Create Azure Table-Connected Enterprise Applications in OutSystems

OutSystems is a low-code platform which provides the tools for companies to developer, deploy, and manage omnichannel enterprise applications. When paired with CData Connect Cloud, you get instant, cloud-to-cloud access to Azure Table data for business applications. This article shows how to create a virtual database for Azure Table in Connect Cloud and build a simple app from Azure Table data in OutSystems.

The CData Connect Cloud provides a pure cloud-to-cloud interface for Azure Table, allowing you to build reports from live Azure Table data in OutSystems — without replicating the data to a natively supported database. As you create applications to work with data, OutSystems generates SQL queries to gather data. Using optimized data processing out of the box, CData Connect Cloud pushes all supported SQL operations (filters, JOINs, etc.) directly to Azure Table, leveraging server-side processing to quickly return the requested Azure Table data.

Configure Azure Table Connectivity for OutSystems

Connectivity to Azure Table from OutSystems is made possible through CData Connect Cloud. To work with Azure Table data from OutSystems, we start by creating and configuring a Azure Table connection.

1. Log into Connect Cloud, click Connections and click Add Connection
2. Select "Azure Table" from the Add Connection panel
3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to Azure Table.

   Specify your AccessKey and your Account to connect. Set the Account property to the Storage Account Name and set AccessKey to one of the Access Keys. Either the Primary or Secondary Access Keys can be used. To obtain these values, navigate to the Storage Accounts blade in the Azure portal. You can obtain the access key by selecting your account and clicking Access Keys in the Settings section.

4. Click Create & Test
5. Navigate to the Permissions tab in the Add Azure Table Connection page and update the User-based permissions.

Add a Personal Access Token

If you are connecting from a service, application, platform, or framework that does not support OAuth authentication, you can create a Personal Access Token (PAT) to use for authentication. Best practices would dictate that you create a separate PAT for each service, to maintain granularity of access.

1. Click on your username at the top right of the Connect Cloud app and click User Profile.
2. On the User Profile page, scroll down to the Personal Access Tokens section and click Create PAT.
3. Give your PAT a name and click Create.
4. The personal access token is only visible at creation, so be sure to copy it and store it securely for future use.

With the connection configured, you are ready to connect to Azure Table data from OutSystems.

Connect to Azure Table from OutSystems

The steps below outline connecting to CData Connect Cloud from OutSystems to create a new Azure Table database connection.

1. Open OutSystems Service Studio
2. Click the gear icon to open Environment Management in the Service Center
3. Click Administration and select "Database Connections"
4. Click "New Database Connection"
5. Configure the database connection:
   • Name: name the connection (e.g. CData Connect Cloud Azure Table)
   • DBMS: SQL Server / Azure SQL
   • Username: a Connect Cloud user (e.g. [email protected])
   • Password: the PAT for the Connect Cloud user
   • Server: tds.cdata.com,14333
   • Schema: the name of your Azure Table connection (e.g. AzureTables1)
6. Click "Test Connection"
7. Click "Create"

Map Azure Table Tables or Views to Entities in an Extension Module

Once you create the database connection for Azure Table, you can create an extension that maps the tables or views to OutSystems entities. If you have not already done so, create an Application in Service Studio.

1. Open the Service Studio and open the existing Application
2. Click "Add Module," set the "Module Name" (e.g. azuretables_db_extension), set "Module Type" to "Extension," and click "Create Module"
3. In Integration Studio, connect to your environment
4. Right-click "Entities" in the extension tree and select "Connect to External Table or View..."
5. Follow the steps in the wizard, selecting the tables and views you wish to work with
6. In the Integration Studio, click "1-Click Publish"
7. In the "1-Click Publish" wizard, click "Configure" when the process completes
   • In the Service Center, associate the logical database name of the extension to the database connection that the extension will use and click "Apply"
8. In your application, click "Manage Dependencies..."
9. Add a dependency to the Extension and select the Entities that you will use in your application

At this point, you can access and work with Azure Table data just like you would with the standard OutSystems entities.

More Information & Free Trial

With Connect Cloud and OutSystems, you can easily build Azure Table-connected applications. Request a free trial of Connect Cloud and start working with Azure Table data in OutSystems today.