Back Up Workday data to SQL Server through SSIS



Effortlessly backup data to SQL Server by utilizing the CData ADO.NET Provider for Workday. In this article, we will employ an SSIS workflow to populate a database with Workday data data.

This article illustrates using the Workday ADO.NET Data Provider within a SQL Server SSIS workflow for the direct transfer of Workday data to a Microsoft SQL Server database. It's worth noting that the identical process detailed below is applicable to any CData ADO.NET Data Providers, enabling the direct connection of SQL Server with remote data through SSIS.

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


  1. Open Visual Studio and create a new Integration Services project.
  2. Add a new Data Flow task from the toolbox onto the Control Flow screen.
  3. In the Data Flow screen, add an ADO.NET Source and an OLE DB Destination from the toolbox.

  4. Add a new connection and select .NET Providers\CData ADO.NET Provider for Workday.
  5. In the connection manager, enter the connection details for Workday data.

    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.

  6. Open the DataReader editor and set the following information:

    • ADO.NET connection manager: In the Connection Managers menu, select the Data Connection you just created.
    • Data access mode: Select 'SQL command'.
    • SQL command text: In the DataReader Source editor, open the Component Properties tab and enter a SELECT command, such as the one below:

      SELECT Worker_Reference_WID, Legal_Name_Last_Name FROM Workers WHERE Legal_Name_Last_Name = 'Morgan'

  7. Close the DataReader editor and drag the arrow below the DataReader Source to connect it to the OLE DB Destination.
  8. Open the OLE DB Destination and enter the following information in the Destination Component Editor.

    • Connection manager: Add a new connection. Enter your server and database information here. In this example, SQLExpress is running on a separate machine.
    • Data access mode: Set your data access mode to "table or view" and select the table or view to populate in your database.
  9. Configure any properties you wish on the Mappings screen.

  10. Close the OLE DB Destination Editor and run the project. After the SSIS task has finished executing, your database will be populated with data obtained from Workday data.

Ready to get started?

Download a free trial of the Workday Data Provider to get started:

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