an administrator or use a User DSN for your connection instead of a System DSN.

User DSN

Complete the following steps to edit the DSN configuration:

  1. Select Start > Search, and enter ODBC Data Sources in the Search box.
  2. Choose the version of the ODBC Administrator that corresponds to the bitness of your Power BI Desktop installation (32-bit or 64-bit).
  3. Select the system data source and click Configure.
  4. Edit the information on the Connection tab and click OK.

System DSN

Configure the system DSN the same way as the user DSN, except you will need to switch to the System DSN tab before performing Step 3.

If you're using Power BI's On-Premises Data Gateway with Standard mode, you must use the system DSN.

You must also specify a valid location for OAuthSettingsLocation (a path where OAuth credentials are locally stored to avoid repeated OAuth prompts).

This is because the Standard mode runs on service mode and can only access permitted locations, such as C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\PBIEgwService\AppData\Local\Microsoft\On-premises data gateway.

Connecting to Twitter (OAuth)

NOTE: Which version of OAuth you use depends on the table or view you want to access. For the StreamRules table and the TweetStream view, you must use OAuth 2.0 App-Only. For all other tables and views, use OAuth 1.1.

OAuth 2.0 App-Only (Bearer Token)

To establish a connection for the StreamRules table or the TweetStream view, you need to authenticate using OAuth 2.0 App-Only authentication.

First, generate a bearer token from Twitter's website. The YourBearerToken value is generated from: Twitter's Developer Portal > ProjectOfInterest > Keys and Tokens. For more information, see the Twitter Developers Portal Documentation.

After generating the token and setting the following, you are ready to connect:

  • InitiateOAuth: Set this to OFF
  • OAuthAccessToken: Set this to YourBearerToken's value.

If you want to access any other tables and views (besides StreamRules and TweetStream), follow the OAuth 1.1 procedures described below.

OAuth 1.1

Desktop Applications

You can connect without setting any connection properties for your user credentials. Or you can create a custom OAuth application. See Creating a Custom OAuth App for more information about custom OAuth applications.

The only difference between the two is that you must set additional connection properties if you choose to use a custom application.

After setting the following, you are ready to connect:

  • OAuthClientId (custom applications only): Set this to the consumer key in your app settings.
  • OAuthClientSecret (custom applications only): Set this to the consumer secret in your app 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.

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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.

  1. Choose one of these options:
    • If you are using the Embedded OAuth Application, call the GetOAuthAuthorizationURL stored procedure. Open the URL returned by the stored procedure in a browser.
    • If you are using a custom OAuth application, set the following properties:
      • InitiateOAuth: Set to OFF.
      • OAuthClientId: Set this to the Client Id in your app settings.
      • OAuthClientSecret: Set this to the Client Secret in your app settings.
      Then call the GetOAuthAuthorizationURL stored procedure with the CallbackURL input parameter set to the exact Redirect URI you specified in your app settings. Open the URL returned by the stored procedure in a browser.
  2. 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.
Next, you need to exchange the OAuth verifier code for OAuth refresh and access tokens.

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 noted verifier code (the value of the code parameter in the redirect URI).
  • OAuthClientId: (custom applications only) Set this to the noted App key value from your OAuth app settings.
  • OAuthClientSecret: (custom applications only) Set this to the App secret from your OAuth app settings.
  • AuthToken: Set to the authentication token returned by the GetOAuthAuthorizationURL stored procedure.
  • AuthKey: Set to the authentication key returned by the GetOAuthAuthorizationURL stored procedure.
  • OAuthSettingsLocation: Set this to persist the encrypted OAuth authentication values to the specified location.

Test the connection to generate the OAuth settings file, then re-set the following properties to connect:

  • InitiateOAuth: Set this to REFRESH.
  • OAuthClientId: (custom applications only) Set this to the noted App key value from your OAuth app settings.
  • OAuthClientSecret: (custom applications only) Set this to the App secret from your OAuth app settings.
  • 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 install and create 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.

Test the connection to generate the OAuth settings file, then 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 noted App key value from your OAuth app settings.
  • OAuthClientSecret: (custom applications only) Set this to the App secret from your OAuth app settings.
  • OAuthSettingsLocation: Set this to the location of the OAuth settings file you copied from the machine with the browser. Make sure this location gives read and write permissions to the connector to enable the automatic refreshing of the access token.

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Build 24.0.9060