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Connect to live data from Aha with the API Driver

Connect to Aha

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Use the CData ODBC Driver for Aha in MicroStrategy Desktop


Connect to Aha data in MicroStrategy Desktop using the CData ODBC Driver for Aha.

MicroStrategy is an analytics and mobility platform that enables data-driven innovation. When paired with the CData ODBC Driver for Aha, you gain database-like access to live Aha data from MicroStrategy, expanding your reporting and analytics capabilities. In this article, we walk through adding Aha as a data source in MicroStrategy Desktop and creating a simple visualization of Aha data.

The CData ODBC Driver offers unmatched performance for interacting with live Aha data in MicroStrategy due to optimized data processing built into the driver. When you issue complex SQL queries from MicroStrategy to Aha, the driver pushes supported SQL operations, like filters and aggregations, directly to Aha and utilizes the embedded SQL Engine to process unsupported operations (often SQL functions and JOIN operations) client-side. With built-in dynamic metadata querying, you can visualize and analyze Aha data using native MicroStrategy data types.

Connect to Aha as an ODBC Data Source

Information for connecting to Aha follows, along with different instructions for configuring a DSN in Windows and Linux environments.

Start by setting the Profile connection property to the location of the Aha! Profile on disk (e.g. C:\profiles\aha.apip). Next, set the ProfileSettings connection property to the connection string for Aha! (see below).

Aha! API Profile Settings

The Aha! API uses OAuth-based authentication.

You will first need to register an OAuth app with Aha!. This can be done from your Aha! account under 'Settings' > 'Personal' > 'Developer' > 'OAuth Applications'. Additionally, you will need to set the Domain, found in the domain name of your Aha account. For example if your Aha account is acmeinc.aha.io, then the Domain should be 'acmeinc'.

After setting the following in the connection string, you are ready to connect:

  • AuthScheme: Set this to OAuth.
  • InitiateOAuth: Set this to GETANDREFRESH. You can use InitiateOAuth to manage the process to obtain the OAuthAccessToken.
  • OAuthClientId: Set this to the client_id that is specified in you app settings.
  • OAuthClientSecret: Set this to the client_secret that is specified in you app settings.
  • CallbackURL: Set this to the Redirect URI you specified in your app settings.
  • Domain: Set this in the ProfileSettings to your Aha domain.

When you configure the DSN, you may also want to set the Max Rows connection property. This will limit the number of rows returned, which is especially helpful for improving performance when designing reports and visualizations.

Windows

If you have not already, first specify connection properties in an ODBC DSN (data source name). This is the last step of the driver installation. You can use the Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator to create and configure ODBC DSNs.

Linux

If you are installing the CData ODBC Driver for Aha in a Linux environment, the driver installation predefines a system DSN. You can modify the DSN by editing the system data sources file (/etc/odbc.ini) and defining the required connection properties.

/etc/odbc.ini

[CData API Sys] Driver = CData ODBC Driver for Aha Description = My Description Profile = C:\profiles\aha.apip ProfileSettings = 'Domain = acmeinc' Authscheme = OAuth OAuthClientId = your_client_id OAuthClientSecret = your_client_secret CallbackUrl = your_callback_url

For specific information on using these configuration files, please refer to the help documentation (installed and found online).

Connect to and Visualize Aha Data using MicroStrategy Desktop

In addition to connecting Aha in MicroStrategy enterprise products, you can connect to Aha in MicroStrategy Desktop. Follow the steps below to add Aha data as a dataset and create visualizations and reports of Aha data.

  1. Open MicroStrategy Desktop and create a new dossier.
  2. In the datasets panel, click New Data, select Databases, and select Type a Query as the Import Option.
  3. Add a new data source and choose DSN data sources.
  4. Choose the DSN you previously configured (likely CData API Sys) and select Generic DBMS in the Version menu.
  5. Set the User and Password properties for the DSN (or use placeholder values) and name the data source.
  6. Select the new database instance to view the tables. You may need to manually click the search icon in the Available Tables section to see the tables.
  7. Create a SQL query for the Aha data (see below) and click Execute SQL to test the query. SELECT * FROM Ideas NOTE: Since we create a live connection, we can execute a SELECT * query and utilize the filtering and aggregation features native to the MicroStrategy products.
  8. Click Finish and choose to connect live.
  9. Choose a visualization, choose fields to display (data types are discovered automatically through dynamic metadata discovery) and apply any filters to create a new visualization of Aha data. Where possible, the complex queries generated by the filters and aggregations will be pushed down to Aha, while any unsupported operations (which can include SQL functions and JOIN operations) will be managed client-side by the CData SQL Engine embedded in the driver.
  10. Once you are finished configuring the dossier, click File -> Save.

Using the CData ODBC Driver for Aha in MicroStrategy Desktop, you can easily create robust visualizations and reports on Aha data. Read our other articles on connecting to Aha in MicroStrategy and connecting to Aha in MicroStrategy Web for more examples.