Google Analytics Connector for Informatica

Introduction

JSON / REST API is becoming more and more popular each day as everyone embrace cloud-centric services. This article is primarily focused on Informatica users who want to access Google Analytics data or may be other API Integration in Informatica. However many tips and techniques described in this article will help you to understand how to integrate Google Analytics / XML SOAP / JSON / REST API in other ETL / Reporting apps such as Tableau, Power BI, SSRS, Talend, Excel and many more.

After going through this article you will learn how to Read Google Analytics / JSON / REST API data in Informatica and understand the concept of JSON / REST API. We will go through many screenshots and step-by-step examples to demonstrate  Google Analytics or REST API integration in Informatica PowerCenter.

XML / JSON can come from a local file or REST API service (internal or public) so we will include both examples in this article (i.e. Read JSON files in Informatica,  Import REST API in Informatica). So let’s get started. Next article will focus on how to write data to API in Informatica (POST / PUT data)

Requirements

This article assumes that you have full filled following basic requirements.

1. Download Install ZappySys ODBC PowerPack (API Driver for Google Analytics included)
2. Install Informatica PowerCenter Client Tools (e.g. Workflow and Mapping Designers)
3. Access to a Relational database such as SQL Server (or use any of your choice e.g. Oracle, MySQL, DB2 ). If nothing available then you can use flat file target.

High level Steps for Import Google Analytics data using Informatica (Read Google Analytics API data)

Before we dive deep to learn how to load Google Analytics data in Informatica (i.e. Google Analytics to SQL Table), Here the summary of high-level steps you need to perform to import Google Analytics in Informatica (same steps for Import JSON / XML / REST API).

1. Download and Install ZappySys API Driver (for connecting to Google Analytics)
2. Create ODBC DSN using ZappySys API driver and choose Google Analytics Connector during Wizard
3. Create Relational > ODBC Connection in Informatica Workflow designer (Point to DSN we created in the previous step)
4. Import Google Analytics Source Definition in the Informatica Mapping Designer > Sources Tab
5. Import Target Table Definition in the Informatica Mapping Designer > Targets Tab
6. Create source to target mapping in Mappings tab
7. Save mapping (name m_API_to_SQL_Load )
8. Create Session using the mapping we created in the previous step
9. Save Workflow and execute to load Google Analytics data into SQL Table. Verify your data and log.
   

   Loading Google Analytics data to SQL Table in Informatica (Import REST API or JSON Files)

Video Tutorial – Read any API / JSON data in Informatica (Load Google Analytics to SQL Table)

Getting Started – Import Google Analytics to SQL Server in Informatica

Now let’s get started. For example purpose, we will read data from Google Analytics and load data into SQL Server Table using Informatica Workflow.

Create ODBC Data Source (DSN) based on

Step-by-step instructions

To get data from Google Analytics using Informatica we first need to create a DSN (Data Source) which will access data from Google Analytics. We will later be able to read data using Informatica. Perform these steps:

1. Download and install ODBC PowerPack.

2. Open ODBC Data Sources (x64):

   

3. Create a User data source (User DSN) based on :

   
   • Create and use User DSN if the client application is run under a User Account. This is an ideal option in design-time, when developing a solution, e.g. in Visual Studio 2019. Use it for both type of applications - 64-bit and 32-bit.
   • Create and use System DSN if the client application is launched under a System Account, e.g. as a Windows Service. Usually, this is an ideal option to use in a production environment. Use ODBC Data Source Administrator (32-bit), instead of 64-bit version, if Windows Service is a 32-bit application.

4. When the Configuration window appears give your data source a name if you haven't done that already, then select "Google Analytics" from the list of Popular Connectors. If "Google Analytics" 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:

   GoogleAnalyticsDSN

   Google Analytics

   

5. 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.

   OAuth Authentication

   Google Analytics authentication

   Amazon OAuth Security Profile has be created in Amazon Developer portal. [API reference]

   1. Firstly, login into Amazon Developer portal in https://developer.amazon.com.
   2. Then click Sign in.
   3. If you don't have an account, press Create your Amazon Developer account button to create one.
   4. Once logged in, click on your profile icon on the right-top of the window and hit Settings:
   5. Then click Security Profiles and proceed with creating a new Security Profile:
   
   6. After that, click Web Settings subtab, then hit Show Secret button to reveal the Client Secret (you will need it later), and click Edit to add a Redirect URL:
   
   7. Continue by setting Allowed Return URLs (you can have your own or use https://zappysys.com/oauth):
   8. Done! Now you can use Client ID, Client Secret, and Redirect URL when configuring OAuth Authentication parameters:

   API Connection Manager configuration

   Just perform these simple steps to finish authentication configuration:

   1. Set Authentication Type to OAuth Authentication [OAuth]
   2. Optional step. Modify API Base URL if needed (in most cases default will work).
   3. Fill in all the required parameters and set optional parameters if needed.
   4. Press Generate Token button to generate the tokens.
   5. Finally, hit OK button:

   GoogleAnalyticsDSN

   Google Analytics

   OAuth Authentication [OAuth]

   https://advertising-api.amazon.com/v2

   Required Parameters
   ClientId	Fill-in the parameter...
   ClientSecret	Fill-in the parameter...
   AuthorizationUrl	Fill-in the parameter...
   ReturnUrl	Fill-in the parameter...
   Scope	Fill-in the parameter...
   Profile (click 'Generate Token' before this)	Fill-in the parameter...
   Optional Parameters
   RetryMode	RetryWhenStatusCodeMatch
   RetryStatusCodeList	429
   RetryCountMax	5
   RetryMultiplyWaitTime	True

   

6. 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:

   

   - Google Analytics

   Google Analytics Connector can be used to read data from Google Analytics Service without learning complex API. Easy to use interface allows you extract large amount of data adjusting parameters such as dimensions, metrics, filters, sortby, date range etc. You can also use inbuilt reports or specify direct query URL to get desired data.

   GoogleAnalyticsDSN

   

7. 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 Informatica to retrieve data from Google Analytics. Hit OK button to use this query in the next step.

   SELECT * FROM Orders

   
   Some parameters configured in this window will be passed to the Google Analytics 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.

8. 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 Informatica:

   

   - Google Analytics

   Google Analytics Connector can be used to read data from Google Analytics Service without learning complex API. Easy to use interface allows you extract large amount of data adjusting parameters such as dimensions, metrics, filters, sortby, date range etc. You can also use inbuilt reports or specify direct query URL to get desired data.

   GoogleAnalyticsDSN

   SELECT * FROM Orders

   
   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 Google Analytics 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 Google Analytics servers).

9. Click OK to finish creating the data source.

Create Connection in Informatica Workflow Designer

Once you create DSN using API Driver our next step is to define a connection for Google Analytics source in Informatica PowerCenter Workflow designer.

1. Open Workflow designer [W] icon
2. Goto Connections > Relational
   

   Create a new connection for Google Analytics in Informatica

3. Click New and select ODBC
   

   Select ODBC connection type in Informatica (Using ZappySys API ODBC DSN)

4. Now on the ODBC connection setup enter connection name, some fake userid / password (this is a required field but its ignored by JSON Driver)
5. In the Connection String field enter the exact same name of DSN (Open ODBC Data Sources UI to confirm)
   

   Configure Google Analytics connection in Informatica for REST API – Using ZappySys API Driver

6. Click OK to close the connection properties.

That’s it. Now we ready to move to next step (define source and target in Mapping Designer).

Import Google Analytics Source Definition in Informatica Mapping Designer

Now let’s look at steps to import Google Analytics table definition.

1. Open Informatica Mapping Designer (Click [D] icon)

2. Click on Source Icon to switch to Sources designer

3. From the top menu > Click on Sources > Import from Database …

   

   Import Google Analytics Source definition in Informatica Mapping Designer (JSON file or REST API)

4. Select ODBC data source from the dropdown (Find out DSN we created earlier to use as JSON Source)

5. Click Connect button to get a list of tables. Any array node is listed as a table. Also, you will see array node with parent columns (e.g. value_with_parent). You may get some warning like below but they are harmless so just ignore by clicking OK.

   DLL name entry missing from C:\Informatica\PowerCenter8.6.1\client\bin\powrmart.ini Section = ODBCDLL Entry = ZappySys JSON Driver
   —————————————————-
   Using EXTODBC.DLL to support ZappySys JSON Driver. For native support of ZappySys JSON Driver make an entry in the .ini file.
   

   Select Google Analytics Source Table in Informatica Mapping Designer (JSON file or REST API)

6. Select Table you wish to get (You can filter rows by custom SQL query. We will see later in this article how to do)
7. Optionally once table structure is imported you can rename it
   

   Rename imported table definition in Informatica Source Designer

8. That’s it, we are now ready to perform similar steps to import Target table structure in the next section.

Import SQL Server Target Definition in Informatica Mapping Designer

Now let’s look at steps to import Target table definition (very similar to the previous section, the only difference is this time we will select DSN which points to SQL Server or any other Target Server).

Now lets look at steps to import target table definition in Informatica mapping designer.

1. In the Mapping Designer, Click on Target Icon to switch to Target designer
2. From the top menu > Click on Targets > Import from Database …
3. Select DSN for your Target server (if DSN doesn’t exist then create one by opening ODBC Sources just like we created one for JSON API source (see the previous section about creating DSN).
   

   Import target Table Definition in informatica

4. Enter your userid , password and Schema name and click Connect to see tables
5. Select Table name to and click OK import definition.
   

   Import Target SQL Table Definition in Informatica – Select table from the list

Create Source to Target Mapping in Informatica (Import JSON to SQL Server)

Once you have imported source and target table definition, we can create mapping and transformation to load data from JSON to SQL Table.

1. First open Mapping Designer (Click [D] icon)
2. Drag JSON Source from sources folder
3. Drag SQL Table from Targets folder
4. Map desired columns from Source to target
   

   Define Source to Target mapping for Google Analytics to SQL Table load in Informatica

5. For certain columns you may have to do datatype conversion. For example to convert OrderDate form nstring to DataTime you have to use Expression Transform like below and map it to target. In below example, our JSON has date format (e.g. 2018-01-31 12:00:00 AM ). To import this to DateTime field in SQL server we need to convert it using TO_DATE function. Use double quotes around T to make this format working.
   

   TO_DATE(OrderDate,'YYYY-MM-DD H12:MI:SS AM')
   
    --For ISO use below way
           TO_DATE(OrderDate,'YYYY-MM-DD"T"HH24:MI:SS')

   

   Informatica Google Analytics to SQL Table Mapping – Datatype conversion (nstring to datetime)

6. Once you done with mapping save your mapping and name it (i.e. m_Api_To_SQL)
7. Now lets move to next section to create workflow.

Create Workflow and Session in Informatica

Now the final step is to create a new workflow. Perform following steps to create workflow which with a session task to import JSON data into SQL table.

1. Open workflow designer by click [W] icon.
2. Launch new workflow creation wizard by click Workflow top menu >  Wizard
   name your workflow (e.g. wf_Api_Tp_Sql_Table_Import)
   

   Creating Informatica Workflow – Wizard UI (Import Google Analytics data to SQL Table)

3. Finish the wizard and double-click the Session to edit some default properties.
4. First change Error settings so we fail session on error (By default its always green)
   

   Fail Informatica Session on error (Google Analytics data to SQL Load)

5. Select JSON connection for Source
   

   Select Google Analytics Source Connection in Informatica – Load Google Analytics data to SQL Table

6. Change default Source query if needed. You can pass parameters to this query to make it dynamic.
   

   Modify Google Analytics Source SQL query – Pass parameters, change URL, set filter etc

7. Select Target connection of SQL Target Table
   

   Select SQL Target Connection in Informatica – Load Google Analytics data to SQL Table

8. Save workflow
9. That’s it. We ready to run our first workflow to load JSON data to SQL.

Execute Workflow and Validate Log in Informatica

Now once you are done with your workflow, execute it to see the log.

Loading Google Analytics data to SQL Table in Informatica (Import REST API or JSON Files)

POST data to Google Analytics in Informatica

There will be a time when you like to send Source data to REST API or SOAP Web Service. You can use below Query for example. For detailed explanation on how to POST data in Informatica check this article .

Video Tutorial – How to POST data to REST API in Informatica

Here is detailed step by step video on REST API POST in informatica PowerCenter

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Centralized data access via Data Gateway

In some situations, you may need to provide Google Analytics 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.

If you need any of these requirements, you will have to create a data source in Data Gateway to connect to Google Analytics, and to create an ODBC data source to connect to Data Gateway in Informatica.

Let's not wait and get going!

Creating Google Analytics data source in Gateway

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

1. Search for gateway in Windows Start Menu and open ZappySys Data Gateway Configuration:

   

2. Go to Users tab and follow these steps to add a Data Gateway user:

   • Click Add button
   • In Login field enter username, e.g., john
   • Then enter a Password
   • Check Is Administrator checkbox
   • Click OK to save
   

3. Now we are ready to add a data source:

   • Click Add button
   • Give Datasource a name (have it handy for later)
   • Then select Native -
   • Finally, click OK
   GoogleAnalyticsDSN

   

4. When the configuration window opens, configure the Data Source the same way you configured it in ODBC Data Sources (64-bit), in the beginning of this article.

5. Very important step. Now, after creating or modifying the data source make sure you:

   • Click the Save button to persist your changes.
   • Hit Yes, once asked if you want to restart the Data Gateway service.

   This will ensure all changes are properly applied:

   
   Skipping this step may result in the new settings not taking effect and, therefore you will not be able to connect to the data source.

Creating ODBC data source for Data Gateway

In this part we will create ODBC data source to connect to Data Gateway from Informatica. To achieve that, let's perform these steps:

1. Open ODBC Data Sources (x64):

   

2. Create a User data source (User DSN) based on ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server:

   ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server

   
   If you don't see ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server driver in the list, choose a similar version driver.

3. Then set a Name of the data source (e.g. Gateway) and the address of the Data Gateway:

   GatewayDSN

   localhost,5000

   
   Make sure you separate the hostname and port with a comma, e.g. localhost,5000.

4. Proceed with authentication part:

   • Select SQL Server authentication
   • In Login ID field enter the user name you used in Data Gateway, e.g., john
   • Set Password to the one you configured in Data Gateway
   

5. Then set the default database property to GoogleAnalyticsDSN (the one we used in Data Gateway):

   GoogleAnalyticsDSN

   

6. Continue by checking Trust server certificate option:

   

7. Once you do that, test the connection:

   

8. If connection is successful, everything is good:

   

9. Done!

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

Accessing data in Informatica via Data Gateway

Finally, we are ready to read data from Google Analytics in Informatica via Data Gateway. Follow these final steps:

1. Go back to Informatica.

2. Open Informatica Mapping Designer (Click [D] icon)

3. Click on Source Icon to switch to Sources designer

4. From the top menu > Click on Sources > Import from Database …

   

   Import Google Analytics Source definition in Informatica Mapping Designer (JSON file or REST API)

5. Select ODBC data source from the dropdown (Find out DSN we created earlier to use as JSON Source)

6. Click Connect button to get a list of tables. Any array node is listed as a table. Also, you will see array node with parent columns (e.g. value_with_parent). You may get some warning like below but they are harmless so just ignore by clicking OK.

   DLL name entry missing from C:\Informatica\PowerCenter8.6.1\client\bin\powrmart.ini Section = ODBCDLL Entry = ZappySys JSON Driver
   —————————————————-
   Using EXTODBC.DLL to support ZappySys JSON Driver. For native support of ZappySys JSON Driver make an entry in the .ini file.
   

   Select Google Analytics Source Table in Informatica Mapping Designer (JSON file or REST API)

7. Read the data the same way we discussed at the beginning of this article.

8. That's it!

Now you can connect to Google Analytics data in Informatica via the Data Gateway.

Conclusion

In this article we showed you how to connect to Google Analytics in Informatica and integrate data without any coding, saving you time and effort.

We encourage you to download Google Analytics Connector for Informatica and see how easy it is to use it for yourself or your team.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact ZappySys support team. You can also open a live chat immediately by clicking on the chat icon below.

Download Google Analytics Connector for Informatica Documentation

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