How to integrate Dropbox using Azure Data Factory (Pipeline)

Integrate Azure Data Factory (Pipeline) and Dropbox

Learn how to quickly and efficiently connect Dropbox with Azure Data Factory (Pipeline) for smooth data access.

Read and write Dropbox data effortlessly. Integrate, manage, and automate files and folders — almost no coding required. You can do it all using the high-performance Dropbox ODBC Driver for Azure Data Factory (Pipeline) (often referred to as the Dropbox Connector). 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.

Dropbox ODBC Driver Powering this integration

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

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

Documentation

Create data source using Dropbox ODBC Driver

Step-by-step instructions

To get data from Dropbox using Azure Data Factory (Pipeline), we first need to create an ODBC data source. We will later read this data in Azure Data Factory (Pipeline). Perform these steps:

Download and install ODBC PowerPack (if you haven't already).
Search for odbc and open the ODBC Data Sources (64-bit):
Create a User data source (User DSN) based on the ZappySys API Driver driver:

ZappySys API Driver
- Create and use a User DSN if the client application runs under a User Account. This is the ideal option at design time (e.g., when developing in Visual Studio). Use it for both types of applications (64-bit and 32-bit).
- Create and use a System DSN if the client application runs under a System Account (e.g., as a Windows Service). This is usually the required option in a production environment. If your Windows Service is a 32-bit application, you must use the 32-bit ODBC Data Source Administrator to configure this
When deployed to production, Azure Data Factory (Pipeline) runs under a Service Account. Therefore, for the production environment, you must create and use a System DSN.
When the Configuration window appears give your data source a name if you haven't done that already, then select "Dropbox" from the list of Popular Connectors. If "Dropbox" 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:

DropboxDSN

Dropbox

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.

User Account

Dropbox authentication

To use OAuth authentication, firstly, you need to create OAuth application:

Log into your Dropbox account.
Go to Dropbox My Apps.
Then press Create app button to create a new app:
Once a new page opens, select Scoped access option:
Next, select Full Dropbox to access all files and folders or App folder to access specific folder's files and folders option.
Continue by giving your app a name.
Then check I agree to Dropbox API Terms and Conditions checkbox.
Click Create app button.
Once a new page opens, click Enable additional teams and Enable additional users buttons:
Then copy App key and App secret and copy paste them into your favorite text editor (you will need them later).
Proceed by setting a Redirect URI and clicking Add button.
NOTE: If you don't have a working Redirect URI, you can use https://zappysys.com/oauth (it's safe).
Then click on Permissions tab and select application scopes:
Select all Individual Scopes and Team Scopes if you want to manage team data.
Click Submit button.
Now go to SSIS package or ODBC data source and in User Account authentication set these parameters:
1. For ClientId field use App key value.
2. For ClientSecret field use App secret value.
3. For ReturnUrl field use Redirect URI value.
Done! Now you are ready to use Dropbox Connector!

NOTE: If you are planning to use your current data connection/token for automated processes, we recommend that you use a generic account for token generation when the login box appears (e.g. sales_automation@mycompany.com instead of bob_smith@mycompany.com). When you use a personal account which is tied to a specific employee profile and that employee leaves the company, the token may become invalid and any automated processes using that token will fail. Another potentially unwanted effect of using a personal token is incorrect logging; the API calls (e.g. Read, Edit, Delete, Upload) made with that token will record the specific user as performing the calls instead of an automated process.

API Connection Manager configuration

Just perform these simple steps to finish authentication configuration:

Set Authentication Type to User Account [OAuth]
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.
Press Generate Token button to generate the tokens.
Finally, hit OK button:

DropboxDSN

Dropbox

User Account [OAuth]

https://api.dropboxapi.com/2/

Required Parameters
UseCustomApp	Fill-in the parameter...
ReturnUrl	Fill-in the parameter...
Optional Parameters
ClientId
ClientSecret
Scope
RetryMode	RetryWhenStatusCodeMatch
RetryStatusCodeList	429
RetryCountMax	5
RetryMultiplyWaitTime	True

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 - Dropbox

Read and write Dropbox data effortlessly. Integrate, manage, and automate files and folders — almost no coding required.

DropboxDSN
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 Azure Data Factory (Pipeline) to retrieve data from Dropbox. Hit OK button to use this query in the next step.
```
SELECT *
FROM list_folder
```
Some parameters configured in this window will be passed to the Dropbox 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 Azure Data Factory (Pipeline):
ZappySys API Driver - Dropbox

Read and write Dropbox data effortlessly. Integrate, manage, and automate files and folders — almost no coding required.

DropboxDSN
```
SELECT *
FROM list_folder
```
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 Dropbox 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 Dropbox servers).
Click OK to finish creating the data source.

Video Tutorial

Read data in Azure Data Factory (ADF) from ODBC datasource (Dropbox)

Sign in to Azure Portal
- Open your browser and go to: https://portal.azure.com
- Enter your Azure credentials and complete MFA if required.
- After login, go to Data factories.
Under Azure Data Factory Resource - Create or select the Data Factory you want to work with.
Inside the Data Factory resource page, click Launch studio.
Create a New Integration Runtime (Self-Hosted):
- In Azure Data Factory Studio, go to the Manage section (left menu).
- Under Connections, select Integration runtimes.
- Click + New to create a new integration runtime.
Select Azure, Self-Hosted option:
Select Self-Hosted option:
Set a name, we will use OnPremisesRuntime:
Download and install Microsoft Integration Runtime.
Launch Integration Runtime and copy/paste Authentication Key from Integration Runtime configuration in Azure Portal:
After finishing registering the Integration Runtime node, you should see a similar view:
Go back to Azure Portal and finish adding new Integration Runtime. You should see it was successfully added:
Create a New Linked service:
- In the Manage section (left menu).
- Under Connections, select Linked services.
- Click + New to create a new Linked service based on ODBC.
Select ODBC service:
Configure new ODBC service. Use the same DSN name we used in the previous step and copy it to Connection string box:

DropboxDSN

DSN=DropboxDSN
For created ODBC service create ODBC-based dataset:
Go to your pipeline and add Copy data connector into the flow. In Source section use OdbcDataset we created as a source dataset:
Then go to Sink section and select a destination/sink dataset. In this example we use precreated AzureBlobStorageDataset which saves data into an Azure Blob:
Finally, run the pipeline and see data being transferred from OdbcDataset to your destination dataset:

Executing SQL queries using Lookup activity

If you need to execute commands in Dropbox instead of retrieving data, use the Lookup activity for that purpose. Use this approach when you want data to be changed on the Dropbox side, but you don't need the data on your side (a "fire-and-forget" scenario).

Perform these simple steps to accomplish that:

Go to your pipeline in Azure Data Factory
Find Lookup activity in the Activities pane
Then drag-and-drop the Lookup activity onto your pipeline canvas
Click Settings tab
Select OdbcDataset in the Source dataset field
Finally, enter your SQL query in the Query text box:

SELECT * FROM list_folder WITH ( "Filter" = '$.entries[*]' )

Configuring Lookup activity in ADF pipeline to perform a command in Dropbox

Optional: Centralized data access via ZappySys Data Gateway

In some situations, you may need to provide Dropbox data access to multiple users or services. Configuring the data source on a Data Gateway creates a single, centralized connection point for this purpose.

This configuration provides two primary advantages:

Centralized data access
The data source is configured once on the gateway, eliminating the need to set it up individually on each user's machine or application. This significantly simplifies the management process.
Centralized access control
Since all connections route through the gateway, access can be governed or revoked from a single location for all users.

	Data Gateway	Local ODBC data source
Simple configuration
Installation	Single machine	Per machine
Connectivity	Local and remote	Local only
Connections limit	Limited by License	Unlimited
Central data access
Central access control
More flexible cost

To achieve this, you must first create a data source in the Data Gateway (server-side) and then create an ODBC data source in Azure Data Factory (Pipeline) (client-side) to connect to it.

Let's not wait and get going!

Create Dropbox data source in the gateway

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

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
DropboxDSN

ZappySys API Driver
When the ZappySys API Driver configuration window opens, go back to ODBC Data Source Administrator where you already have the Dropbox ODBC data source created and configured, and follow these steps on how to Import data source configuration into the Gateway:
- Open ODBC data source configuration and click Copy settings:
  
  ZappySys API Driver - Configuration [Version: 2.0.1.10418]
  
  ZappySys API Driver - Dropbox
  
  Read and write Dropbox data effortlessly. Integrate, manage, and automate files and folders — almost no coding required.
  
  DropboxDSN
- The window opens, telling us the connection string was successfully copied to the clipboard:
- Then go to Data Gateway configuration and in data source configuration window click Load settings:
  
  DropboxDSN
  
  ZappySys API Driver - Configuration [Version: 2.0.1.10418]
  
  ZappySys API Driver - Dropbox
  
  Read and write Dropbox data effortlessly. Integrate, manage, and automate files and folders — almost no coding required.
  
  DropboxDSN
- Once a window opens, just paste the settings by pressing CTRL+V or by clicking right mouse button and then Paste option.
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.

Create ODBC data source to connect to the gateway

In this part we will create an ODBC data source to connect to the ZappySys Data Gateway from Azure Data Factory (Pipeline). To achieve that, let's perform these steps:

Search for odbc and open the ODBC Data Sources (64-bit):
Create a User data source (User DSN) based on the ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server driver:

ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server

If you don't see the ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server driver in the list, choose a similar version.
Then set a Name for the data source (e.g. Gateway) and the address of the Data Gateway:

ZappySysGatewayDSN

localhost,5000

Make sure you separate the hostname and port with a comma, e.g. localhost,5000.
Proceed with the authentication part:
- Select SQL Server authentication
- In the Login ID field enter the user name you created in the Data Gateway, e.g., john
- Set Password to the one you configured in the Data Gateway
Then set the default database property to DropboxDSN (the one we used in the Data Gateway):

DropboxDSN

DropboxDSN

Make sure to type the data source name manually or copy/paste it directly into the field. Using the dropdown might fail because the Trust server certificate option is not enabled yet (next step).
Continue by checking the Trust server certificate option:
Once you do that, test the connection:
If the connection is successful, everything is good:
Done!

We are ready to move to the final step. Let's do it!

Access data in Azure Data Factory (Pipeline) via the gateway

Finally, we are ready to read data from Dropbox in Azure Data Factory (Pipeline) via the Data Gateway. Follow these final steps:

Go back to Azure Data Factory (Pipeline).
Create a New Linked service:
- In the Manage section (left menu).
- Under Connections, select Linked services.
- Click + New to create a new Linked service based on ODBC.
Select ODBC service:
Configure new ODBC service. Use the same DSN name we used in the previous step and copy it to Connection string box:

ZappySysGatewayDSN

DSN=ZappySysGatewayDSN
Read the data the same way we discussed at the beginning of this article.
That's it!

Now you can connect to Dropbox data in Azure Data Factory (Pipeline) via the Data Gateway.

If you are asked for authentication details, use Database authentication, SQL authentication or Basic authentication option and enter the credentials you used when configuring the Data Gateway, e.g. john and your password.

Supported Dropbox Connector actions

Got a specific use case in mind? We've mapped out exactly how to perform a variety of essential Dropbox operations directly in Azure Data Factory (Pipeline), 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 Dropbox in Azure Data Factory (Pipeline) and integrate data without writing complex code — all of this was powered by Dropbox 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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