Tableau Connector for MariaDB

Build 25.0.9434

Configuring a Connection

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

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 MariaDB 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 MariaDB 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 MariaDB

To connect to MariaDB data, set the following properties:

  • Server: The host name or IP address of the server hosting the MariaDB database.
  • Port: The port of the server hosting the MariaDB database.
  • Database (optional): The default database to connect to. If this is not set, MariaDB returns tables from all available databases.

Authenticating to MariaDB

MariaDB supports the following types of authentication:

  • Standard
  • NT Lan Manager (NTLM)
  • LDAP
  • SSL
  • SSH
  • Azure

Standard Authentication

To authenticate using standard authentication, set AuthScheme to Password and set the following properties:

  • User: The username of the authenticating MariaDB user.
  • Password: The password associated with the authenticating MariaDB user.

NTLM

To authenticate using NTLM, set AuthScheme to NTLM.

By default, the connector determines user credentials and the NTLM domain automatically, using either the domain of the PC it is running on or the domain used by the machine running the MariaDB instance.

If you want to specify a different domain, provide different login credentials, or change the target NTLM version using any or all of the following optional connection properties:

  • User: The authenticating NTLM user.
  • Password: The authenticating NTLM user's password.
  • Domain: The name of the domain you want to connect to.
  • NTLMVersion: The NTLM version used by the connector.

LDAP

To authenticate as an LDAP user, set AuthScheme to LDAP.

By default, the connector auto-detects your LDAP credentials. If you want to designate a specific user and password, set the following optional connection properties:

SSL

To use SSL authentication to connect securely to MariaDB data, set the following connection properties:

  • SSLClientCert: The name of the certificate store for the client certificate. Used for mutual (2-way) SSL.
  • SSLClientCertPassword: The password for the client certificate store, if password-protected.
  • SSLClientCertSubject: The subject of the TLS/SSL client certificate. Used to locate the certificate in the store.
  • SSLClientCertType: The type of the client certificate store.
  • SSLServerCert: The certificate to accept from the MariaDB server.

SSH

To authenticate to a remote machine via SSH and access MariaDB data, set the following connection properties:

  • SSHClientCert: The name of the certificate store for the client certificate.
  • SSHClientCertPassword: If a client certificate store is password-protected, set this value to the store's password.
  • SSHClientCertSubject: The subject of the TLS/SSL client certificate. Used to locate the certificate in the store.
  • SSHClientCertType: The certificate type of the client store.
  • SSHPassword: The password that you use to authenticate with the SSH server.
  • SSHPort: The port used for SSH operations.
  • SSHServer: The SSH authentication server you are trying to authenticate against.
  • RSBHelpinfo_p_SSHServerFingerprint: The SSH Server fingerprint used to verify the host you are connecting to.
  • SSHUser: The username for authenticating to the SSH server.

Azure Authentication

To connect to a MariaDB database hosted on Azure, set AuthScheme to one of the following values:

  • AzureAD: Authenticate as a Microsoft Entra ID user (OAuth-based).
  • AzureMSI: Use a Managed Service Identity assigned to an Azure VM or app.
  • AzurePassword: Authenticate using your Azure username and password.

For all Azure methods, the AzureTenant property typically represents your Microsoft Entra ID tenant, often in the form companyname.microsoft.com or your directory ID as shown in the Azure Portal under Entra ID > Properties.

Managed Service Identity (AzureMSI)

To authenticate using a managed identity, set AuthScheme to AzureMSI and configure the following properties:

  • AzureTenant: The Microsoft Online tenant where your MariaDB instance is hosted.
  • OAuthClientId (optional): The managed identity's client ID. Required if the VM has multiple user-assigned identities.

Azure Password

To authenticate using your Azure username and password, set AuthScheme to AzurePassword and set the following connection properties:

  • User: Your Azure username.
  • Password: The password for your Azure account.

Entra ID (formerly Azure AD)

Note: Microsoft has rebranded Azure AD as Entra ID. In topics that require the user to interact with the Entra ID Admin site, we use the same names Microsoft does. However, there are still CData connection properties whose names or values reference "Azure AD".

Entra ID is Microsoft's multi-tenant, cloud-based directory and identity management platform. It supports OAuth-based authentication flows that enable the driver to access MariaDB endpoints securely.

The steps to authenticate depend on your environment. Review the following sections for guidance on connecting from desktop applications, web-based workflows, and headless systems.

Desktop Applications
CData provides an embedded OAuth application that simplifies desktop authentication. You can also authenticate using a custom OAuth application that you configure and register in the MariaDB console. For setup instructions, see Creating a Custom OAuth Application.

Before connecting, set the following connection properties:

  • InitiateOAuth: GETANDREFRESH. Used to automatically get and refresh the OAuthAccessToken.
  • Custom applications only:
    • OAuthClientId: The client Id assigned when you registered your custom OAuth application.
    • OAuthClientSecret: The client secret assigned when you registered your custom OAuth application.
    • CallbackURL: The redirect URI defined when you registered your custom OAuth application.

When you connect, the connector opens the MariaDB's 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 values persist across connections.

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

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:

  • Obtain the OAuthVerifier value as described in Obtain and Exchange a Verifier Code, below.
  • Install the connector on another machine and transfer the OAuth authentication values after you authenticate through the usual browser-based flow.

After you execute either of these options, configure the driver to automatically refresh the access token on the headless machine.

Obtaining and Exchanging a Verifier Code

To obtain a verifier code, you must authenticate at the OAuth authorization URL from a 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, click MariaDB OAuth endpoint to open the endpoint in your browser.
    • If you are using a custom OAuth application, set the following properties to create the Authorization URL: After the Authorization URL is established, call the getoauthauthorizationurl stored procedure with the appropriate CallbackURL. Open the URL returned by the stored procedure in a browser.

  2. Log in and grant permissions to the connector. You are redirected to the callback URL, which contains the verifier code.
  3. Save the value of the verifier code. Later you will set this in the OAuthVerifier connection property.
Next, exchange the OAuth verifier code for OAuth refresh and access tokens.

To obtain the OAuth authentication values, set these properties:

  • InitiateOAuth: REFRESH.
  • OAuthVerifier: The verifier code.
  • OAuthSettingsLocation: The location of the file where the driver saves the OAuth token values that persist across connections.
  • Custom applications only:
    • 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.

After the OAuth settings file is generated, re-set the following properties to connect:

  • InitiateOAuth: REFRESH.
  • OAuthSettingsLocation: The location containing the encrypted OAuth authentication values. Make sure this location grants read and write permissions to the connector to enable the automatic refreshing of the access token.
  • Custom applications only:
    • OAuthClientId: The client Id assigned when you registered your application.
    • OAuthClientSecret: The client secret assigned when you registered your application.

Transferring OAuth Settings

Prior to connecting on a headless machine, you must 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: REFRESH.
  • 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.
  • Custom applications only:
    • OAuthClientId: The client Id assigned when you registered your application.
    • OAuthClientSecret: The client secret assigned when you registered your application.

Next Step

See Using the Connector to create data visualizations.

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