Integrate PostgreSQL with External Services using SnapLogic

SnapLogic is an integration platform-as-a-service (iPaaS) that allows users to create data integration flows with no code. When paired with the CData JDBC Drivers, users get access to live data from more than 250+ SaaS, Big Data and NoSQL sources, including PostgreSQL, in their SnapLogic workflows.

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

Connect to PostgreSQL in SnapLogic

To connect to PostgreSQL data in SnapLogic, download and install the CData PostgreSQL JDBC Driver. Follow the installation dialog. When the installation is complete, the JAR file can be found in the installation directory (C:/Program Files/CData/CData JDBC Driver for PostgreSQL/lib by default).

Upload the PostgreSQL JDBC Driver

After installation, upload the JDBC JAR file to a location in SnapLogic (for example, projects/Jerod Johnson) from the Manager tab.

👁 Uploaded JDBC Driver (Salesforce & QuickBooks Online are shown)

Configure the Connection

Once the JDBC Driver is uploaded, we can create the connection to PostgreSQL.

1. Navigate to the Designer tab
2. Expand "JDBC" from Snaps and drag a "Generic JDBC - Select" snap onto the designer 👁 Adding a Generic JDBC snap onto the designer
   
3. Click Add Account (or select an existing one) and click "Continue"
4. In the next form, configure the JDBC connection properties:
   • Under JDBC JARs, add the JAR file we previously uploaded
   • Set JDBC Driver Class to cdata.jdbc.postgresql.PostgreSQLDriver

   • Set JDBC URL to a JDBC connection string for the PostgreSQL JDBC Driver, for example:

     jdbc:postgresql:User=postgres;Password=admin;Database=postgres;Server=127.0.0.1;Port=5432;RTK=XXXXXX;

     NOTE: RTK is a trial or full key. Contact our Support team for more information. 👁 Configuring a connection (Salesforce is shown)
     

     Built-In Connection String Designer

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

     java -jar cdata.jdbc.postgresql.jar

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

     To connect to PostgreSQL, set the Server, Port (the default port is 5432), and Database connection properties and set the User and Password you wish to use to authenticate to the server. If the Database property is not specified, the data provider connects to the user's default database.

     SSH Connectivity for PostgreSQL

     You can use SSH (Secure Shell) to authenticate with PostgreSQL, whether the instance is hosted on-premises or in supported cloud environments. SSH authentication ensures that access is encrypted (as compared to direct network connections).

     SSH Connections to PostgreSQL in Password Auth Mode

     To connect to PostgreSQL via SSH in Password Auth mode, set the following connection properties:

     • User: PostgreSQL User name
     • Password: PostgreSQL Password
     • Database: PostgreSQL database name
     • Server: PostgreSQL Server name
     • Port: PostgreSQL port number like 3306
     • UserSSH: "true"
     • SSHAuthMode: "Password"
     • SSHPort: SSH Port number
     • SSHServer: SSH Server name
     • SSHUser: SSH User name
     • SSHPassword: SSH Password

     SSH Connections to PostgreSQL in Public Key Auth Mode

     To connect to PostgreSQL via SSH in Password Auth mode, set the following connection properties:

     • User: PostgreSQL User name
     • Password: PostgreSQL Password
     • Database: PostgreSQL database name
     • Server: PostgreSQL Server name
     • Port: PostgreSQL port number like 3306
     • UserSSH: "true"
     • SSHAuthMode: "Public_Key"
     • SSHPort: SSH Port number
     • SSHServer: SSH Server name
     • SSHUser: SSH User name
     • SSHClientCret: the path for the public key certificate file
     👁 Using the built-in connection string designer to generate a JDBC URL (Salesforce is shown.)
     
5. After entering the connection properties, click "Validate" and "Apply"

Read PostgreSQL Data

In the form that opens after validating and applying the connection, configure your query.

• Set Schema name to "PostgreSQL"
• Set Table name to a table for PostgreSQL using the schema name, for example: "PostgreSQL"."Orders" (use the drop-down to see the full list of available tables)
• Add Output fields for each item you wish to work with from the table

👁 Configuring a Select snap (Salesforce is shown)

Save the Generic JDBC - Select snap.

With connection and query configured, click the end of the snap to preview the data (highlighted below).

👁 Click the end of the snap to preview the data.

Once you confirm the results are what you expect, you can add additional snaps to funnel your PostgreSQL data to another endpoint.

👁 Previewing data (Salesforce is shown).

Piping PostgreSQL Data to External Services

For this article, we will load data in a Google Spreadsheet. You can use any of the supported snaps, or even use a Generic JDBC snap with another CData JDBC Driver, to move data into an external service.

1. Start by dropping a "Worksheet Writer" snap onto the end of the "Generic JDBC - Select" snap.
2. Add an account to connect to Google Sheets 👁 Connecting to Google
   
3. Configure the Worksheet Writer snap to write your PostgreSQL data to a Google Spreadsheet 👁 Writing to a Google Spreadsheet
   

You can now execute the fully configured pipeline to extract data from PostgreSQL and push it into a Google Spreadsheet.

👁 Data written to Google Spreadsheets (Salesforce is shown)

Piping External Data to PostgreSQL

As mentioned above, you can also use the JDBC Driver for PostgreSQL in SnapLogic to write data to PostgreSQL. Start by adding a Generic JDBC - Insert or Generic JDBC - Update snap to the dashboard.

1. Select the existing "Account" (connection) or create a new one
2. Configure the query:
   • Set Schema name to "PostgreSQL"
   • Set Table name to a table for PostgreSQL using the schema name, for example: "PostgreSQL"."Orders" (use the drop-down to see the full list of available tables)
   👁 Configuring a INSERT snap (Salesforce is shown)
   
3. Save the Generic JDBC - Insert/Update snap

At this point, you have configured a snap to write data to PostgreSQL, inserting new records or updating existing ones.

More Information & Free Trial

Using the CData JDBC Driver for PostgreSQL you can create a pipeline in SnapLogic for integrating PostgreSQL data with external services. For more information about connecting to PostgreSQL, check at our CData JDBC Driver for PostgreSQL page. Download a free, 30 day trial of the CData JDBC Driver for PostgreSQL and get started today.