Build SharePoint Excel Services Visualizations in Tableau Cloud

Tableau Cloud is an analytics platform fully hosted in the cloud. When paired with CData Connect Server, you get instant, cloud-to-cloud access to SharePoint Excel Services data for visualizations, dashboards, and more. This article shows how to create a virtual database for SharePoint Excel Services and build visualizations from SharePoint Excel Services data in Tableau Cloud.

CData Connect Server provides a pure SQL Server interface for SharePoint Excel Services, allowing you to easily build visualizations from live SharePoint Excel Services data in Tableau Cloud without installing connectors or publishing worksheets and data sources from Tableau Desktop. As you build visualizations, Tableau Cloud generates SQL queries to gather data. Using optimized data processing out of the box, CData Connect Server pushes all supported SQL operations (filters, JOINs, etc) directly to SharePoint Excel Services, leveraging server-side processing to quickly return SharePoint Excel Services data.

Create a Virtual SQL Server Database for SharePoint Excel Services Data

CData Connect Server uses a straightforward, point-and-click interface to connect to data sources and generate APIs.

1. Login to Connect Server and click Connections.
2. Select "SharePoint Excel Services" from Available Data Sources.
3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to SharePoint Excel Services.

   The URL, User, and Password properties, under the Authentication section, must be set to valid credentials for SharePoint Online, SharePoint 2010, or SharePoint 2013. Additionally, the Library property must be set to a valid SharePoint Document Library and the File property must be set to a valid .xlsx file in the indicated Library.

4. Click Save Changes
5. Click Privileges -> Add and add the new user (or an existing user) with the appropriate permissions.

With the virtual database created, you are ready to build visualizations in Tableau Cloud.

Visualize Live SharePoint Excel Services Data in Tableau Cloud

The steps below outline creating a new data source in Tableau Cloud based on the virtual SharePoint Excel Services database in Connect Server and building a simple visualization from the data.

1. Log into Tableau Cloud, select a project, and create a new workbook.
2. In the new workbook, choose the Microsoft SQL Server Connector from the data wizard and fill in the values for your Connect Server instance.
   NOTE: Be sure to check the "Require SSL" checkbox.
3. Select your newly created database and the table(s) you wish to visualize (defining relationships for JOINed tables as needed).
4. Select Dimensions and Measures and configure your visualization.

SQL Access to SharePoint Excel Services Data from Applications

At this point, you have a direct connection to live SharePoint Excel Services data from your Tableau Cloud workbook. You can create new visualizations, build dashboards, and more, with no need to publish data sources and workbooks from Tableau Desktop. For more information on gaining SQL access to data from more than 100 SaaS, Big Data, and NoSQL sources from cloud applications like Tableau Cloud, refer to our Connect Server page.