Model Context Protocol (MCP) finally gives AI models a way to access the business data needed to make them really useful at work. CData MCP Servers have the depth and performance to make sure AI has access to all of the answers.
Try them now for free →
Connect to Workday Data in JRuby
Create a simple JRuby app with access to live Workday data.
JRuby is a high-performance, stable, fully threaded Java implementation of the Ruby programming language. The CData JDBC Driver for Workday makes it easy to integrate connectivity to live Workday data in JRuby. This article shows how to create a simple JRuby app that connects to Workday data, executes a query, and displays the results.
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
Configure a JDBC Connection to Workday Data
Before creating the app, note the installation location for the JAR file for the JDBC Driver (typically C:\Program Files\CData\CData JDBC Driver for Workday\lib).
JRuby natively supports JDBC, so you can easily connect to Workday and execute SQL queries. Initialize the JDBC connection with the getConnection function of the java.sql.DriverManager class.
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.
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.
| API | ConnectionType Value |
|---|---|
| WQL | WQL |
| Reports as a Service | Reports |
| REST | REST |
| SOAP | SOAP |
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.
Built-in Connection String Designer
For assistance in constructing the JDBC URL, use the connection string designer built into the Workday JDBC Driver. Either double-click the JAR file or execute the jar file from the command-line.
java -jar cdata.jdbc.workday.jar
Fill in the connection properties and copy the connection string to the clipboard.
Below is a typical JDBC connection string for Workday:
jdbc:workday:User=myuser;Password=mypassword;Tenant=mycompany_gm1;BaseURL=https://wd3-impl-services1.workday.com;ConnectionType=WQL;InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH
Create a JRuby App with Connectivity to Workday Data
Create a new Ruby file (for example: WorkdaySelect.rb) and open it in a text editor. Copy the following code into your file:
require 'java'
require 'rubygems'
require 'C:/Program Files/CData/CData JDBC Driver for Workday 2018/lib/cdata.jdbc.workday.jar'
url = "jdbc:workday:User=myuser;Password=mypassword;Tenant=mycompany_gm1;BaseURL=https://wd3-impl-services1.workday.com;ConnectionType=WQL;InitiateOAuth=GETANDREFRESH"
conn = java.sql.DriverManager.getConnection(url)
stmt = conn.createStatement
rs = stmt.executeQuery("SELECT Worker_Reference_WID, Legal_Name_Last_Name FROM Workers")
while (rs.next) do
puts rs.getString(1) + ' ' + rs.getString(2)
end
With the file completed, you are ready to display your Workday data with JRuby. To do so, simply run your file from the command line:
jruby -S WorkdaySelect.rb
Writing SQL-92 queries to Workday allows you to quickly and easily incorporate Workday data into your own JRuby applications. Download a free trial today!
Ready to get started?
Download a free trial of the Workday Driver to get started:
Download NowLearn more:
Workday JDBC Driver
Rapidly create and deploy powerful Java applications that integrate with Workday.
