How to import Airtable Data into Apache Solr

The Apache Solr platform is a popular, blazing-fast, open source enterprise search solution built on Apache Lucene.

Apache Solr is equipped with the Data Import Handler (DIH), which can import data from databases and, XML, CSV, and JSON files. When paired with the CData JDBC Driver for Airtable, you can easily import Airtable data to Apache Solr. In this article, we show step-by-step how to use CData JDBC Driver in Apache Solr Data Import Handler and import Airtable data for use in enterprise search.

Create an Apache Solr Core and a Schema for Importing Airtable

1. Run Apache Solr and create a Core.

   > solr create -c CDataCore

   For this article, Solr is running as a standalone instance in the local environment and you can access the core at this URL: http://localhost:8983/solr/#/CDataCore/core-overview
2. Create a schema consisting of "field" objects to represent the columns of the Airtable data to be imported and a unique key for the entity. LastModifiedDate, if it exists in Airtable, is used for incremental updates. If it does not exist, you cannot do the deltaquery in the later section. Save the schema in the managed-schema file created by Apache Solr.

	AirtableUniqueKey
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	 
	

👁 Define schema in Solr for Airtable data.

3. Install the CData Airtable JDBC Driver. Copy the JAR and license file (cdata.airtable.jar and cdata.jdbc.airtable.lic) to the Solr directory.
   
   • CData JDBC JAR file: C:\Program Files\CData\CData JDBC Driver for Airtable ####\lib
   • Apache Solr: solr-8.5.2\server\lib

Now we are ready to use Airtable data in Solr.

Define an Import of Airtable to Apache Solr

In this section, we walk through configuring the Data Import Handler.

1. Modify the Config file of the created Core. Add the JAR file reference and add the DIH RequestHander definition.

   	
   
   	<lib dir="${solr.install.dir:../../../..}/dist/" regex="solr-dataimporthandler-.*\.jar" />
   
   	<requestHandler name="/dataimport" class="org.apache.solr.handler.dataimport.DataImportHandler">
   		<lst name="defaults">
   			<str name="config">solr-data-config.xml</str>
   		</lst>
   	</requestHandler>

2. Next, create a solr-data-config.xml at the same level. In this article, we retrieve a table from Airtable, but you can use a custom SQL query to request data as well. The Driver Class and a sample JDBC Connection string are in the sample code below.

   	
   	<dataConfig>
   		<dataSource driver="cdata.jdbc.airtable.AirtableDriver" url="jdbc:airtable:APIKey=keymz3adb53RqsU;BaseId=appxxN2fe34r3rjdG7;TableNames=Table1,...;ViewNames=Table1.View1,...;">
   		</dataSource> 
   		<document> 
   			<entity name="SampleTable_1" 
   				query="SELECT Id,AirtableColumn1,AirtableColumn2,AirtableColumn3,AirtableColumn4,AirtableColumn5,AirtableColumn6,AirtableColumn7,LastModifiedDate FROM SampleTable_1"
   				deltaQuery="SELECT Id FROM SampleTable_1 where LastModifiedDate >= '${dataimporter.last_index_time}'"
   				deltaImportQuery="SELECT Id,AirtableColumn1,AirtableColumn2,AirtableColumn3,AirtableColumn4,AirtableColumn5,AirtableColumn6,AirtableColumn7,LastModifiedDate FROM SampleTable_1 where Id=${dataimporter.delta.Id}">
   				<field column="Id" name="Id" ></field>
   				<field column="AirtableColumn1" name="AirtableColumn1" ></field>
   				<field column="AirtableColumn2" name="AirtableColumn2" ></field>
   				<field column="AirtableColumn3" name="AirtableColumn3" ></field>
   				<field column="AirtableColumn4" name="AirtableColumn4" ></field>
   				<field column="AirtableColumn5" name="AirtableColumn5" ></field>
   				<field column="AirtableColumn6" name="AirtableColumn6" ></field>
   				<field column="AirtableColumn7" name="AirtableColumn7" ></field>
   				<field column="LastModifiedDate" name="LastModifiedDate" ></field> 
   			</entity>
   		</document>
   	</dataConfig>

3. In the query section, set the SQL query that select the data from Airtable. deltaQuery and deltaImportquery define the ID and the conditions when using incremental updates from the second import of the same entity.
4. After all settings are done, restart Solr.

   	> solr stop -all
   	> solr start
   	

Run a DataImport of Airtable Data.

1. Execute DataImport from the URL below:
   http://localhost:8983/solr/#/CDataCore/dataimport//dataimport 👁 Load Airtable data to Solr using Data Import.
   
2. Select the "full-import" Command, choose the table from Entity, and click "Execute." 👁 Execute full import in Solr.
   
3. Check the result of the import from the Query. 👁 Check the full import result of Airtable.
   
4. Try an incremental update using deltaQuery. Modify some data in the original Airtable data set. Select the "delta-import" command this time from DataImport window and click "Execute." 👁 Execute Delta import in Solr.
   
5. Check the result of the incremental update. 👁 Check the delta import result of Airtable.
   

Using the CData JDBC Driver for Airtable you are able to create an automated import of Airtable data into Apache Solr. Download a free, 30 day trial of any of the hundreds of CData JDBC Drivers and get started today.