Visualize Live Databricks Data in Power BI (via CData Connect Cloud)

Power BI transforms your company's data into rich visuals for you to collect and organize so you can focus on what matters to you. When paired with CData Connect Cloud, you get access to Databricks data for visualizations, dashboards, and more. This article shows how to use CData Connect to create a live connection to Databricks, connect to Databricks data from Power BI and then create reports on Databricks data in Power BI.

Getting Started

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Configure Databricks Connectivity for Power BI

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

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

   To connect to a Databricks cluster, set the properties as described below.

   Note: The needed values can be found in your Databricks instance by navigating to Clusters, and selecting the desired cluster, and selecting the JDBC/ODBC tab under Advanced Options.

   • Server: Set to the Server Hostname of your Databricks cluster.
   • HTTPPath: Set to the HTTP Path of your Databricks cluster.
   • Token: Set to your personal access token (this value can be obtained by navigating to the User Settings page of your Databricks instance and selecting the Access Tokens tab).
4. Click Create & Test
5. Navigate to the Permissions tab in the Add Databricks Connection page and update the User-based permissions.

With the connection configured, you are ready to connect to Databricks data from Power BI.

Query Databricks Tables

Follow the steps below to build a query to pull Databricks data into the report:

1. Open Power BI Desktop and click Get Data -> Online Services -> CData Connect Cloud and click "Connect"
2. Click "Sign in" and authenticate with your CData Connect Cloud account
3. After signing in, click "Connect"
4. Select tables in the Navigator dialog
5. Click Load to establish the connection to your Databricks data from Power BI

Create Databricks Data Visualizations

After connecting to the data into Power BI, you can create data visualizations in the Report view by dragging fields from the Fields pane onto the canvas. Select the dimensions and measures you wish to visualize along with the chart type.

Click Refresh to synchronize your report with any changes to the data.

Live Access to Databricks Data from Data Applications

With CData Connect Cloud you have a direct connection to Databricks data from Power BI. You can import more data, create new visualizations, build reports, and more — all without replicating Databricks data.

To get SQL data access to 100+ SaaS, Big Data, and NoSQL sources (including Databricks) directly from your on-premise BI, reporting, ETL and other data applications, visit the CData Connect page and start a free trial.