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Use the API Server and Raisers Edge NXT ADO.NET Provider to Access Raisers Edge NXT Data in Microsoft PowerPivot
Use the API Server to connect to live Raisers Edge NXT data in the PowerPivot business intelligence tool.
This article will explain how to use the API Server and the ADO.NET Provider for Raisers Edge NXT (or any of 200+ other ADO.NET Providers) to provide Raisers Edge NXT data as OData services and then consume the data in Microsoft Excel's PowerPivot business intelligence tool. Follow the steps below to retrieve Raisers Edge NXT data in Power Pivot.
Set Up the API Server
Follow the steps below to begin producing secure Raisers Edge NXT 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 Raisers Edge NXT
After you deploy the API Server and the ADO.NET Provider for Raisers Edge NXT, provide authentication values and other connection properties needed to connect to Raisers Edge NXT by clicking Settings -> Connections and adding a new connection in the API Server administration console.
Before establishing a connection, supply the SubscriptionKey, found in the Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT Profile.
Authenticating to Raiser's Edge NXT
Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT uses the OAuth authentication standard. You can connect to without setting any connection properties using the embedded OAuth credentials.
Alternatively, you can authenticate by creating a custom app to obtain the OAuthClientId, OAuthClientSecret, and CallbackURL connection properties.
See the Help documentation for an authentication guide.
You can then choose the Raisers Edge NXT entities you want to allow the API Server access to by clicking Settings -> Resources.
Additionally, click Settings -> Server and set the Default Format to XML (Atom) for compatibility with Excel.
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.
Import Raisers Edge NXT Tables in Power Pivot
Follow the steps below to import tables that can be refreshed on demand:
- In Excel, click the PowerPivot Window icon in the PowerPivot tab to open PowerPivot.
- Click Home -> Get External Data -> From Data Service -> From OData Data Feed.
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Add authentication parameters. Click Advanced and set the Integrated Security option to Basic. You will need to enter the User Id and Password of a user who has access to the CData API Server. Set the password to the user's authtoken.
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In the Base URL box, enter the OData URL of the CData API Server. For example, http://localhost:8032/api.rsc.
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Select which tables you want to import and click Finish.
You can now work with Raisers Edge NXT data in Power Pivot.
