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URL: https://www.cdata.com/kb/tech/azuredatalake-cloud-zapier.rst

⇱ Build Automated Azure Data Lake Storage-Connected Workflows in Zapier

Build Automated Azure Data Lake Storage-Connected Workflows in Zapier

👁 Jerod Johnson
Jerod Johnson
Director, Technology Evangelism
Use CData Connect AI to connect to live Azure Data Lake Storage data and build automated workflows in Zapier.

Zapier is an online automation tool that connects your apps and services. When paired with CData Connect AI, you get access to live Azure Data Lake Storage data for your workflows. This article shows how to connect to Azure Data Lake Storage and build workflows with live Azure Data Lake Storage data in Zapier.

Connect to Azure Data Lake Storage from Zapier

To work with Azure Data Lake Storage in Zapier, we need to connect to Azure Data Lake Storage from Connect AI, provide user access to the connection, and create a Workspace for the Azure Data Lake Storage data.

Connect to Azure Data Lake Storage from Connect AI

CData Connect AI uses a straightforward, point-and-click interface to connect to data sources.

  1. Log into Connect AI, click Sources, and then click Add Connection
    2. 👁 Adding a Connection
  2. Select "Azure Data Lake Storage" from the Add Connection panel
    3. 👁 Selecting a data source
  3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to Azure Data Lake Storage.

    Authenticating to a Gen 1 DataLakeStore Account

    Gen 1 uses OAuth 2.0 in Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) for authentication.

    For this, an Active Directory web application is required. You can create one as follows:

    1. Sign in to your Azure Account through the
    2. Select "Entra ID" (formerly Azure AD).
    3. Select "App registrations".
    4. Select "New application registration".
    5. Provide a name and URL for the application. Select Web app for the type of application you want to create.
    6. Select "Required permissions" and change the required permissions for this app. At a minimum, "Azure Data Lake" and "Windows Azure Service Management API" are required.
    7. Select "Key" and generate a new key. Add a description, a duration, and take note of the generated key. You won't be able to see it again.

    To authenticate against a Gen 1 DataLakeStore account, the following properties are required:

    • Schema: Set this to ADLSGen1.
    • Account: Set this to the name of the account.
    • OAuthClientId: Set this to the application Id of the app you created.
    • OAuthClientSecret: Set this to the key generated for the app you created.
    • TenantId: Set this to the tenant Id. See the property for more information on how to acquire this.
    • Directory: Set this to the path which will be used to store the replicated file. If not specified, the root directory will be used.

    Authenticating to a Gen 2 DataLakeStore Account

    To authenticate against a Gen 2 DataLakeStore account, the following properties are required:

    • Schema: Set this to ADLSGen2.
    • Account: Set this to the name of the account.
    • FileSystem: Set this to the file system which will be used for this account.
    • AccessKey: Set this to the access key which will be used to authenticate the calls to the API. See the property for more information on how to acquire this.
    • Directory: Set this to the path which will be used to store the replicated file. If not specified, the root directory will be used.
    👁 Configuring a connection (Salesforce is shown)
  4. Click Save & Test
  5. Navigate to the Permissions tab in the Add Azure Data Lake Storage Connection page and update the User-based permissions. 👁 Updating permissions

Add a Personal Access Token

When connecting to Connect AI through the REST API, the OData API, or the Virtual SQL Server, a Personal Access Token (PAT) is used to authenticate the connection to Connect AI. It is best practice to create a separate PAT for each service to maintain granularity of access.

  1. Click on the Gear icon () at the top right of the Connect AI app to open the settings page.
  2. On the Settings page, go to the Access Tokens section and click Create PAT.
  3. Give the PAT a name and click Create. 👁 Creating a new PAT
  4. The personal access token is only visible at creation, so be sure to copy it and store it securely for future use.

Configure Azure Data Lake Storage Endpoints for Zapier

After connecting to Azure Data Lake Storage, create a workspace for your desired table(s).

  1. Navigate to the Workspaces page and click Add to create a new Workspace (or select an existing workspace). 👁 The Workspaces page.
    👁 Adding a new Workspace.
  2. Click Add to add new assets to the Workspace.
  3. Select the Azure Data Lake Storage connection (e.g. ADLS1) and click Next. 👁 Selecting an Asset (Salesforce is shown).
  4. Select the table(s) you wish to work with and click Confirm. 👁 Selecting Tables (Salesforce is shown).
  5. Make note of the OData Service URL for your workspace, e.g. https://cloud.cdata.com/api/odata/{workspace_name}

With the connection, PAT, and Workspace configured, you are ready to connect to Azure Data Lake Storage data from Zapier.

Connect to Azure Data Lake Storage Data in Zapier Workflows

To establish a connection from Zapier to CData Connect AI using the OData protocol, follow these steps.

  1. Log into Zapier.
  2. Click Create Zap.
  3. In the dialog that appears, search for "Webhooks by Zapier", and click the option underneath. 👁 Creating a Webhooks by Zapier Zap.
  4. Under Event, select Retrieve Poll. 👁 Creating a Retrieve Poll event.
  5. Fill in the connection details:
    • URL: Enter the OData URL (e.g. https://cloud.cdata.com/api/odata/{workspace_name}).
    • Key: Enter "value.name."
    • Authentication details: Fill in the Basic Auth or Headers. The basic option requires a user (your Connect AI username, e.g. [email protected]) and password (the PAT you've previously created) separated by a pipe symbol: |. The headers option requires a request type header with encoded credentials.
    👁 Configuring the connection to Connect AI OData or Workspace URLs.
  6. Click Test. If the connection is set up properly, sample records will appear. 👁 Testing the connection.

Simplified Access to Azure Data Lake Storage Data from Cloud Applications

At this point, you have a direct, cloud-to-cloud connection to live Azure Data Lake Storage data from Zapier. For more information on gaining simplified access to data from more than 100 SaaS, Big Data, and NoSQL sources in cloud applications like Zapier, refer to our Connect AI page.