How to integrate Cosmos DB using Java

Learn how to quickly and efficiently connect Cosmos DB with Java for smooth data access.

Read and write Azure Cosmos DB data effortlessly. Query, integrate, and manage databases, containers, documents, and users — almost no coding required. You can do it all using the high-performance Cosmos DB ODBC Driver for Java (often referred to as the Cosmos DB Connector). How is this possible? You will connect to the ZappySys Data Gateway, which acts as a seamless bridge between the ODBC and JDBC layers. We'll walk you through the entire setup.

Ready to dive in? Download the product to jump right in, or follow the step-by-step guide below to see how it works.

Cosmos DB ODBC Driver Powering this integration

High performance
Bidirectional
Low-code / No-code
Easy to use

Built on the ZappySys API Driver, the Cosmos DB ODBC Driver is a high-performance, low-code / no-code solution. It enables you to connect to Cosmos DB data without any coding right in your SQL Server, or any ODBC/JDBC application. Part of the ODBC PowerPack.

Documentation

Create data source in ZappySys Data Gateway

In this section we will create a data source for Cosmos DB in the Data Gateway. Let's follow these steps to accomplish that:

Download and install ODBC PowerPack (if you haven't already).
Search for gateway in the Windows Start Menu and open ZappySys Data Gateway Configuration:
Go to the Users tab and follow these steps to add a Data Gateway user:
- Click the Add button
- In the Login field enter a username, e.g., john
- Then enter a Password
- Check the Is Administrator checkbox
- Click OK to save
Now we are ready to add a data source:
- Click the Add button
- Give the Data source a name (have it handy for later)
- Then select Native - ZappySys API Driver
- Finally, click OK
CosmosDbDSN

ZappySys API Driver
When the Configuration window appears give your data source a name if you haven't done that already, then select "Cosmos DB" from the list of Popular Connectors. If "Cosmos DB" is not present in the list, then click "Search Online" and download it. Then set the path to the location where you downloaded it. Finally, click Continue >> to proceed with configuring the DSN:

CosmosDbDSN

Cosmos DB

Now it's time to configure the Connection Manager. Select Authentication Type, e.g. Token Authentication. Then select API Base URL (in most cases, the default one is the right one). More info is available in the Authentication section.

API Key

Cosmos DB authentication

Connecting to your Azure Cosmos DB data requires you to authenticate your REST API access. Follow the instructions below:

Go to your Azure portal homepage: https://portal.azure.com/.
In the search bar at the top of the homepage, enter Azure Cosmos DB. In the dropdown that appears, select Azure Cosmos DB.
Click on the name of the database account you want to connect to (also copy and paste the name of the database account for later use).
On the next page where you can see all of the database account information, look along the left side and select Keys:
On the Keys page, you will have two tabs: Read-write Keys and Read-only Keys. If you are going to write data to your database, you need to remain on the Read-write Keys tab. If you are only going to read data from your database, you should select the Read-only Keys tab.
On the Keys page, copy the PRIMARY KEY value and paste it somewhere for later use (the SECONDARY KEY value may also be copied and used).
Now go to SSIS package or ODBC data source and use this PRIMARY KEY in API Key authentication configuration.
Enter the primary or secondary key you recorded in step 6 into the Primary or Secondary Key field.
Then enter the database account you recorded in step 3 into the Database Account field.
Next, enter or select the default database you want to connect to using the Default Database field.
Continue by entering or selecting the default table (i.e. container/collection) you want to connect to using the Default Table (Container/Collection) field.
Select the Test Connection button at the bottom of the window to verify proper connectivity with your Azure Cosmos DB account.
If the connection test succeeds, select OK.
Done! Now you are ready to use Cosmos DB Connector!

API Connection Manager configuration

Just perform these simple steps to finish authentication configuration:

Set Authentication Type to API Key [Http]
Optional step. Modify API Base URL if needed (in most cases default will work).
Fill in all the required parameters and set optional parameters if needed.
Finally, hit OK button:

CosmosDbDSN

Cosmos DB

API Key [Http]

https://[$Account$].documents.azure.com

Required Parameters
Primary or Secondary Key	Fill-in the parameter...
Account Name (Case-Sensitive)	Fill-in the parameter...
Database Name (keep blank to use default) Case-Sensitive	Fill-in the parameter...
API Version	Fill-in the parameter...
Optional Parameters
Default Table (needed to invoke #DirectSQL)

Once the data source connection has been configured, it's time to configure the SQL query. Select the Preview tab and then click Query Builder button to configure the SQL query:

ZappySys API Driver - Cosmos DB

Read and write Azure Cosmos DB data effortlessly. Query, integrate, and manage databases, containers, documents, and users — almost no coding required.

CosmosDbDSN
Start by selecting the Table or Endpoint you are interested in and then configure the parameters. This will generate a query that we will use in Java to retrieve data from Cosmos DB. Hit OK button to use this query in the next step.
```
#DirectSQL SELECT * FROM root where root.id !=null order by root._ts desc
```
Some parameters configured in this window will be passed to the Cosmos DB API, e.g. filtering parameters. It means that filtering will be done on the server side (instead of the client side), enabling you to get only the meaningful data much faster.
Now hit Preview Data button to preview the data using the generated SQL query. If you are satisfied with the result, use this query in Java:
ZappySys API Driver - Cosmos DB

Read and write Azure Cosmos DB data effortlessly. Query, integrate, and manage databases, containers, documents, and users — almost no coding required.

CosmosDbDSN
```
#DirectSQL SELECT * FROM root where root.id !=null order by root._ts desc
```
You can also access data quickly from the tables dropdown by selecting <Select table>.

A WHERE clause, LIMIT keyword will be performed on the client side, meaning that the whole result set will be retrieved from the Cosmos DB API first, and only then the filtering will be applied to the data. If possible, it is recommended to use parameters in Query Builder to filter the data on the server side (in Cosmos DB servers).
Click OK to finish creating the data source.
Once done, go to the Network Settings tab and Add a firewall rule for inbound traffic:
- This will initially allow all inbound traffic.
- Click Edit IP filters to restrict access to specific IP addresses or ranges.
Crucial Step: After creating or modifying the data source, you must:
- Click the Save button to persist your changes.
- Hit Yes when prompted to restart the Data Gateway service.
This ensures all changes are properly applied:

Skipping this step may cause the new settings to fail, preventing you from connecting to the data source.

Read data in Java from the DSN

Java code to get the data:

"jdbc:sqlserver://localhost:5000;databasename=CosmosDbDSN;user=john;password=test"
When you run the code it will make the API call and read the data:

Here is Java program's code in text format:


//Step-1: Install ZappySys ODBC PowerPack and Configure Data Gateway

//Step-2:Assuming the Microsoft SQL Server JDBC Driver is in below folder
//C:\Program Files\Microsoft Jdbc Driver 6.0 for SQL Server\sqljdbc_6.0\enu\auth\x64
package padaone;

import java.sql.*;

public class zappy {

    public static void main(String[] args) {

        // Create a variable for the connection string.
        String connectionUrl = "jdbc:sqlserver://localhost:5000;databasename=CosmosDbDSN;user=test;password=test";

        // Declare the JDBC objects.
        Connection con = null;
        Statement stmt = null;
        ResultSet rs = null;

            try {
                // Establish the connection.
                Class.forName("com.microsoft.sqlserver.jdbc.SQLServerDriver");
                con = DriverManager.getConnection(connectionUrl);

                // Create and execute an SQL statement that returns some data.
                String SQL = "SELECT Country , SUM(UnitPrice * Quantity) Total " 
                           + "FROM value " 
                           + "GROUP BY Country "
                           + "WITH (SRC='https://services.odata.org/V3/Northwind/Northwind.svc/Invoices?$format=json')";
                stmt = con.createStatement();
                rs = stmt.executeQuery(SQL);

                // Iterate through the data in the result set and display it.
                while (rs.next()) {
                    System.out.println(rs.getString(1) + " " + rs.getString(2));
                }
            }

        // Handle any errors that may have occurred.
        catch (Exception e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        } 
        
        finally {
            if (rs != null) try { rs.close(); } catch (Exception e) {}
            if (stmt != null) try { stmt.close(); } catch (Exception e) {}
            if (con != null) try { con.close(); } catch (Exception e) {}
        }
    }
}

Supported Cosmos DB Connector actions

Got a specific use case in mind? We've mapped out exactly how to perform a variety of essential Cosmos DB operations directly in Java, so you don't have to figure out the setup from scratch. Check out the step-by-step guides below:

Conclusion

In this article we showed you how to connect to Cosmos DB in Java and integrate data without writing complex code — all of this was powered by Cosmos DB ODBC Driver.

Download ODBC PowerPack now or ping us via chat if you have any questions or are looking for a specific feature (you can also reach out to us by submitting a ticket):

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