JDBC-ODBC Bridge Connector for Power BI

In this article you will learn how to quickly and efficiently integrate JDBC-ODBC Bridge data in Power BI without coding. We will use high-performance JDBC-ODBC Bridge Connector to easily connect to JDBC-ODBC Bridge and then access the data inside Power BI.

JDBC-ODBC Bridge driver can be used to consume data from any JDBC Driver in non JAVA apps (i.e. Excel, Power BI, C#). Many apps written in C++ or .net (e.g. Excel, Power BI, Informatica) which don’t have direct support for using JAVA based JDBC driver technology.

Let's follow the steps below to see how we can accomplish that!

Download Documentation

Video Tutorial - Integrate JDBC-ODBC Bridge data in Power BI

This video covers following and more so watch carefully. After watching this video follow the steps described in this article.

  • How to download / install required driver for JDBC-ODBC Bridge integration in Power BI
  • How to configure connection for JDBC-ODBC Bridge
  • Features about JDBC Driver (Authentication / Query Language / Examples / Driver UI)
  • Using JDBC-ODBC Bridge Connection in Power BI

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you meet the following prerequisite:

If you already have a JRE installed, you can try using it too. However, if you experience any issues, we recommend using one of the distributions mentioned above (you can install an additional JRE next to the existing one; just don't forget to configure the default Java in the Windows Environment Variables).

Download your Java application JDBC driver

To connect to your Java application in Power BI, you will have to download JDBC driver for it, which we will use in later steps. Let's perform these two little steps right away:

  1. Visit Maven Repository portal, which is a central location for downloading Java libraries.
  2. Download your Java application JDBC driver matching your running instance version and save it locally, e.g. to D:\Drivers\JDBC\app-jdbc.jar.
  3. Done! That was easy, wasn't it? Let's proceed to the next step.
It is recommended to use JDBC driver compiled for Java 8, if possible.

Create ODBC Data Source (DSN) based on ZappySys JDBC Driver

Step-by-step instructions

To get data from JDBC-ODBC Bridge using Power BI we first need to create a DSN (Data Source) which will access data from JDBC-ODBC Bridge. We will later be able to read data using Power BI. 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 JDBC Bridge Driver

    ZappySys JDBC Bridge Driver
    Create new User DSN for ZappySys JDBC Bridge Driver
    • 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.
    Power BI uses a Service Account, when a solution is deployed to production environment, therefore for production environment you have to create and use a System DSN.
  4. Now, we need to configure the JDBC connection in the new ODBC data source. Simply enter the Connection string, credentials, configure other settings, and then click Test Connection button to test the connection:

    JdbcOdbcBridgeDSN
    jdbc:exampleApp://app-service-host-name.com:1234
    com.provider.exampleApp.jdbc.AppDriver
    D:\Drivers\JDBC\app-jdbc.jar
    admin
    *************
    [{"Name":"AppParameter","Value":"12345"}]
    JDBC-ODBC Bridge driver data source settings
    ZappySys JDBC Bridge Driver allows you to connect to any Java application that supports JDBC.
  5. You should see a message saying that connection test is successful:

    ODBC connection test is successful
  6. We are at the point where we can preview a SQL query. For more SQL query examples visit JDBC Bridge documentation:

    JdbcOdbcBridgeDSN
    SELECT * FROM orders
    JDBC ODBC Bridge data source preview
    SELECT * FROM orders
    You can also click on the <Select Table> dropdown and select a table from the list.

    The ZappySys JDBC Bridge Driver acts as a transparent intermediary, passing SQL queries directly to the Trino JDBC driver, which then handles the query execution. This means the Bridge Driver simply relays the SQL query without altering it.

    Some JDBC drivers don't support INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE statements, so you may get an error saying "action is not supported" or a similar one. Please, be aware, this is not the limitation of ZappySys JDBC Bridge Driver, but is a limitation of the specific JDBC driver you are using.

  7. Click OK to finish creating the data source.

Video instructions

Read JDBC-ODBC Bridge data in Power BI using ODBC

Importing JDBC-ODBC Bridge data into Power BI from table or view

  1. Once you open Power BI Desktop click Get Data to get data from ODBC:
    Power Bi Get Data

  2. A window opens, and then search for "odbc" to get data from ODBC data source:
    Power Bi ODBC Get Data

  3. Another window opens and asks to select a Data Source we already created. Choose JdbcOdbcBridgeDSN and continue:

    JdbcOdbcBridgeDSN
    Power Bi Select ZappySys Driver DSN

  4. Most likely, you will be asked to authenticate to a newly created DSN. Just select Windows authentication option together with Use my current credentials option:

    JdbcOdbcBridgeDSN
    Power Bi DSN Authentication

  5. Finally, you will be asked to select a table or view to get data from. Select one and load the data!
    Power Bi Load DSN Table Data

  6. Finally, finally, use extracted data from JDBC-ODBC Bridge in a Power BI report:
    Power Bi Extracted DSN Table Data

Importing JDBC-ODBC Bridge data into Power BI using SQL query

If you wish to import JDBC-ODBC Bridge data from SQL query rather than a table then you can use advanced options during import steps (as below). After selecting DSN you can click on advanced options to see SQL Query editor.

JdbcOdbcBridgeDSN
                SELECT
                    ProductID,
                    ProductName,
                    SupplierID,
                    CategoryID,
                    QuantityPerUnit,
                    UnitPrice
                FROM Products
                WHERE UnitPrice > 20
            
Get REST API data in Power BI Desktop using SQL query and ODBC
Consider using Custom Objects feature in ODBC data source to encapsulate SQL query in a Virtual Table. This way, you can see a virtual table in Power BI table list where you can import multiple objects using the same connection rather than creating a new connection for each custom SQL query.

Using a full ODBC connection string

In the previous steps we used a very short format of ODBC connection string - a DSN. Yet sometimes you don't want a dependency on an ODBC data source (and an extra step). In those times, you can define a full connection string and skip creating an ODBC data source entirely. Let's see below how to accomplish that in the below steps:

  1. Open ODBC data source configuration and click Copy settings:
    ZappySys JDBC Bridge Driver - JDBC-ODBC Bridge
    JDBC-ODBC Bridge driver can be used to consume data from any JDBC Driver in non JAVA apps (i.e. Excel, Power BI, C#). Many apps written in C++ or .net (e.g. Excel, Power BI, Informatica) which don’t have direct support for using JAVA based JDBC driver technology.
    JdbcOdbcBridgeDSN
    Copy connection string for ODBC application
  2. The window opens, telling us the connection string was successfully copied to the clipboard: Successful connection string copying for ODBC application
  3. Then just paste the connection string into your script:
    JdbcOdbcBridgeDSN
    DRIVER={ZappySys JDBC Bridge Driver};JdbcConnectionString='jdbc:sqlserver://yourserver.database.windows.net:1433';ClassName='com.microsoft.sqlserver.jdbc.SQLServerDriver';DriverPath='C:\sqljdbc_11.2\enu\mssql-jdbc-11.2.0.jre18.jar';UserName='my-username';UserPassword='my-password'
    Use full connection string in Power BI Desktop to read API data
  4. You are good to go! The script will execute the same way as using a DSN.
The DSN defined in the Data source name (DSN) field will be ignored.

Editing query for table in Power BI

There will be a time you need to change the initial query after importing data into Power BI. Don't worry, just right-click on your table and click Edit query menu item:

Edit query in Power BI to get REST API data
Refer to Power Query M reference for more information on how to use its advanced features in your queries.

Using parameters in Power BI (dynamic query)

In the real world, many values of your REST / SOAP API call may be coming from parameters. If that's the case for you can try to edit script manually as below. In below example its calling SQL Query with POST method and passing some parameters. Notice below where paraAPIKey is Power BI Parameter (string type). You can use parameters anywhere in your script just like the normal variable.

To use a parameter in Power BI report, follow these simple steps:

  1. Firstly, you need to Edit query of your table (see previous section)

  2. Then just create a new parameter by clicking Manage Parameters dropdown, click New Parameter option, and use it in the query:

    						
                                = Odbc.Query("dsn=JdbcOdbcBridgeDSN",
                                             "SELECT ProductID, ProductName, UnitPrice, UnitsInStock
                                              FROM Products
                                              WHERE UnitPrice > " & Text.From(MyParameter) & "
                                              ORDER BY UnitPrice")
                            
                    
    Use parameter in Power BI to get REST API data
    Refer to Power Query M reference for more information on how to use its advanced features in your queries.

Using DirectQuery Option rather than Import

So far we have seen how to Import JDBC-ODBC Bridge data into Power BI but what if you have too much data and you don't want to import but link it. Power BI Offers very useful feature for this scenario. It's called DirectQuery Option. In this section we will explore how to use DirectQuery along with ZappySys Drivers.

Out of the box ZappySys Drivers won't work in ODBC Connection Mode so you have to use SQL Server Connection rather than ODBC if you wish to use Live data using DirectQuery option. See below step-by-step instructions to enable DirectQuery mode in Power BI for JDBC-ODBC Bridge data.

Basically we will use ZappySys Data Gateway its part of ODBC PowerPack. We will then use Linked Server in SQL Server to Link API Service, then issue OPENROWSET queries from Power BI to SQL Server, and it will then call JDBC-ODBC Bridge via ZappySys Data Gateway.

  1. First, create a data source in ZappySys Data Gateway and create a Linked Server based on it.
  2. Once SQL Server Linked Server is configured we are ready to issue a SQL query in Power BI.
  3. Click Get Data in Power BI, select SQL Server Database
  4. Enter your server name and any database name
  5. Select Mode as DirectQuery
  6. Click on Advanced and enter query like below (we are assuming you have created JDBC-ODBC Bridge Data Source in Data Gateway and defined linked server (Change name below).
    SELECT * FROM OPENQUERY([LINKED_SERVER_TO_JDBC_ODBC_BRIDGE_IN_DATA_GATEWAY], 'SELECT * FROM Customers')
    SELECT * FROM OPENQUERY([LINKED_SERVER_TO_JDBC_ODBC_BRIDGE_IN_DATA_GATEWAY], 'SELECT * FROM Customers')
    DirectQuery option for Power BI (Read JDBC-ODBC Bridge Data Example using SQL Server Linked Server and ZappySys Data Gateway)


    DirectQuery option for Power BI (Read JDBC-ODBC Bridge Data Example using SQL Server Linked Server and ZappySys Data Gateway)

  7. Click OK and Load data... That's it. Now your JDBC-ODBC Bridge API data is linked rather than imported.

Publishing Power BI report to Power BI service

Here are the instructions on how to publish a Power BI report to Power BI service from Power BI Desktop application:

  1. First of all, go to Power BI Desktop, open a Power BI report, and click Publish button:

    Publish Power BI report to Power BI service
  2. Then select the Workspace you want to publish report to and hit Select button:

    Publish Power BI report to workspace
  3. Finally, if everything went right, you will see a window indicating success:

    Successful Power BI report publishing

    If you need to periodically refresh Power BI semantic model (dataset) to ensure data accuracy and up-to-dateness, you can accomplish that by using Microsoft On-premises data gateway. Proceed to the next section - Refreshing Power BI semantic model (dataset) using On-premises data gateway - and learn how to do that.

Refreshing Power BI semantic model (dataset) using On-premises data gateway

Power BI allows to refresh semantic models which are based on data sources that reside on-premises. This can be achieved using Microsoft On-premises data gateway. There are two types of On-premises gateways:

  • Standard Mode
  • Personal Mode

Standard Mode supports Power BI and other Microsoft Data Fabric services. It fits perfectly for Enterprise solutions as it installs as a Windows Service and also supports Direct Query feature.

Personal Mode, on the other hand, can be configured faster, but is designed more for home users (you cannot install it as a Windows Service and it does not support DirectQuery). You will find a detailed comparison in the link above.

We recommend to go with Personal Mode for a quick POC solution, but use Standard Mode in production environment.

Below you will find instructions on how to refresh semantic model using both types of gateways.

Refresh using On-premises data gateway (standard mode)

Here are the instructions on how to refresh a Power BI semantic model using On-premises data gateway (standard mode):

  1. Go to Power BI My workspace, hover your mouse cursor on your semantic model and click Settings:

    Configure Power BI semantic model settings
  2. If you see this view, it means you have to install On-premises data gateway (standard mode):

    On-premises data gateway is not installed
  3. Install On-premises data gateway (standard mode) and sign-in:

    signing in into on-premises data gateway standard
    Use the same email address you use when logging in into Power BI account.
  4. Register a new gateway (or migrate an existing one):

    registering or migrating on-premises data gateway standard
  5. If you are creating a new gateway, name your gateway, enter a Recovery key, and click Configure button:

    naming on-premises data gateway standard
  6. Now, let's get back to your semantic model settings in Power BI portal. Refresh the page and you should see your newly created gateway. Click arrow icon and then click on Add to gateway link:

    ODBC{"connectionstring":"dsn=JdbcOdbcBridgeDSN"}
    Using On-premises Data Gateway Standard for Power BI Semantic Model
  7. Once you do that, you will create a new gateway connection. Give it a name, set Authentication method, Privacy level, and click Create button:

    dsn=JdbcOdbcBridgeDSN
    Create new connection in Power BI On-premises data gateway
    In this example, we used the least restrictive Privacy level.

    If your connection uses a full connection string you may hit a length limitation when entering it into the field. To create the connection, you will need to shorten it manually. Check the section about the limitation of a full connection string on how to accomplish it.

    On-premises data gateway (personal mode) does not have this limitation.

  8. Proceed by choosing the newly created connection:

    ODBC{"connectionstring":"dsn=JdbcOdbcBridgeDSN"}
    Selecting gateway connection in Power BI semantic model
  9. Finally, you are at the final step where you can refresh the semantic model:

    Refreshing Power BI semantic model using On-premises Data Gateway

Refresh using On-premises data gateway (personal mode)

Here are the instructions on how to refresh a Power BI semantic model using On-premises data gateway (personal mode):

  1. Go to Power BI My workspace, hover your mouse cursor on your semantic model and click Settings:

    Configure Power BI semantic model settings
  2. If you see this view, it means you have to install On-premises data gateway (personal mode):

    On-premises data gateway is not installed
  3. Install On-premises data gateway (personal mode) and sign-in:

    Sign-in to On-premises data gateway personal
    Use the same email address you use when logging in into Power BI account.
  4. Again, go to your semantic model Settings, expand Data source credentials, click Edit credentials, select Authentication method together with Privacy level, and then click Sign in button:

    dsn=JdbcOdbcBridgeDSN
    Use On-premises data gateway personal for Power BI semantic model
  5. Finally, you are ready to refresh your semantic model:

    Refreshing Power BI semantic model using On-premises Data Gateway

Conclusion

In this article we showed you how to connect to JDBC-ODBC Bridge in Power BI and integrate data without any coding, saving you time and effort. We encourage you to download JDBC-ODBC Bridge Connector for Power BI 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 JDBC-ODBC Bridge Connector for Power BI Documentation

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