Integrate Live PCA Sales Data into Custom Business Apps Built in Power Apps

Power Apps is a service for building and using custom business apps that connect to your data and work across the web and mobile — without the time and expense of custom software development. When paired with CData Connect Server, you get instant access to PCA Sales data from the apps you build using Power Apps. This article shows how to connect to Connect Server from Power Apps and build an app based on live PCA Sales data.

CData Connect Server provides a pure SQL interface for PCA Sales, allowing you to easily integrate with live PCA Sales data in Power Apps — without replicating the data. CData Connect Server looks exactly like a SQL Server database to Power Apps and uses optimized data processing out of the box to push all supported SQL operations (filters, JOINs, etc) directly to PCA Sales, leveraging server-side processing to quickly return PCA Sales data.

Create a Virtual SQL Database for PCA Sales 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 "PCA Sales" from Available Data Sources.
3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to PCA Sales.

   In order to authenticate using the OAuth, specify the following:

   • AuthScheme: Set to OAuth.

   In order to authenticate using the OAuth Password, specify the following:

   • AuthScheme: Set to OAuthPassword.
   • User: Enter the PCA Sales username.
   • Password: Enter the PCA Sales password.
   • ServiceId: Enter the Service ID used to connect tot he PCA API server.
   • ServicePassword: Enter the Service Password for the above Service ID.

   For both authentication methods, specify the following:

   • Data Center: Enter the name for the PCA API Server.
   • Default Data Area: Enter the data area to which you want to connect.
   • Product Code: Enter "Kon20" or "Acc20."

   For more information, refer to the Help documentation.

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

Connecting to CData Connect Server

To use Connect Server to integrate PCA Sales data into your Power Apps, you need a new SQL Server connection:

1. Log in to Power Apps
2. Click Data -> Connections -> New connection
3. Select SQL Server
4. In the connection wizard:
   
   
   • Choose to connect directly
   • Set SQL server name to the address of your Connect Server instance (CONNECT_SERVER_URL)
   • Set SQL database name to the name of the virtual PCA Sales database you created earlier (like pcasalesdb)
   • Set the Username and Password and click Create

Building a Data-Centric App for PCA Sales Data

With the connection to Connect Server configured, you are ready to integrate live PCA Sales data into the apps you build in Power Apps.

1. Log in to Power Apps
2. Click Create, hover over "Start from data" and click Make this app
3. Select the SQL Server connection you created
4. Search for or choose a table to work with
5. Click Connect
6. Customize the newly created app just like you would any other, including changing the layout and setting the fields exposed in BrowseScreen, DetailScreen, and EditScreen

At this point, you have an app with read and write access to live PCA Sales data that you can save and publish for use within your organization.

SQL Access to PCA Sales Data from Applications

Now you have a direct connection to live PCA Sales data from Microsoft Power Apps. You can create more connections and apps to drive business — all without replicating PCA Sales data.

To get SQL data access to 200+ SaaS, Big Data, and NoSQL sources directly from your applications, see the CData Connect Server.