Azure Blob CSV File Connector for UiPath

In this article you will learn how to integrate Azure Blob CSV File data in UiPath without coding in just a few clicks (live / bi-directional connection to Azure Blob CSV File). Azure Blob CSV File Connector can be used to read CSV Files stored in Azure Blob Container. Using this you can easily integrate Azure Blob Storage CSV File data. It's supports latest security standards, and optimized for large data files. It also supports reading compressed files (e.g. GZip /Zip)..

Using Azure Blob CSV File Connector you will be able to connect, read, and write data from within UiPath. Follow the steps below to see how we would accomplish that.

Download Documentation

Create ODBC Data Source (DSN) based on ZappySys Azure Blob CSV Driver

Step-by-step instructions

To get data from Azure Blob CSV File using UiPath we first need to create a DSN (Data Source) which will access data from Azure Blob CSV File. We will later be able to read data using UiPath. Perform these steps:

  1. Install ZappySys ODBC PowerPack.

  2. Open ODBC Data Sources (x64):
    Open ODBC Data Source

  3. Create a User Data Source (User DSN) based on ZappySys Azure Blob CSV Driver

    ZappySys Azure Blob CSV Driver
    Create new User DSN for ZappySys Azure Blob CSV Driver
    You should create a System DSN (instead of a User DSN) if the client application is launched under a Windows System Account, e.g. as a Windows Service. If the client application is 32-bit (x86) running with a System DSN, use ODBC Data Sources (32-bit) instead of the 64-bit version.
  4. Create and configure a connection for the Azure Blob storage account.

    Create Azure Blob Storage Connection
  5. You can use select your desired single file by clicking [...] path button.

    mybucket/dbo.tblNames.csv
    dbo.tblNames.csv
    Read Azure Blob CSV File data


    ----------OR----------

    You can also read the multiple files stored in Azure Blob Storage using wildcard pattern supported e.g. dbo.tblNames*.csv.

    Note: If you want to operation with multiple files then use wild card pattern as below 
    (when you use wild card pattern in source path then system will treat target path as folder regardless you end with slash)
    
    mybucket/dbo.tblNames.csv (will read only single .CSV file)
    mybucket/dbo.tbl*.csv (all files starting with file name)
    mybucket/*.csv (all files with .csv Extension and located under folder subfolder)
    

    mybucket/dbo.tblNames*.csv
    Use wildcard pattern .* to read multiple Azure Blob Files data


    ----------OR----------

    You can also read the zip and gzip compressed files also without extracting it in using Azure Blob CSV Source File Task.

    mybucket/dbo.tblNames*.gz
    Reading zip and gzip compressed files (stream mode)
  6. Navigate to the Preview Tab and let's explore the different modes available to access the data.

    1. --- Using Direct Query ---

      Click on Preview Tab, Select Table from Tables Dropdown and select [value] and click Preview.
      ZappySys ODBC Driver - Preview Data
    2. --- Using Stored Procedure ---

      Note : For this you have to Save ODBC Driver configuration and then again reopen to configure same driver. For more information click here.
      Click on the Custom Objects Tab, Click on Add button and select Add Procedure and Enter an appropriate name and Click on OK button to create.
      ZappySys ODBC Driver - Custom Objects
      1. --- Without Parameters ---

        Now Stored Procedure can be created with or without parameters (see example below). If you use parameters then Set default value otherwise it may fail to compilation)
        ZappySys ODBC Driver : Without Parameters
      2. --- With Parameters ---

        Note : Here you can use Placeholder with Paramters in Stored Procedure. Example : SELECT * FROM $ WHERE OrderID = '<@OrderID, FUN_TRIM>' or CustId = '<@CustId>' and Total >= '<@Total>'
        ZappySys ODBC Driver : With Parameters
    3. --- Using Virtual Table ---

      Note : For this you have to Save ODBC Driver configuration and then again reopen to configure same driver. For more information click here.

      ZappySys APi Drivers support flexible Query language so you can override Default Properties you configured on Data Source such as URL, Body. This way you don't have to create multiple Data Sources if you like to read data from multiple EndPoints. However not every application support supplying custom SQL to driver so you can only select Table from list returned from driver.

      Many applications like MS Access, Informatica Designer wont give you option to specify custom SQL when you import Objects. In such case Virtual Table is very useful. You can create many Virtual Tables on the same Data Source (e.g. If you have 50 Buckets with slight variations you can create virtual tables with just URL as Parameter setting).

      vt__Customers
      DataPath=mybucket_1/customers.csv
      
      vt__Orders
      DataPath=mybucket_2/orders.csv
      
      vt__Products
      DataPath=mybucket_3/products.csv
      
      1. Click on the Custom Objects Tab, Click on Add button and select Add Table and Enter an appropriate name and Click on OK button to create.
        ZappySys ODBC Driver - Custom Objects
      2. Once you see Query Builder Window on screen Configure it.
        ZappySys ODBC Driver - Custom Objects : Virtual Table Query Builder
      3. Click on Preview Tab, Select Virtual Table(prefix with vt__) from Tables Dropdown or write SQL query with Virtual Table name and click Preview.
        ZappySys ODBC Driver - Custom Objects : Virtual Table Query Execute

  7. Click OK to finish creating the data source

  8. That's it; we are done. In a few clicks we configured the to Read the Azure Blob CSV File data using ZappySys Azure Blob CSV File Connector

Read Azure Blob CSV File data in UiPath Studio (workstation)

Here we will be reading Azure Blob CSV File data on your workstation. To accomplish that we will create and run UiPath process package locally. Later on, we'll explore how to publish the package to Orchestrator and run it remotely. For now, let's focus on working locally and get started!

  1. Open UiPath Studio.
  2. Before we really begin the work, make sure UiPath Studio is set as your profile (blue application icon).
  3. In case, it is set to UiPath StudioX, you can change it in UiPath StudioX Settings: Choosing UiPath Studio profile Simply select UiPath Studio option: Choosing UiPath Studio profile
  4. Start by creating a new project based on UiPath Process template: Creating new process in UiPath Studio to import ODBC data
  5. Add Run Query activity in Main Sequence box: Adding ODBC data source in UiPath Studio
  6. Click Configure Connection... button to create an ODBC connection: Configuring ODBC data source in UiPath in Run Query activity
  7. Continue by clicking Connection Wizard: Using connection wizard to setup ODBC source in UiPath Studio
  8. When the window opens, select ODBC-based driver, provider, and then choose ODBC data source:
    AzureBlobCsvFileDSN
    AzureBlobCsvFileDSN
    Choosing ODBC DSN in UiPath Studio connection wizard
    You can also select Use connection string option and use whole ODBC connection string instead. Obtain the connection string by pressing Copy Settings button in your data source configuration.
  9. Once you do that, it's time to configure a SQL query: Inputting SQL query for ODBC data source in UiPath Studio
    Make sure, you enclose the query in double quotes!
  10. Proceed by adding a Write CSV activity after Run Query: Adding Write CSV activity to write ODBC data in UiPath
    In this article we are using Write CSV, but you can freely add any other destination of your choice, e.g. Write DataTable to Excel.
  11. Once you do that, configure the added Write CSV, this will write Azure Blob CSV File data to a CSV file: Configuring Write CSV activity to write ODBC data in UiPath
  12. It's time for fun! Which means it's time for debugging! Just run the package locally to debug: Running UiPath process package to get ODBC data
  13. Finally, ensure there are no execution errors! Successful UiPath package debugging

Run UiPath package using Orchestrator (via robot)

UiPath also offers the ability to execute packages remotely using Orchestrator and a robot. This is achieved by publishing the package to UiPath Orchestrator, installing UiPath Assistant on the remote machine, connecting it to Orchestrator, enabling us to run the package remotely. It may sound complicated at first glance, but further steps will clear things out. Let's not waste our precious time and delve into the details!

Publish process package from UiPath Studio

  1. First of all, open the UiPath process package we created in the previous step
  2. Set the option that our process package Starts in Background: Marking UiPath process package to start in background
  3. We are ready to Publish it: Publishing UiPath process package to read ODBC data
  4. Make sure, you publish it to the Shared folder in UiPath Orchestrator Tenant workspace: Setting package publishing path in UiPath Studio
  5. Finally, success! We are ready for the next step - creating UiPath robot - so we can automate the job: Great news! The UiPath package is now published

Create robot in UiPath Orchestrator

  1. First of all, let's open UiPath Orchestrator from UiPath Automation Cloud console: Opening UiPath Orchestrator
  2. It's time to create a robot, which will run unattended packages: Creating unattended setup in UiPath Orchestrator
  3. But first we have to create a runtime. Choose to host our robot on-premise, not in UiPath infrastructure: Creating self-hosted robot in UiPath Orchestrator
  4. Let's move along and Create new machine template, this will create a machine in UiPath Orchestrator: Creating new machine template in UiPath Orchestrator
  5. Configure the machine to run in Production environment: Adding machine template in UiPath Orchestrator
  6. We are ready to Create new robot account in the new machine: Creating new robot account in UiPath Orchestrator
  7. Let's make our robot to work only on background automations: Configuring new robot account in UiPath Orchestrator
  8. Continue by selecting newly created robot: Selecting robot account in UiPath Orchestrator
  9. Select Shared folder, so that everyone in the team can benefit from it: Selecting folder for robot in UiPath Orchestrator
    This is the folder where we published our UiPath process package "MyProcess"
  10. We are almost done! We are given machine Client ID and Client secret which we will use to connect UiPath Assistant to our created machine in Orchestrator. Let's leave this open for a while and see how we can do it in the next step. Configuring machine template, Client ID, and Secret in UiPath Orchestrator

Connect UiPath Assistant to Orchestrator

We are ready to connect UiPath Assistant to the machine we created in Orchestrator. UiPath Assistant will run our package in a remote machine. Let's connect it and give it some work!

  1. Connect to a remote machine (where your UiPath process package will be running).
  2. Install UiPath Studio there.
  3. Then configure ODBC data source:

    If you chose Use user or system data source option in connection configuration, when creating UiPath process package, then create an identical ODBC data source on the same remote machine. Use the same configuration as the one created in your workstation in the first step.

    Use Copy Settings and Load Settings buttons to make your life easier. They will help you to transfer settings between different ODBC data sources.

    If you chose Use connection string option, then you don't have to do anything. However, you still have to install ODBC PowerPack on the remote machine.

  4. Continue by opening UiPath Assistant and going to Preferences: Configuring UiPath Assistant to read ODBC data
  5. Find Orchestrator Settings menu item and click it: Configuring Orchestrator settings in UiPath Assistant
  6. And here even bigger fun begins! But fear not, all you have to do is open your web browser window with Client ID & Client secret we obtained in the previous step and simply copy and paste those values into UiPath Assistant. Also, don't forget to configure Orchestrator URL: Configuring Client ID and Secret in UiPath Assistant
  7. Finally, we get rewarded for the hard work with the Connected as Unattended status: Successfully connecting UiPath Assistant to get ODBC data

Create and run UiPath process in Orchestrator

We are at the finish line! Let's create and run UiPath process. This will execute the package on your remote machine using the UiPath Assistant configured earlier.

  1. First of all, open UiPath Orchestrator from UiPath Automation Cloud console.
  2. Then proceed by going to Process in Shared folder: Going to Processes to create UiPath process
  3. Continue by simply clicking on Add process button: Creating UiPath process in UiPath Orchestrator
  4. Select the process package we created in UiPath Studio: Selecting UiPath package in UiPathp process
  5. Rest a while, and just hit Next, unless your package has requirements: Configuring UiPath package requirements (optional)
  6. Then simply hit Create button: Naming UiPath process and setting priority
  7. But let's not stop here and Start the process by creating a job right away: Finishing creating UiPath process to get Azure Blob CSV File Data
  8. Use the same Production runtime we created before and hit Start: Starting UiPath job
  9. We've reached the final step! In the CSV destination file or destination of your choice you should see Azure Blob CSV File data: Successfully running UiPath job

Advanced topics

Create Custom Stored Procedure in ZappySys Driver

You can create procedures to encapsulate custom logic and then only pass handful parameters rather than long SQL to execute your API call.

Steps to create Custom Stored Procedure in ZappySys Driver. You can insert Placeholders anywhere inside Procedure Body. Read more about placeholders here

  1. Go to Custom Objects Tab and Click on Add button and Select Add Procedure:
    ZappySys Driver - Add Stored Procedure

  2. Enter the desired Procedure name and click on OK:
    ZappySys Driver - Add Stored Procedure Name

  3. Select the created Stored Procedure and write the your desired stored procedure and Save it and it will create the custom stored procedure in the ZappySys Driver:
    Here is an example stored procedure for ZappySys Driver. You can insert Placeholders anywhere inside Procedure Body. Read more about placeholders here

    CREATE PROCEDURE [usp_get_orders]
        @fromdate = '<<yyyy-MM-dd,FUN_TODAY>>'
     AS
        SELECT * FROM Orders where OrderDate >= '<@fromdate>';
    

    ZappySys Driver - Create Custom Stored Procedure

  4. That's it now go to Preview Tab and Execute your Stored Procedure using Exec Command. In this example it will extract the orders from the date 1996-01-01:

    Exec usp_get_orders '1996-01-01';

    ZappySys Driver - Execute Custom Stored Procedure

  5. Let's generate the SQL Server Query Code to make the API call using stored procedure. Go to Code Generator Tab, select language as SQL Server and click on Generate button the generate the code.
    As we already created the linked server for this Data Source, in that you just need to copy the Select Query and need to use the linked server name which we have apply on the place of [MY_API_SERVICE] placeholder.

    SELECT * FROM OPENQUERY([MY_API_SERVICE], 'EXEC usp_get_orders @fromdate=''1996-07-30''')

    ZappySys Driver - Generate SQL Server Query

  6. Now go to SQL served and execute that query and it will make the API call using stored procedure and provide you the response.
    ZappySys Driver - Generate SQL Server Query

Create Custom Virtual Table in ZappySys Driver

ZappySys API Drivers support flexible Query language so you can override Default Properties you configured on Data Source such as URL, Body. This way you don't have to create multiple Data Sources if you like to read data from multiple EndPoints. However not every application support supplying custom SQL to driver so you can only select Table from list returned from driver.

If you're dealing with Microsoft Access and need to import data from an SQL query, it's important to note that Access doesn't allow direct import of SQL queries. Instead, you can create custom objects (Virtual Tables) to handle the import process.

Many applications like MS Access, Informatica Designer wont give you option to specify custom SQL when you import Objects. In such case Virtual Table is very useful. You can create many Virtual Tables on the same Data Source (e.g. If you have 50 URLs with slight variations you can create virtual tables with just URL as Parameter setting.

  1. Go to Custom Objects Tab and Click on Add button and Select Add Table:
    ZappySys Driver - Add Table

  2. Enter the desired Table name and click on OK:
    ZappySys Driver - Add Table Name

  3. And it will open the New Query Window Click on Cancel to close that window and go to Custom Objects Tab.

  4. Select the created table, Select Text Type AS SQL and write the your desired SQL Query and Save it and it will create the custom table in the ZappySys Driver:
    Here is an example SQL query for ZappySys Driver. You can insert Placeholders also. Read more about placeholders here

    SELECT
      "ShipCountry",
      "OrderID",
      "CustomerID",
      "EmployeeID",
      "OrderDate",
      "RequiredDate",
      "ShippedDate",
      "ShipVia",
      "Freight",
      "ShipName",
      "ShipAddress",
      "ShipCity",
      "ShipRegion",
      "ShipPostalCode"
    FROM "Orders"
    Where "ShipCountry"='USA'

    ZappySys Driver - Create Custom Table

  5. That's it now go to Preview Tab and Execute your custom virtual table query. In this example it will extract the orders for the USA Shipping Country only:

    SELECT * FROM "vt__usa_orders_only"

    ZappySys Driver - Execute Custom Virtual Table Query

  6. Let's generate the SQL Server Query Code to make the API call using stored procedure. Go to Code Generator Tab, select language as SQL Server and click on Generate button the generate the code.
    As we already created the linked server for this Data Source, in that you just need to copy the Select Query and need to use the linked server name which we have apply on the place of [MY_API_SERVICE] placeholder.

    SELECT * FROM OPENQUERY([MY_API_SERVICE], 'EXEC [usp_get_orders] ''1996-01-01''')

    ZappySys Driver - Generate SQL Server Query

  7. Now go to SQL served and execute that query and it will make the API call using stored procedure and provide you the response.
    ZappySys Driver - Generate SQL Server Query

Conclusion

In this article we discussed how to connect to Azure Blob CSV File in UiPath and integrate data without any coding. Click here to Download Azure Blob CSV File Connector for UiPath and try yourself see how easy it is. If you still have any question(s) then ask here or simply click on live chat icon below and ask our expert (see bottom-right corner of this page).

Download Azure Blob CSV File Connector for UiPath Documentation 

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