Build Semantic Layer Views for MailChimp Data in APOS Live Data Gateway

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 MailChimp data, enabling real-time analytics on MailChimp in a manner akin to working with a relational database.

CData Connect AI offers a dedicated SQL Server interface for MailChimp, enabling data querying directly from MailChimp 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 MailChimp. This harnesses server-side processing to swiftly retrieve the requested MailChimp data.

Configure MailChimp Connectivity for APOS Live Data Gateway

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

1. Log into Connect AI, click Sources, and then click Add Connection
👁 Adding a Connection

2. Select "MailChimp" from the Add Connection panel
👁 Selecting a data source

3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to MailChimp.

   Set the APIKey to the key you generate in your account settings. To obtain the API Key:

   1. Log into Mailchimp.
   2. Navigate to Account > Extras > API Keys.
   3. Note the value of the API Key.
   👁 Configuring a connection (Salesforce is shown)
   
4. Click Save & Test
5. Navigate to the Permissions tab in the Add MailChimp 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 MailChimp data in the APOS Live Data Gateway.

Connecting to MailChimp & Creating a Semantic Layer View

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

Configuring the Connection to MailChimp

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=MailChimp1

   • 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. "mailchimp")
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. "mailchimp")
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 MailChimp data through the APOS Live Data Gateway, enabling real-time data connectivity to MailChimp data from SAP Analytics Cloud and other SAP solutions.

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