How to load JotForm data into Elasticsearch via Logstash

Elasticsearch is a popular distributed full-text search engine. By centrally storing data, you can perform ultra-fast searches, fine-tuning relevance, and powerful analytics with ease. Elasticsearch has a pipeline tool for loading data called "Logstash". You can use CData JDBC Drivers to easily import data from any data source into Elasticsearch for search and analysis.

This article explains how to use the CData JDBC Driver for JotForm to load data from JotForm into Elasticsearch via Logstash.

Using CData JDBC Driver for JotForm with Elasticsearch Logstash

• Install the CData JDBC Driver for JotForm on the machine where Logstash is running.
• The JDBC Driver will be installed at the following path (the year part, e.g. 20XX, will vary depending on the product version you are using). You will use this path later. Place this .jar file (and the .lic file if it's a licensed version) in Logstash.
  C:\Program Files\CData\CData JDBC Driver for API 20XX\lib\cdata.jdbc.api.jar
  
• Next, install the JDBC Input Plugin, which connects Logstash to the CData JDBC driver. The JDBC Plugin comes by default with the latest version of Logstash, but depending on the version, you may need to add it.
  https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/logstash/5.4/plugins-inputs-jdbc.html
• Move the CData JDBC Driver’s .jar file and .lic file to Logstash's "/logstash-core/lib/jars/".

Sending JotForm data to Elasticsearch with Logstash

Now, let's create a configuration file for Logstash to transfer JotForm data to Elasticsearch.

• Write the process to retrieve JotForm data in the logstash.conf file, which defines data processing in Logstash. The input will be JDBC, and the output will be Elasticsearch. The data loading job is set to run at 30-second intervals.
• Set the CData JDBC Driver's .jar file as the JDBC driver library, configure the class name, and set the connection properties to JotForm in the form of a JDBC URL. The JDBC URL allows detailed configuration, so please refer to the product documentation for more specifics.

Start by setting the Profile connection property to the location of the JotForm Profile on disk (e.g. C:\profiles\JotForm.apip). Next, set the ProfileSettings connection property to the connection string for JotForm (see below).

JotForm API Profile Settings

Find your JotForm API Key in order to authenticate. To obtain an API Key, go to 'My Account' > 'API Section' > 'Create a New API Key'. Once you've created your new API Key, you can set it in the ProfileSettings connection property.

Custom Enterprise API Domains

Enterprise customers of JotForm are given custom API domains to connect to, rather than the default 'api.jotform.com' domain. If you are an enterprise JotForm customer, then set Domain to you custom API hostname, such as 'your-domain.com' or 'subdomain.jotform.com', inside the ProfileSettings connection property. Conversely, if you do not have a custom domain and still need to connect to 'api.jotform.com', then leave Domain undefined and set only APIKey.

Executing data movement with Logstash

Now let's run Logstash using the created "logstash.conf" file.

 logstash-7.8.0\bin\logstash -f logstash.conf

A log indicating success will appear. This means the JotForm data has been loaded into Elasticsearch.

For example, let's view the data transferred to Elasticsearch in Kibana.

 GET api_table/_search
 {
 "query": {
 "match_all": {}
 }
 }

We have confirmed that the data is stored in Elasticsearch.

By using the CData JDBC Driver for JotForm with Logstash, it functions as a JotForm connector, making it easy to load data into Elasticsearch. Please try the 30-day free trial.