Create Datasets from Postmark in Domo Workbench and Build Visualizations of Postmark Data in Domo

Domo helps you manage, analyze, and share data across your entire organization, enabling decision makers to identify and act on strategic opportunities. Domo Workbench provides a secure, client-side solution for uploading your on-premise data to Domo. The CData ODBC Driver for Postmark links Domo Workbench to operational Postmark data. You can build datasets from Postmark data using standard SQL queries in Workbench and then create real-time visualizations of Postmark data in the Domo service.

The CData ODBC Drivers offer unmatched performance for interacting with live Postmark data in Domo due to optimized data processing built into the driver. When you issue complex SQL queries from Domo to Postmark, the driver pushes supported SQL operations, like filters and aggregations, directly to Postmark 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 visualize and analyze Postmark data using native Domo data types.

Connect to Postmark as an ODBC Data Source

If you have not already, first specify connection properties in an ODBC DSN (data source name). This is the last step of the driver installation. You can use the Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator to create and configure ODBC DSNs.

Using API Key Authentication

Postmark uses server API tokens to authenticate requests. Each Postmark server has its own API token, which controls access to messages, bounces, templates, and statistics associated with that server.

To obtain your Server API Token, log in to your Postmark account and navigate to the server you want to connect to. Go to API Tokens under the server settings and copy the token labeled Server API token.

After setting the following connection properties, you are ready to connect:

• AuthScheme: Set this to APIKey.
• APIKey: Set this to your Postmark Server API Token. This value is sent as the X-Postmark-Server-Token header on every request.

Example connection string:

Profile=C:\profiles\Postmark.apip;AuthScheme=APIKey;ProfileSettings="APIKey=your-server-api-token"

Connecting to Postmark

Once the authentication is configured, you can connect to Postmark and query data from any of the available tables such as OutboundMessages, Bounces, and Templates.

When you configure the DSN, you may also want to set the Max Rows connection property. This will limit the number of rows returned, which is especially helpful for improving performance when designing reports and visualizations.

After creating a DSN, you will need to create a dataset for Postmark in Domo Workbench using the Postmark DSN and build a visualization in the Domo service based on the dataset.

Build a Dataset for Postmark Data

You can follow the steps below to build a dataset based on a table in Postmark in Domo Workbench using the CData ODBC Driver for Postmark.

1. Open Domo Workbench and, if you have not already, add your Domo service server to Workbench. In the Accounts submenu, click Add New, type in the server address (i.e., domain.domo.com) and click through the wizard to authenticate. 👁 Connecting to the Domo Service.
   
2. In the DataSet Jobs submenu, click Add New.
3. Name the dataset job (i.e., ODBC Postmark Bounces), select ODBC Connection Provider as the transport method, and click through the wizard. 👁 Configuring the DataSet Job.
   
4. In the newly created DataSet Job, navigate to Source and click to configure the settings.
5. Select System DSN for the Connection Type.
6. Select the previously configured DSN (CData API Sys) for the System DSN.
7. Click to validate the configuration. 👁 Configuring the Source Settings.
   
8. Below the settings, set the Query to a SQL query:

   SELECT * FROM Bounces

   NOTE: By connecting to Postmark data using an ODBC driver, you simply need to know SQL in order to get your data, circumventing the need to know Postmark-specific APIs or protocols.
9. Click preview. 👁 Querying Postmark Data.
   
10. Check over the generated schema, add any transformations, then save and run the dataset job. 👁 Save and Run the Configured DataSet Job (Salesforce is shown).
    

With the dataset job run, the dataset will be accessible from the Domo service, allowing you to build visualizations, reports, and more based on Postmark data.

Create Data Visualizations

With the DataSet Job saved and run in Domo Workbench, we are ready to build visualizations of the Postmark data in the Domo service.

1. Navigate to the Data Center. 👁 Accessing the Data Center (Salesforce is shown).
   
2. In the data warehouse, select the ODBC data source and drill down to our new dataset. 👁 Selecting the Postmark Dataset (Salesforce is shown).
   
3. With the dataset selected, choose to create a visualization.
4. In the new card:
   • Drag a Dimension to the X Value.
   • Drag a Measure to the Y Value.
   • Choose a Visualization.
   👁 Visualizing Postmark Data in Domo (Salesforce is shown).
   

With the CData ODBC Driver for Postmark, you can build custom datasets based on Postmark data using only SQL in Domo Workbench and then build and share visualizations and reports through the Domo service.