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URL: https://www.cdata.com/kb/tech/workday-odbc-filemaker-ess.rst

⇱ Connect Workday Data to Claris FileMaker via ESS using an ODBC Driver and the CData SQL Gateway

Connect Workday Data to Claris FileMaker via ESS using an ODBC Driver and the CData SQL Gateway

👁 Dibyendu Datta
Dibyendu Datta
Lead Technology Evangelist
Connect to your Workday data using the ESS feature of Claris FileMaker with MySQL ODBC driver and CData SQL Gateway.

Claris FileMaker is a low-code platform that enables users to quickly create custom apps to manage and automate data workflows. Using the CData ODBC Driver for Workday and the CData SQL Gateway, FileMaker connects to Workday data through its ESS (External SQL Source) feature, allowing you to work with Workday records as if they were native FileMaker tables.

In this article, we configure and use the CData ODBC Driver for Workday and the CData SQL Gateway, along with the MySQL ODBC Driver, to connect to Workday data using the ESS functionality in FileMaker.

About Workday Data Integration

CData provides the easiest way to access and integrate live data from Workday. Customers use CData connectivity to:

  • Access the tables and datasets you create in Prism Analytics Data Catalog, working with the native Workday data hub without compromising the fidelity of your Workday system.
  • Access Workday Reports-as-a-Service to surface data from departmental datasets not available from Prism and datasets larger than Prism allows.
  • Access base data objects with WQL, REST, or SOAP, getting more granular, detailed access but with the potential need for Workday admins or IT to help craft queries.

Users frequently integrate Workday with analytics tools such as Tableau, Power BI, and Excel, and leverage our tools to replicate Workday data to databases or data warehouses. Access is secured at the user level, based on the authenticated user's identity and role.

For more information on configuring Workday to work with CData, refer to our Knowledge Base articles: Comprehensive Workday Connectivity through Workday WQL and Reports-as-a-Service & Workday + CData: Connection & Integration Best Practices.


Getting Started


Create an ODBC Data Source for Workday

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.

To connect to Workday, users need to find the Tenant and BaseURL and then select their API type.

Obtaining the BaseURL and Tenant

To obtain the BaseURL and Tenant properties, log into Workday and search for "View API Clients." On this screen, you'll find the Workday REST API Endpoint, a URL that includes both the BaseURL and Tenant.

The format of the REST API Endpoint is: https://domain.com/subdirectories/mycompany, where:

  • https://domain.com/subdirectories/ is the BaseURL.
  • mycompany (the portion of the url after the very last slash) is the Tenant.
For example, in the REST API endpoint https://wd3-impl-services1.workday.com/ccx/api/v1/mycompany, the BaseURL is https://wd3-impl-services1.workday.com and the Tenant is mycompany.

Using ConnectionType to Select the API

The value you use for the ConnectionType property determines which Workday API you use. See our Community Article for more information on Workday connectivity options and best practices.

APIConnectionType Value
WQLWQL
Reports as a ServiceReports
RESTREST
SOAPSOAP

Authentication

Your method of authentication depends on which API you are using.

  • WQL, Reports as a Service, REST: Use OAuth authentication.
  • SOAP: Use Basic or OAuth authentication.

See the Help documentation for more information on configuring OAuth with Workday.

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.

Configuring the CData SQL Gateway

The CData SQL Gateway bridges non-SQL data sources (like SaaS applications, APIs, and NoSQL databases) with SQL-based tools (like FileMaker, MySQL clients, and BI tools).

In simple terms, it exposes any CData driver-supported source - for example, Workday - as a standard MySQL or SQL Server endpoint.

See the SQL Gateway Overview to set up Workday data connectivity as a virtual MySQL database. Set up a MySQL remoting service that listens for MySQL requests from clients, and configure the service through the SQL Gateway UI (as shown below). Save the user credentials (Username and Password) for future use.

👁 Add a new service in CData SQL Gateway
👁 Add a new user and save the credentials

Once you establish the connection, you can use the CData SQL Gateway to access Workday data through the MySQL protocol.

Installing the MySQL ODBC Driver

Follow the steps below to install and configure the MySQL ODBC Driver:

  1. Download and install the latest 64-bit Windows version of the MySQL ODBC Unicode Driver from this link.
  2. Launch ODBC Data Sources (64-bit) from Windows search. Open the System DSN tab, click Add, select MySQL ODBC Unicode Driver from the Create New Data Source window, and click Finish.
    3. 👁 Create a new data source using the latest MySQL ODBC Unicode Driver
  3. Enter the following connection details in the MySQL Connector/ODBC Data Source Configuration window:
    • Data Source Name: Enter a DSN of your choice
    • TCP/IP Server: localhost
    • Port: Enter the port set in the SQL Gateway (for this procedure, use "3307")
    • User: Enter the username set in the CData SQL Gateway
    • Password: Enter the password set in the CData SQL Gateway
    • Database: CData Workday Sys
    👁 Configure the MySQL ODBC Driver using CData SQL Gateway credentials
  4. Click Test to verify that the "Connection Successful" dialog box appears. Then click OK to save the configuration details.

You have now successfully configured the MySQL ODBC Driver.

Use FileMaker ESS function to load Workday data

In this section, we explore how to use the ESS (External SQL Source) feature to retrieve data in the FileMaker application. Follow the given steps to complete the process:

  1. Open FileMaker Pro. Navigate to Create from the left panel and select Blank > Create.
    2. 👁 Create a new application in FileMaker Pro
  2. Enter a desired filename and click Save.
  3. In Manage Database, remove the Tables and Fields from the respective tabs. Select the Relationships tab and click Add Table.
    4. 👁 Add a table in the Manage Database window in FileMaker Pro
  4. In Specify Table, expand the Data Source dropdown menu and select Add ODBC Data Source. Click OK.
    5. 👁 Add an ODBC Data Source in the Specify Table window
  5. In Select ODBC Data Source, select the previously configured MySQL ODBC driver and click Continue.
    6. 👁 Select the newly configured MySQL ODBC Unicode Driver
  6. In the Edit Data Source window, enter the following details:
    • Name: This field will be auto-filled. Enter a new name of choice if necessary.
    • Type: Select "ODBC".
    • Under Authentication, select the Specify username and password radio button and enter the following details:
      • User name: Enter the username set in the CData SQL Gateway.
      • Password: Enter the password set in the CData SQL Gateway.
    • Catalog Name: CData Workday Sys
  7. Click OK.
    8. 👁 Configure the data source in FileMaker
  8. View the tables from Workday populated under the Data Source section. Select the table of your choice and click OK.
    9. 👁 Add a new table in the Specify Table window
  9. The Relationships tab now displays the selected table and its metadata. Click OK.
    10. 👁 The new table gets added in the Relationships tab
  10. Select the table from the Layout dropdown. The Workday table data appears on the screen. (As shown)
    11. 👁 The Workday table data is displayed in FileMaker Pro

Get Started Today

Download a free 30-day trial of CData ODBC Driver for Workday to integrate Workday data into Claris FileMaker and use Workday data in your FileMaker applications.

Contact our Support Team if you have any questions.

Ready to get started?

Download a free trial of the Workday ODBC Driver to get started:

 Download Now

Learn more:

👁 Workday Icon
Workday ODBC Driver

The Workday ODBC Driver is a powerful tool that allows you to connect with live data from Workday, directly from any applications that support ODBC connectivity.

Access Workday data like you would a database - read, write, and update Workday Cash Management, Compensation, Financial Management, Payroll, etc. through a standard ODBC Driver interface.