Seamlessly Bring Act CRM Data into Retool Using CData Connect Cloud

The User and Password properties, under the Authentication section, must be set to valid Act! user credentials. In addition to the authentication values, see the following:

• Connecting to Act! Premium

  In addition to the authentication values, the URL to Act! is also required; for example https://eup1-iis-04.eu.hosted.act.com/.

  Additionally, you must specify the ActDatabase you will connect to. This is found by going to the About Act! Premium menu of your account, at the top right of the page, in the ? menu. Use the Database Name in the window that appears.

• Connecting to Act! Premium Cloud

  To connect to your Act! Premium Cloud account, you also need to specify the ActCloudName property. This property is found in the URL address of the Cloud account; for example https://eup1-iis-04.eu.hosted.act.com/ActCloudName/.

Note that retrieving ActCRM metadata can be expensive. It is advised that you set the CacheMetadata property to store the metadata locally.

If the connection fails, refer to error messages for guidance in the documentation. Some data sources require direct sign-in, which can be completed via the Sign In button if prompted.

Configure the Virtual Datasets and Workspace, and Generate a Personal Access Token (PAT).

Once you've connected Act CRM into the CData Connect Cloud, configure virtual Datasets and Workspaces, and then generate a personal access token (PAT) to enable seamless integration and data management across various connected data sources.

Virtual Datasets in CData Connect Cloud simplify access to diverse data sources, supporting tables, views, and derived views with full CRUD capabilities. Workspaces organize datasets, offer SQL Server, connectivity endpoints, and include assets like folders for efficient management. Learn more about Virtual Datasets here

• Create a Workspace:
  • Click Virtual Datasets () on the left, then Add on the top right.
  • Enter a Workspace Name and click Confirm to create the workspace.

• Create a Virtual Dataset or Folder:
  • In the workspace, click Add on the top right, select from the menu (Folder, Tables and Views, or Derived Views), and provide the necessary details (e.g., folder name, connection, tables/views).
  • Click Confirm to add the asset.
  • For any asset, the tabs show:
    • Columns: Metadata table.
    • Preview: Data item preview.
    • SQL: Generated SQL query, including the configurable Alias.

Personal Access Tokens (PATs) in CData Connect Cloud allow connections via REST API, OData, or Virtual SQL Server.

• To create a new PAT:
  • Go to Settings (top right) > Access Tokens.
  • Click Create PAT, enter a name, then click Create.
  • Copy the PAT using the copy icon. NOTE: The PAT can't be viewed again after closing the dialog, so make sure to copy it before clicking OK.
  • Click OK to close the dialog, and save the copied PAT for use in proceeding steps.
• To regenerate a PAT, click the regeneration icon () in the PAT list and follow the prompts.

STEP 2: Connect Retool to Act CRM in CData Connect Cloud

Now that you've configured your Act CRM connection in CData Connect Cloud, it's time to integrate it with Retool.

Retool can be connected to Act CRM in CData Connect Cloud 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 Cloud, from the left-hand side, go to Virtual Database > 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.
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 Cloud. 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 Cloud username:PAT combination (where PAT is the token you generated earlier). Use a tool like this to encode the value. For example, test@cdata.com: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 Cloud username. This is displayed in the top-right corner of the CData Connect Cloud interface. For example, test@cdata.com.
• Password: Enter the PAT you generated on the Settings page.

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.
9. Select the new resource you created, and view the endpoints that are available.
10. You can now build your app with your live Act CRM data.

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. Enter Microsoft SQL in the search bar, click the resulting option, and enter the following details:

• Name: A name for the connection to CData Connect Cloud.
• Host: tds.cdata.com.
• Port: 1433.
• Database Name: Enter the Connection Name of the CData Connect Cloud data source you want to connect to (for example, Salesforce1).
• Database Username: Enter your CData Connect Cloud username. This is displayed in the top-right corner of the CData Connect Cloud interface. For example, test@cdata.com.
• Database Password: Enter the PAT you generated on the Settings page.

3. Click Test Connection. If the connection fails, you might need to whitelist CData Connect Cloud 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 Act CRM data.

STEP 3: Build Retool Apps with Your Live Act CRM Data

Now that you have integrated Act CRM with Retool using CData Connect Cloud, 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 Act CRM connection.
  • Add a Table component and bind it to Act CRM's data.
  
• Step 2: Add Filters (on top-right)
  • Add a Dropdown to filter by Opportunity Stage.
  • Add a Text Input for searching Account Name.
  
• 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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