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URL: https://www.cdata.com/kb/tech/sql-cloud-retool.rst

⇱ Seamlessly Bring SQL Server Data into Retool Using CData Connect AI

Seamlessly Bring SQL Server Data into Retool Using CData Connect AI

👁 Mohsin Turki
Mohsin Turki
Technical Marketing Engineer
Integrate SQL Server data into Retool with CData Connect AI to build smarter apps and streamline workflows with real-time data access.

Retool enables the rapid creation of custom internal tools using a low-code or no-code approach. By integrating SQL Server into Retool with CData Connect AI, you can access live data from SQL Server in real time, enabling you to build more efficient apps and streamline workflows.

This guide walks you through the simple steps to connect SQL Server to Retool via CData Connect AI using OpenAPI or the Virtual SQL Server API. You can securely connect to your SQL Server data, ensuring seamless integration and real-time updates, empowering you to create smarter apps and enhance operational efficiency. Let's get started!

Configure the SQL Server Connectivity for Retool (in CData Connect AI)

Overview

Here is an overview of the steps:

  1. Configure: (Optional) Set up your SQL Server data source in CData Connect AI, add a Workspace, add assets to your Workspace, and generate a Personal Access Token (PAT).
  2. Connect: Link Retool to CData Connect AI using OpenAPI or the Virtual SQL Server API.
  3. Explore: Use your connected data to build smarter apps and explore advanced integrations.

Prerequisites

Ensure you have the following before starting:

  1. An active SQL Server account and credentials.
  2. A CData Connect AI account. Log in or sign up for a free trial here.
  3. A Retool account. Sign up here.

Connect to SQL Server from Connect AI

CData Connect AI uses a straightforward, point-and-click interface to connect to data sources.

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

    Connecting to Microsoft SQL Server

    Connect to Microsoft SQL Server using the following properties:

    • Server: The name of the server running SQL Server.
    • User: The username provided for authentication with SQL Server.
    • Password: The password associated with the authenticating user.
    • Database: The name of the SQL Server database.

    Connecting to Azure SQL Server and Azure Data Warehouse

    You can authenticate to Azure SQL Server or Azure Data Warehouse by setting the following connection properties:

    • Server: The server running Azure. You can find this by logging into the Azure portal and navigating to "SQL databases" (or "SQL data warehouses") -> "Select your database" -> "Overview" -> "Server name."
    • User: The name of the user authenticating to Azure.
    • Password: The password associated with the authenticating user.
    • Database: The name of the database, as seen in the Azure portal on the SQL databases (or SQL warehouses) page.

    SSH Connectivity for SQL Server

    You can use SSH (Secure Shell) to authenticate with SQL Server, 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 SQL Server in Password Auth Mode

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

    • User: SQL Server User name
    • Password: SQL Server Password
    • Database: SQL Server database name
    • Server: SQL Server Server name
    • Port: SQL Server 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 SQL Server in Public Key Auth Mode

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

    • User: SQL Server User name
    • Password: SQL Server Password
    • Database: SQL Server database name
    • Server: SQL Server Server name
    • Port: SQL Server 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
    👁 Configuring a connection (Salesforce is shown)
  4. Click Save & Test
  5. Navigate to the Permissions tab in the Add SQL Server 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.

Configure SQL Server Endpoints for Retool

After connecting to SQL Server, create a workspace for your desired table(s).

  1. Navigate to the Workspaces page and click Add to create a new Workspace (or select an existing workspace). 👁 The Workspaces page.
    👁 Adding a new Workspace.
  2. Click Add to add new assets to the Workspace.
  3. Select the SQL Server connection (e.g. SQL1) and click Next. 👁 Selecting an Asset (Salesforce is shown).
  4. Select the table(s) you wish to work with and click Confirm. 👁 Selecting Tables (Salesforce is shown).
  5. Make note of the OpenAPI URL or the Virtual SQL Server URL for your workspace, e.g. https://cloud.cdata.com/api/openapi/v3/{workspace_name}...

With the connection, PAT, and Workspace configured, you are ready to connect to SQL Server data from Retool.


Connect Retool to SQL Server in CData Connect AI

Now that you've configured your SQL Server connection in CData Connect AI, it's time to integrate it with Retool.

Retool can be connected to SQL Server in CData Connect AI via either OpenAPI or the Virtual SQL Server API. Choose the method that best suits your workflow:

Connect via OpenAPI

To connect using the OpenAPI specification, follow these steps:

  1. On CData Connect AI, from the left-hand side, go to Workspaces then select a Workspace.
  2. Click the View Endpoints, and under the OpenAPI, copy the OpenAPI URL for the workspace. Keep the default options. See OpenAPI section for more information. 👁 Copying OpenAPI URL in CData Connect AI
  3. Login to Retool and then go to the Resources tab, click Create new > Resource.
  4. In the Select a resource type search bar, and search for OpenAPI.
  5. Click OpenAPI. The Configure OpenAPI screen appears. Enter the following information to configure the OpenAPI connector:
    • Name: The Connection Name to identify the connector on Retool.
    • Specification URL: The OpenAPI URL you copied from the Workspace in CData Connect AI. Paste the URL here.
    • Forward headers when fetching OpenAPI spec: Check this box.
    • Under the URL parameters, keep the key-value pair unchanged.
    • In the Headers section, write the key as Authorization and in the value, write Basic.
    • For the Basic connection value, Retool requires a base64-encoded version of your CData Connect AI username:PAT combination (where PAT is the token you generated earlier). Use a tool like this to encode the value. For example, [email protected]:12345 encodes to dGVzdEBjZGF0YS5TIzNDU=. Copy this encoded value and paste it into the value field after Basic with a space.
    • Username: Enter your CData Connect AI username. This is displayed in the top-right corner of the CData Connect AI interface. For example, [email protected].
    • Password: Enter the PAT you generated on the Settings page.
    👁 Configuring OpenAPI Resource in Retool
  6. Click Test connection to test your connection configuration. Once you have a successful connection, click Create resource.
  7. Create the app in Retool in which to integrate your data.
  8. Click Create resource query. 👁 Resource Query Screen for OpenAPI in Retool
  9. Select the new resource you created, and view the endpoints that are available. 👁 Resource Query Screen for OpenAPI in Retool
  10. You can now build your app with your live SQL Server data. 👁 Resource Query Screen for OpenAPI in Retool

Connect via Virtual SQL Server API

To connect using the Virtual SQL Server API, follow these steps:

  1. Login to Retool, then go to Resources. Click Connect New at the top-right and select Resources.
    2. 👁 Retool OpenAPI Resource Search
  2. Enter Microsoft SQL in the search bar, click the resulting option, and enter the following details:
    3. 👁 Microsoft SQL Resource Searched in Retool
    • Name: A name for the connection to CData Connect AI.
    • Host: tds.cdata.com.
    • Port: 1433.
    • Database Name: Enter the Connection Name of the CData Connect AI data source you want to connect to (for example, Salesforce1).
    • Database Username: Enter your CData Connect AI username. This is displayed in the top-right corner of the CData Connect AI interface. For example, [email protected].
    • Database Password: Enter the PAT you generated on the Settings page.
    👁 Microsoft SQL Resource Details in Retool
  3. Click Test Connection. If the connection fails, you might need to whitelist CData Connect AI IPs for Retool and other data sources. Check out the documentation here.
  4. If it succeeds, click Create Resource.
  5. Your connection is now set up, and you can build your app with live SQL Server data.

Build Retool Apps with Your Live SQL Server Data

Now that you have integrated SQL Server with Retool using CData Connect AI, it's time to utilize your live data to its full potential. Let's build a simple app:

  • Step 1: Set Up the Table (on home screen)
    • Create a New App in Retool.
    • Select your SQL Server connection.
    • Add a Table component and bind it to SQL Server's data.
      • 👁 New App in Retool
  • Step 2: Add Filters (on top-right)
  • Step 3: Display Key Metrics (below Table)
    • Add a Text component to show Total Amount of filtered opportunities.
    • Use a query to sum the Amount for filtered data.
  • Step 4: Add Visuals (top-right or side panel)
    • Add a Bar Chart to visualize opportunities by Stage.
    • Add a Line Chart to show Expected Revenue over time.
  • Step 5: Test and Deploy (top-right)
    • Test filters, search, and charts.
    • Deploy the app and share the link for access.

With these steps, you've successfully created a dynamic app to manage and visualize your Salesforce opportunities. Enjoy exploring your live data and leveraging it for better insights!


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