Use JayDeBeApi to access Redshift Data in Python


Use standard Python scripting and the development environment of your choice to access live Redshift data.

Access Redshift data with Python scripts and standard SQL on any machine where Python and Java can be installed. You can use the CData JDBC Driver for Amazon Redshift and the JayDeBeApi module to work with remote Redshift data in Python. By using the CData Driver, you are leveraging a driver written for industry-proven standards to access your data in the popular Python language. This article shows how to use the driver to execute SQL queries to Redshift and visualize Redshift data with standard Python.

Use the JayDeBeApi module

JayDeBeApi is a Python library that serves as a JDBC (Java Database Connectivity) bridge, allowing Python programs to interact with Java databases, including CData JDBC Drivers. Use the pip install command to install the module:

pip install JayDeBeApi

Create the JDBC URL

Once you have JayDeBeApi installed, you are ready to work with Redshift data in Python using SQL.

To connect to Redshift, set the following:

  • Server: Set this to the host name or IP address of the cluster hosting the Database you want to connect to.
  • Port: Set this to the port of the cluster.
  • Database: Set this to the name of the database. Or, leave this blank to use the default database of the authenticated user.
  • User: Set this to the username you want to use to authenticate to the Server.
  • Password: Set this to the password you want to use to authenticate to the Server.

You can obtain the Server and Port values in the AWS Management Console:

  1. Open the Amazon Redshift console (http://console.aws.amazon.com/redshift).
  2. On the Clusters page, click the name of the cluster.
  3. On the Configuration tab for the cluster, copy the cluster URL from the connection strings displayed.

Built-in Connection String Designer

For assistance in constructing the JDBC URL, use the connection string designer built into the Redshift JDBC Driver. Either double-click the JAR file or execute the jar file from the command-line.

java -jar cdata.jdbc.redshift.jar

Fill in the connection properties and copy the connection string to the clipboard.

Below is a sample variable assignment, including a typical JDBC connection string:

jdbc_url = "jdbc:redshift:User=admin;Password=admin;Database=dev;Server=examplecluster.my.us-west-2.redshift.amazonaws.com;Port=5439;"

Access Redshift data in Python

With the JDBC URL configured, you only need the absolute path to the JDBC driver JAR file, which is in the "lib" folder in the installation directory ("C:\Program Files\CData[product_name] 20XX\lib\cdata.jdbc.redshift.jar" on Windows).

NOTE: If you haven't already, set the JAVA_HOME environment variable to the Java installation directory.

Use code similar to the follow to read and print data from Redshift:

import jaydebeapi #The JDBC connection string jdbc_url = "jdbc:redshift:User=admin;Password=admin;Database=dev;Server=examplecluster.my.us-west-2.redshift.amazonaws.com;Port=5439;" username = "****" password = "****" #The absolute Path to the JDBC driver JAR file, typically: jdbc_driver_jar = "C:\Program Files\CData[product_name] 20XX\lib\cdata.jdbc.redshift.jar" conn = jaydebeapi.connect( "cdata.jdbc.redshift.RedshiftDriver", jdbc_url, [username, password], jdbc_driver_jar, ) cursor = conn.cursor() cursor.execute("SELECT * FROM Orders;") results = cursor.fetchall() for row in results: print(row) cursor.close() conn.close()

Free trial & more information

Download a free, 30-day trial of the CData JDBC Driver for Amazon Redshift and start working with your live Redshift data in Python. Reach out to our Support Team if you have any questions.

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