How to integrate Neo4j with Tableau

Learn how to quickly and efficiently connect Neo4j with Tableau for smooth data access.

Read and write Neo4j data effortlessly. Query, integrate, and manage nodes, relationships, and graph data — almost no coding required. You can do it all using the high-performance Neo4j ODBC Driver for Tableau (often referred to as the Neo4j 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.

Neo4j ODBC Driver Powering this integration

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

Built on the ZappySys JDBC Bridge Driver, the Neo4j ODBC Driver is a high-performance, low-code / no-code solution. It enables you to connect to Neo4j data without any coding right in your SQL Server, or any ODBC/JDBC application. Part of the ODBC PowerPack.

Documentation

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you meet the following prerequisite: Java Runtime Environment (JRE) or Java Development Kit (JDK) must be installed on your system.

Minimum required version: Java 17
- Amazon Corretto 17
- Oracle JRE 17
Recommended Java version: Java 21
- Amazon Corretto 21
- Oracle JRE 21

If your JDBC Driver targets a different Java version (e.g., 11 / 17 / 21), install the corresponding or newer Java version.

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 Neo4j JDBC driver

To connect to Neo4j in , you will have to download JDBC driver for it, which we will use in later steps. Let's perform these little steps right away:

Visit MVN Repository.
Download the JDBC driver, and save it locally, e.g. to E:\Drivers\JDBC\neo4j-jdbc-full-bundle.jar.
Done! That was easy, wasn't it? Let's proceed to the next step.

Create data source in ZappySys Data Gateway

In this section we will create a data source for Neo4j 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 JDBC Bridge Driver
- Finally, click OK
Neo4jDSN

ZappySys JDBC Bridge Driver
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:

Neo4jDSN

jdbc:neo4j://neo4j-instance-host-name:7687?enableSQLTranslation=true

E:\Drivers\JDBC\neo4j-jdbc-full-bundle.jar

neo4j

***************

[]

For Non-SSL Connection (SQL queries), use these values when setting parameters:
- Connection string: jdbc:neo4j://neo4j-instance-host-name:7687?enableSQLTranslation=true
- JDBC driver file(s): E:\Drivers\JDBC\neo4j-jdbc-full-bundle.jar
- User name: neo4j
- User password: ***************
- Connection parameters: []
  Use enableSQLTranslation=true attribute in the connection string to query Neo4j database using SQL queries, e.g.:
```
SELECT * FROM Movie
```
For Non-SSL Connection (Cypher queries), use these values when setting parameters:
- Connection string: jdbc:neo4j://neo4j-instance-host-name:7687
  Excluding enableSQLTranslation=true from the connection allows you to query Neo4j database using Cypher queries, e.g.:
```
MATCH (m:Movie) RETURN m.title AS Movie
```
For SSL Connection (SQL queries), use these values when setting parameters:
- Connection string: jdbc:neo4j+s://neo4j-instance-host-name:7687?enableSQLTranslation=true
For SSL Connection (Cypher queries), use these values when setting parameters:
- Connection string: jdbc:neo4j+s://neo4j-instance-host-name:7687
For Neo4j AuraDB Connection (SQL queries), use these values when setting parameters:
- Connection string: jdbc:neo4j+s://1234abcd.databases.neo4j.io?enableSQLTranslation=true
For Neo4j Aura Connection (Cypher queries), use these values when setting parameters:
- Connection string: jdbc:neo4j+s://1234abcd.databases.neo4j.io
You should see a message saying that connection test is successful:

Otherwise, if you are getting an error, check out our Community for troubleshooting tips.
We are at the point where we can preview a SQL query. For more SQL query examples visit JDBC Bridge documentation:
Neo4jDSN
```
SELECT * FROM Movie
```
```
SELECT * FROM Movie
```
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 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.
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 SQL Server via Data Gateway

After configuring your data source using the ZappySys ODBC Driver, the next mandatory step to read that data in SQL Server is to create a Linked Server. SQL Server requires a Linked Server definition to access any ODBC-based source through the ZappySys Data Gateway, allowing the source driver data to be queried using standard T-SQL.

There are two ways to create the Linked Server:

Method 1: Using a SQL Script automatically generated by the Data Gateway
Method 2: Using SQL Server UI (SSMS) to manually configure the Linked Server

Method 1: Using a SQL Script automatically generated by the Data Gateway

The fastest and most reliable way to create the Linked Server is to use the SQL Script generated by the Data Gateway. This ensures all settings are applied correctly with minimal manual steps.

In the Data Gateway, open the App Integration tab.
Update the prefilled Linked Server Name if you want to use a custom name.
Select the Neo4jDSN data source which we created earlier as the Database.
Choose the correct SQL Server version for your environment.
- SQL 2019 or Lower (@provider='SQLNCLI11')
- SQL 2022 or Higher (@provider='MSOLEDBSQL')
Click Generate Code.
In the generated script scroll down to 4. Attach Gateway login with linked server step, enter your Data Gateway admin username and password.

'LS_TO_NEO4J_IN_GATEWAY'
Press Ctrl + A and Ctrl + C to copy the entire script.

LS_TO_NEO4J_IN_GATEWAY

Neo4jDSN
Paste the script into SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and run it.
That's it linked server is created in the SQL Server.

Finally, open a new query and execute a query we saved in one of the previous steps:

SELECT * FROM OPENQUERY([LS_TO_NEO4J_IN_GATEWAY], 'SELECT * FROM Movie')

Execute query at Linked Server to ZappySys Data Gateway in SSMS

SELECT * FROM OPENQUERY([LS_TO_NEO4J_IN_GATEWAY], 'SELECT * FROM Movie')

Sample SQL Script for Creating a Linked Server in SQL Server

USE [master]
GO
--///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
--Run below code in SSMS to create Linked Server and use ZappySys Drivers in SQL Server
--///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

-- Replace YOUR_GATEWAY_USER, YOUR_GATEWAY_PASSWORD
-- Replace localhost with IP/Machine name if ZappySys Gateway Running on different machine other than SQL Server
-- Replace Port 5000 if you configured gateway on a different port


--1. Configure your gateway service as per this article https://zappysys.com/links?id=10036

--2. Make sure you have SQL Server Installed. You can download FREE SQL Server Express Edition from here if you dont want to buy Paid version https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sql-server/sql-server-editions-express

--Uncomment below if you like to drop linked server if it already exists
--EXEC master.dbo.sp_dropserver @server=N'LS_TO_NEO4J_IN_GATEWAY', @droplogins='droplogins'

--3. Create new linked server

EXEC master.dbo.sp_addlinkedserver
    @server = N'LS_TO_NEO4J_IN_GATEWAY'  --Linked server name (this will be used in OPENQUERY sql
, @srvproduct=N''
---- For MSSQL 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2019 use below (SQL Server Native Client 11.0)---
, @provider=N'SQLNCLI11'
---- For MSSQL 2022 or higher use below (Microsoft OLE DB Driver for SQL Server)---
--, @provider=N'MSOLEDBSQL'
, @datasrc=N'localhost,5000' --//Machine / Port where Gateway service is running
, @provstr=N'Network Library=DBMSSOCN;'
, @catalog=N'Neo4jDSN' --Data source name you gave on Gateway service settings

--4. Attach gateway login with linked server

EXEC master.dbo.sp_addlinkedsrvlogin
@rmtsrvname=N'LS_TO_NEO4J_IN_GATEWAY'  --linked server name
, @useself=N'False'
, @locallogin=NULL
, @rmtuser=N'YOUR_GATEWAY_USER' --enter your Gateway user name
, @rmtpassword='YOUR_GATEWAY_PASSWORD'  --enter your Gateway user's password
GO

--5. Enable RPC OUT (This is Optional - Only needed if you plan to use EXEC(...) AT YourLinkedServerName rather than OPENQUERY
EXEC sp_serveroption 'LS_TO_NEO4J_IN_GATEWAY', 'rpc', true;
EXEC sp_serveroption 'LS_TO_NEO4J_IN_GATEWAY', 'rpc out', true;

--Disable MSDTC - Below needed to support INSERT INTO from EXEC AT statement
EXEC sp_serveroption 'LS_TO_NEO4J_IN_GATEWAY', 'remote proc transaction promotion', false;

--Increase query timeout if query is going to take longer than 10 mins (Default timeout is 600 seconds)
--EXEC sp_serveroption 'LS_TO_NEO4J_IN_GATEWAY', 'query timeout', 1200;
GO

Method 2: Using SQL Server UI (SSMS) to manually configure the Linked Server

You can also create the Linked Server manually through SSMS if you prefer a visual setup. This method lets you configure the provider, data source, and security interactively.

First, let's open SQL Server Management Studio, create a new Linked Server, and start configuring it:

LS_TO_NEO4J_IN_GATEWAY

Microsoft OLE DB Driver for SQL Server

localhost,5000

Neo4jDSN

Neo4jDSN
- For SQL Server 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2019, choose SQL Server Native Client 11.0 as the provider.
- For SQL Server 2022 or higher, choose Microsoft OLE DB Driver for SQL Server as the provider.
Then click on Security option and configure username we created in ZappySys Data Gateway in one of the previous steps, e.g. john:
Optional step. Under the Server Options, Enable RPC and RPC Out and Disable Promotion of Distributed Transactions(MSDTC).

You need to enable RPC Out if you plan to use EXEC(...) AT [LS_TO_NEO4J_IN_GATEWAY] rather than OPENQUERY.
If don't enabled it, you will encounter the Server 'LS_TO_NEO4J_IN_GATEWAY' is not configured for RPC error.

Query Example:
```
DECLARE @MyQuery NVARCHAR(MAX) = 'SELECT * FROM Movie';

EXEC (@MyQuery) AT [LS_TO_NEO4J_IN_GATEWAY];
```
If you plan to use 'INSERT INTO <TABLE> EXEC(...) AT [LS_TO_NEO4J_IN_GATEWAY]' in that case you need to Disable Promotion of Distributed Transactions(MSDTC).
If don't disabled it, you will encounter the The operation could not be performed because OLE DB provider "SQLNCLI11" for linked server "MY_LINKED_SERVER_NAME" was unable to begin a distributed transaction. error.

Query Example:
```
INSERT INTO dbo.Products
DECLARE @MyQuery NVARCHAR(MAX) = 'SELECT * FROM Movie';

EXEC (@MyQuery) AT [LS_TO_NEO4J_IN_GATEWAY];
```

Finally, open a new query and execute a query we saved in one of the previous steps:

SELECT * FROM OPENQUERY([LS_TO_NEO4J_IN_GATEWAY], 'SELECT * FROM Movie')

SELECT * FROM OPENQUERY([LS_TO_NEO4J_IN_GATEWAY], 'SELECT * FROM Movie')

Create View in SQL Server

Finally, use this or similar query in a view or stored procedure, which you will be able to use in Tableau. We will create a view to return invoices:

CREATE VIEW vwApiInvoices AS
 SELECT * FROM OPENQUERY([LS_TO_NEO4J_IN_GATEWAY], 'SELECT * FROM Invoices')

Read data in Tableau from SQL Server

Actually, we will be getting data from SQL Server which in turn will be getting data from ZappySys Data Gateway data source. Let's begin and see how to accomplish that:

Open Tableau Desktop and click File > New.
To create new Connection click More > Microsoft SQL Server > Enter your credentials to connect to SQL Server (in our example before we used john):
Once connection is created for SQL Server we can read Neo4j data 3 different ways:
1. Query View which contains OPENQUERY to Linked Server for Neo4j data
2. Use direct SQL Query using OPENQUERY
3. Use Stored Procedure (Mostly useful to parameterize calls
See below example to pull data from Neo4j in Tableau using SQL View approach:
Once your data sources are created you can click on Sheet1 and drag fields to create visualizations for Tableau Dashboard:

Passing Parameters to Neo4j calls in Tableau (Dynamic SQL)

Now let's look at scenario where you have to pass parameters to build Dynamic Dashboard. You can try to insert Parameters in your Direct SQL when you build Dynamic SQL but we found some issues with that so we are going to suggest Stored Procedure approach. For more information on Known issue on Dynamic Metadata Check this post.

First lets create a stored procedure in SQL Server for Parameter Example. Notice how we added WITH RESULT SETS in the code to describe metadata.

--DROP PROC dbo.usp_GetInvoicesByCountry
--GO
/*
Purpose: Parameterize Neo4j call via SQL. Call ZappySys Drivers inside SQL Server.
*/
CREATE PROC dbo.usp_GetInvoicesByCountry
	@country varchar(100) 
AS 

DECLARE @sql varchar(max)
--//Escape single ticks carefully
SET @sql =  'SELECT OrderID,CustomerID,Country,Quantity FROM $
WITH (Src=''https://services.odata.org/V3/Northwind/Northwind.svc/Invoices?$format=json@filter=Country eq '+ @country +'''
	 ,Filter=''$.value[*]''
	 ,DataFormat=''OData''
)'

DECLARE @sqlFull varchar(max)
SET @sqlFull='SELECT * FROM OPENQUERY([LS_TO_NEO4J_IN_GATEWAY], ''' + REPLACE( @sql, '''', '''''' ) + ''' )'
PRINT @sqlFull --//For DEBUG purpose

EXECUTE (@sqlFull) 
WITH RESULT SETS ( 
 (OrderID int,CustomerID varchar(100),Country varchar(100),Quantity int) --//describe first result. If you don't do this then wont work in Tableau 
)
GO
-- Example call
EXEC dbo.usp_GetInvoicesByCountry @country='Germany'

Once you create a stored procedure go to Tableau datasource and select Database which contains the stored procedure we just created.
Now find your stored proc and drag it on the datasource pane. You will see parameters UI as below. You can create new parameter - Select New Parameter under Value Column.
Thats it now you can reuse your parameterized datasource anywhere in Dashboard.
If you have need to select Parameters from predefined values rather than free text then edit your parameter and select List option. Define values you like to select from as below.
When you create Tableau Dashboard you will see Parameter dropdown (If you selected List) elase you may see Textbox to enter custom value.

Firewall settings

So far we have assumed that Gateway is running on the same machine as SQL Server. However there will be a case when ZappySys ODBC PowerPack is installed on a different machine than SQL Server. In such case you may have to perform additional Firewall configurations. On most computers firewall settings wont allow outside traffic to ZappySys Data Gateway. In such case perform following steps to allow other machines to connect to Gateway.

Method-1 (Preferred)

If you are using newer version of ZappySys Data Gateway then adding firewall rule is just a single click.

Search for gateway in start menu and open ZappySys Data Gateway.
Go to Firewall Tab and click Add Firewall Rule button like below. This will create Firewall rule to all Inbound Traffic on Port 5000 (Unless you changed it).

Method-2

Here is another way to add / edit Inbound Traffic rule in windows firewall. Use below method if you choose to customize your rule (for advanced users).

Search for Windows Firewall Advanced Security in start menu.
Under Inbound Rules > Right click and click [New Rule] >> Click Next
Select Port on Rule Type >> Click Next
Click on TCP and enter port number under specified local port as 5000 (use different one if you changed Default port) >> Click Next
Select Profile (i.e. Private, Public) >> Click Next
Enter Rule name [i.e. ZappySys Data Gateway – Allow Inbound ] >> Click Next
Click OK to save the rule

SQL Server Firewall Allow Inbound Data Gateway

Troubleshooters & resources (JDBC Bridge Driver)

Below are some useful community articles to help you troubleshoot and configure the ZappySys JDBC Bridge Driver:

How to combine multiple JAR files
Learn how to merge multiple .jar dependencies when your JDBC driver requires more than one file.
How to fix JBR error: “Data lake is not available / Unable to verify trust for server certificate chain”
Resolve SSL or certificate validation issues encountered during JDBC connections.
System Exception: “Java is not installed or not accessible”
Fix Java path or environment issues that prevent the JDBC Bridge from launching Java.
JDBC Bridge Driver disconnect from Java host error
Troubleshoot unexpected disconnection problems between SSIS and the Java process.
Error: Could not open jvm.cfg while using JDBC Bridge Driver
Resolve JVM configuration path errors during driver initialization.
How to enable JDBC Bridge Driver logging
Enable detailed driver logging for better visibility during troubleshooting.
How to pass JDBC connection parameters (not by URL)
Learn how to specify connection properties programmatically instead of embedding them in the JDBC URL.
How to fix JDBC Bridge error: “No connection could be made because the target machine actively refused it”
Troubleshoot firewall or local port binding issues preventing communication with the Java host.
How to use JDBC Bridge options (System Property for Java command line, e.g., classpath, proxy)
Configure custom Java options like classpath and proxy using JDBC Bridge system properties.

Conclusion

In this article we showed you how to connect to Neo4j in Tableau and integrate data without writing complex code — all of this was powered by Neo4j ODBC Driver. It's worth noting that ZappySys JDBC Bridge Driver allows you to connect not only to Neo4j, but to any Java application that supports JDBC (just use a different JDBC driver and configure it appropriately).

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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