How to work with SAP Concur Data in Apache Spark using SQL

Apache Spark is a fast and general engine for large-scale data processing. When paired with the CData JDBC Driver for SAP Concur, Spark can work with live SAP Concur data. This article describes how to connect to and query SAP Concur data from a Spark shell.

The CData JDBC Driver offers unmatched performance for interacting with live SAP Concur data due to optimized data processing built into the driver. When you issue complex SQL queries to SAP Concur, the driver pushes supported SQL operations, like filters and aggregations, directly to SAP Concur and utilizes the embedded SQL engine to process unsupported operations (often SQL functions and JOIN operations) client-side. With built-in dynamic metadata querying, you can work with and analyze SAP Concur data using native data types.

Install the CData JDBC Driver for SAP Concur

Download the CData JDBC Driver for SAP Concur installer, unzip the package, and run the JAR file to install the driver.

Start a Spark Shell and Connect to SAP Concur Data

1. Open a terminal and start the Spark shell with the CData JDBC Driver for SAP Concur JAR file as the jars parameter:

   $ spark-shell --jars /CData/CData JDBC Driver for SAP Concur/lib/cdata.jdbc.sapconcur.jar
   

2. With the shell running, you can connect to SAP Concur with a JDBC URL and use the SQL Context load() function to read a table.

   SAP Concur uses the OAuth 2 authentication standard. obtain the and by registering an app with SAP Concur. See the Getting Started section of the help documentation for an authentication guide.

   Built-in Connection String Designer

   For assistance in constructing the JDBC URL, use the connection string designer built into the SAP Concur JDBC Driver. Either double-click the JAR file or execute the jar file from the command-line.

   java -jar cdata.jdbc.sapconcur.jar
   

   Fill in the connection properties and copy the connection string to the clipboard.

   👁 Using the built-in connection string designer to generate a JDBC URL (Salesforce is shown.)
   

   Configure the connection to SAP Concur, using the connection string generated above.

   scala> val sapconcur_df = spark.sqlContext.read.format("jdbc").option("url", "jdbc:sapconcur:OAuthClientId=MyOAuthClientId;OAuthClientSecret=MyOAuthClientSecret;InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH;").option("dbtable","Departments").option("driver","cdata.jdbc.sapconcur.SAPConcurDriver").load()
   

3. Once you connect and the data is loaded you will see the table schema displayed.

4. Register the SAP Concur data as a temporary table:

   scala> sapconcur_df.registerTable("departments")

5. Perform custom SQL queries against the Data using commands like the one below:

   scala> sapconcur_df.sqlContext.sql("SELECT Id, OfficeId FROM Departments WHERE Id = 1668776136772254").collect.foreach(println)

   You will see the results displayed in the console, similar to the following:

   👁 Data in Apache Spark (Salesforce is shown)
   

Using the CData JDBC Driver for SAP Concur in Apache Spark, you are able to perform fast and complex analytics on SAP Concur data, combining the power and utility of Spark with your data. Download a free, 30 day trial of any of the hundreds of CData JDBC Drivers and get started today.