Consume Adobe Analytics OData Feeds in PowerBuilder



This article demonstrates how to consume Adobe Analytics data as OData feeds from PowerBuilder using the API Server.

The CData API Server, when paired with the ADO.NET Provider for Adobe Analytics (or any of 200+ other ADO.NET Providers), produces secure feeds of Adobe Analytics data that you can consume in PowerBuilder DataWindows. The API Server supports the major Web services, including OData, Atom, JSON, HTML, CSV, TSV, and RSS. It also supports the major authentication schemes and SSL.

This article shows how to create a DataWindow that uses the CData API Server to retrieve data.

Set Up the API Server

Follow the steps below to begin producing secure Adobe Analytics OData services:

Deploy

The API Server runs on your own server. On Windows, you can deploy using the stand-alone server or IIS. On a Java servlet container, drop in the API Server WAR file. See the help documentation for more information and how-tos.

The API Server is also easy to deploy on Microsoft Azure, Amazon EC2, and Heroku.

Connect to Adobe Analytics

After you deploy the API Server and the ADO.NET Provider for Adobe Analytics, provide authentication values and other connection properties needed to connect to Adobe Analytics by clicking Settings -> Connections and adding a new connection in the API Server administration console.

Adobe Analytics uses the OAuth authentication standard. To authenticate using OAuth, create an app to obtain the OAuthClientId, OAuthClientSecret, and CallbackURL connection properties. See the "Getting Started" section of the help documentation for a guide.

Retrieving GlobalCompanyId

GlobalCompanyId is a required connection property. If you do not know your Global Company ID, you can find it in the request URL for the users/me endpoint on the Swagger UI. After logging into the Swagger UI Url, expand the users endpoint and then click the GET users/me button. Click the Try it out and Execute buttons. Note your Global Company ID shown in the Request URL immediately preceding the users/me endpoint.

Retrieving Report Suite Id

Report Suite ID (RSID) is also a required connection property. In the Adobe Analytics UI, navigate to Admin -> Report Suites and you will get a list of your report suites along with their identifiers next to the name.

After setting the GlobalCompanyId, RSID and OAuth connection properties, you are ready to connect to Adobe Analytics.

You can then choose the Adobe Analytics entities you want to allow the API Server access to by clicking Settings -> Resources.

Additionally, click Settings -> Server and change the following settings for compatibility with PowerBuilder:

  • Default Format: Select XML (Atom) in the menu.
  • Default Version: Select 2.0 in the menu.

Authorize API Server Users

After determining the OData services you want to produce, authorize users by clicking Settings -> Users. The API Server uses authtoken-based authentication and supports the major authentication schemes. Access can also be restricted based on IP address; by default, only connections to the local machine are allowed. You can authenticate as well as encrypt connections with SSL.

Create a Profile for Adobe Analytics

Follow the steps below to use the Database Painter tool to create a database profile for the OData API of the API Server. In the Database Painter, you can graphically manipulate data as well as execute SQL queries.

  1. Click Tools -> Database Painter.
  2. Right-click the OData node and click New Profile.
  3. In the Database Profile Setup dialog, enter the following:
    • Profile Name: Enter a user-friendly name for the profile.
    • URI: Enter the URL to the OData endpoint of the API Server. This URL will resemble the one below: http://MyServer:8032/api.rsc
    • Supply User Id and Password: Click this option to use HTTP Basic authentication. Note that the API Server also supports Windows authentication.
    • User Id: Enter the name of an user in the API Server.
    • Password: Enter the authtoken of an user in the API Server.
  4. To view and modify a table, right-click a table and then click Edit Data -> Grid.

Using Adobe Analytics Data with PowerBuilder Controls

You can use standard PowerBuilder objects to connect to OData feeds and execute queries. The following example shows how to retrieve Adobe Analytics data into a DataWindow.

You can add the following code to the open method:

SQLCA.DBMS = "ODT" SQLCA.DBParm = "ConnectString='URI=http://MyServer:8032/api.rsc;UID=MyAPIUser;PWD=MyAuthtoken'"; CONNECT USING SQLCA; dw_adsreport.SetTransObject(SQLCA); dw_adsreport.Retrieve();

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CData API Server