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URL: https://www.cdata.com/kb/tech/dynamicscrm-cloud-apos.rst

⇱ Build Semantic Layer Views for Dynamics CRM Data in APOS Live Data Gateway

Build Semantic Layer Views for Dynamics CRM Data in APOS Live Data Gateway

👁 Dibyendu Datta
Dibyendu Datta
Lead Technology Evangelist
Use the CData Connect AI and APOS Live Data Gateway to build Semantic Layer Views for Dynamics CRM data.

APOS Live Data Gateway (LDG) serves as a data connection and data transformation solution, facilitating live data connectivity and broadening data source possibilities for SAP Analytics Cloud and other SAP solutions. When integrated with CData Connect AI, users have the capability to construct semantic layer views for real-time access to Dynamics CRM data, enabling real-time analytics on Dynamics CRM in a manner akin to working with a relational database.

CData Connect AI offers a dedicated SQL Server interface for Dynamics CRM, enabling data querying directly from Dynamics CRM without the need to replicate data to a native database. With pre-optimized data processing capabilities, CData Connect AI efficiently directs all supported SQL operations, including filters and JOINs, directly to Dynamics CRM. This harnesses server-side processing to swiftly retrieve the requested Dynamics CRM data.

About Dynamics CRM Data Integration

CData simplifies access and integration of live Microsoft Dynamics CRM data. Our customers leverage CData connectivity to:

  • Read and write data in the Dynamics CRM 2011+ Services and Dynamics CRM Online.
  • Extend the native features of Dynamics CRM with customizable caching and intelligent query aggregation and separation.
  • Authenticate securely with Dynamics CRM in a variety of ways, including Azure Active Directory, Azure Managed Service Identity credentials, and Azure Service Principal using either a client secret or a certificate.

CData customers use our Dynamics CRM connectivity solutions for a variety of reasons, whether they're looking to replicate their data into a data warehouse (alongside other data sources) or analyze live Dynamics CRMa data from their preferred data tools inside the Microsoft ecosystem (Power BI, Excel, etc.) or with external tools (Tableau, Looker, etc.).


Getting Started


Configure Dynamics CRM Connectivity for APOS Live Data Gateway

Connectivity to Dynamics CRM from APOS Live Data Gateway is made possible through CData Connect AI. To work with Dynamics CRM data from APOS Live Data Gateway, we start by creating and configuring a Dynamics CRM connection.

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

    The connection string options meet the authentication and connection requirements of different Dynamics CRM instances. To connect to your instance, set the User and Password properties, under the Authentication section, to valid Dynamics CRM user credentials and set the Url to a valid Dynamics CRM server organization root. Additionally, set the CRMVersion property to 'CRM2011+' or 'CRMOnline'. IFD configurations are supported as well; set InternetFacingDeployment to true.

    Additionally, you can provide the security token service (STS) or AD FS endpoint in the STSURL property. This value can be retrieved with the GetSTSUrl stored procedure. Office 365 users can connect to the default STS URL by simply setting CRMVersion.

    👁 Configuring a connection (Salesforce is shown)
  4. Click Save & Test
  5. Navigate to the Permissions tab in the Add Dynamics CRM 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.

With the connection configured and a PAT generated, you are ready to connect to Dynamics CRM data in the APOS Live Data Gateway.

Connecting to Dynamics CRM & Creating a Semantic Layer View

After configuring the connection in CData Connect AI you are ready to connect to Dynamics CRM in the Live Data Gateway Admin tool and build a semantic layer view in the Live Data Gateway Web UI.

Configuring the Connection to Dynamics CRM

  1. Log into your APOS Live Data Gateway Manager 👁 Logging into the APOS LDG Manager
  2. If you haven't already, update your APOS LDG license file
    1. Click File -> Configurations
    2. Click on the "..." Menu for the License
    3. Select the license file from the APOS team that includes your CData Connect AI license
  3. In the APOS Live Data Gateway Manager, click "Add"
  4. In the APOS Live Data Gateway On the Connection tab, configure the connection:
    • Set Data Source to "Database"
    • Set Database to "JDBC Generic"
    • Set Connection String to a connection string similar to the following, using the name of the connection you configured earlier, e.g. 
      jdbc:sqlserver://tds.cdata.com:14333;databaseName=DynamicsCRM1
    • Set Driver Class to "com.CData.connect.Driver" (this should be set by default)
    👁 Configuring the Connection (Salesforce is shown).
  5. Click Test Connection
  6. Click Save
  7. Give your connection a unique prefix (e.g. "dynamicscrm")
  8. Highlight the newly created connection and click File -> "Approve Users For Web UI" 👁 Approving Users For Web UI.
  9. Approve the appropriate DB users to create views and click "Save" 👁 Configuring which DB users can create views.

At this point, we are ready to build our semantic layer view in the Live Data Gateway Web UI.

Creating a Semantic Layer View

  1. In your browser, navigate to the APOS Live Data Gateway Portal
  2. Select a Connection (e.g. "dynamicscrm")
  3. Set User Name and Password to your Connect AI username and PAT .
  4. Click "Login" 👁 Connecting from the Web UI (Salesforce is shown).
  5. Once connected, click "Semantic Layer" to create a new semantic layer view
  6. Click "New Semantic Layer View" 👁 Adding a new semantic layer view.
  7. Set the Semantic Layer View Prefix and Semantic Layer View Name 👁 Setting the semantic layer view prefix and name.
  8. Click "Step 2"
  9. Select the table(s) and column(s) you wish to include in your view 👁 Selecting table(s) and column(s).
  10. Click "Step 3"
  11. Select the Measures from the available table columns 👁 Selecting the measure(s).
  12. Click "Step 5" (we skipped the "Extra Dimensions" step)
  13. Add any Variable Prompts
  14. Click "Step 6"
  15. Define any Table Joins
  16. Click "Review"
  17. Review you semantic layer view and click "Save" 👁 Saving the semantic layer view.

With the Semantic Layer View created, you are ready to access your Dynamics CRM data through the APOS Live Data Gateway, enabling real-time data connectivity to Dynamics CRM data from SAP Analytics Cloud and other SAP solutions.

Get CData Connect AI

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