SharePoint Online Connector for Tableau SharePoint Connector can be used to read, write data in SharePoint Online List / Document Library, perform file operations such as upload, download, create, move, delete, rename in a few clicks! In this article you will learn how to quickly and efficiently integrate SharePoint Online data in Tableau without coding. We will use high-performance SharePoint Online Connector to easily connect to SharePoint Online and then access the data inside Tableau. Let's follow the steps below to see how we can accomplish that! Download Documentation SharePoint Online Connector for Tableau is based on ZappySys API Driver which is part of ODBC PowerPack. It is a collection of high-performance ODBC drivers that enable you to integrate data in SQL Server, SSIS, a programming language, or any other ODBC-compatible application. ODBC PowerPack supports various file formats, sources and destinations, including REST/SOAP API, SFTP/FTP, storage services, and plain files, to mention a few.

Connect to SharePoint Online in other apps Connect to SharePoint Online in SSIS Connect to SharePoint Online in SQL Server Connect to SharePoint Online in Power BI Connect to SharePoint Online in SSRS Connect to SharePoint Online in Informatica Connect to SharePoint Online in MS Access Connect to SharePoint Online in MS Excel Connect to SharePoint Online in SSAS Connect to SharePoint Online in C# Connect to SharePoint Online in Python Connect to SharePoint Online in JAVA Connect to SharePoint Online in SAP Crystal Reports Connect to SharePoint Online in Azure Data Factory (Pipeline) Connect to SharePoint Online in Azure Data Factory (SSIS) Connect to SharePoint Online in Talend Studio Connect to SharePoint Online in UiPath Connect to SharePoint Online in PowerShell Connect to SharePoint Online in ODBC

Create Data Source in ZappySys Data Gateway based on API Driver

1. Download and install ODBC PowerPack.

2. Search for gateway in start menu and Open ZappySys Data Gateway:
   

3. Go to Users Tab to add our first Gateway user. Click Add; we will give it a name tdsuser and enter password you like to give. Check Admin option and click OK to save. We will use these details later when we create linked server:
   

4. Now we are ready to add a data source. Click Add, give data source a name (Copy this name somewhere, we will need it later) and then select Native - ZappySys API Driver. Finally, click OK. And it will create the Data Set for it and open the ZS driver UI.

   SharepointOnlineDSN

   
   

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

   SharepointOnlineDSN

   SharePoint Online

   

6. 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 Credentials [OAuth]

   Use delegated access (User Credentials) whenever you want to let a signed-in user work with their own resources or resources they can access. Whether it's an admin setting up policies for their entire organization or a user deleting an email in their inbox, all scenarios involving user actions should use delegated access. [API reference]

   Steps how to get and use SharePoint Online credentials
   

   Follow these simple steps below to create Microsoft Entra ID application with delegated access:

   WARNING: If you are planning to automate processes, we recommend that you use a Application Credentials authentication method. In case, you still need to use User Credentials, then make sure you use a system/generic account (e.g. automation@my-company.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 start to fail.

   1. Navigate to the Azure Portal and log in using your credentials.
   2. Access Microsoft Entra ID.

   3. Register a new application by going to App registrations and clicking on New registration button:

      
      INFO: Find more information on how to register an application in Graph API reference.

   4. When configuration window opens, configure these fields:

      • Supported account type
        • Use Accounts in this organizational directory only, if you need access to data in your organization only.
      • Redirect URI:
        • Set the type to Public client/native (mobile & desktop).
        • Use https://zappysys.com/oauth as the URL.
      

   5. After registering the app, copy the Application (client) ID for later:

      

   6. Copy OAuth authorization endpoint (v2) & OAuth token endpoint (v2) URLs to use later in the configuration:

      

   7. Now go to SSIS package or ODBC data source and use the copied values in User Credentials authentication configuration:

      • In the Authorization URL field paste the OAuth authorization endpoint (v2) URL value you copied in the previous step.
      • In the Token URL field paste the OAuth token endpoint (v2) URL value you copied in the previous step.
      • In the Client ID field paste the Application (client) ID value you copied in the previous step.
      • In the Scope field use the default value or select individual scopes, e.g.:
        • email
        • offline_access
        • openid
        • profile
        • User.Read
        • Sites.Read.All
        • Sites.ReadWrite.All
        • Files.Read.All
        • Files.ReadWrite.All
   8. Press Generate Token button to generate Access and Refresh Tokens.
   9. Optional step. Choose Default Site Id from the drop down menu.
   10. Click Test Connection to confirm the connection is working.
   11. Done! Now you are ready to use the API Connector!

   Fill in all required parameters and set optional parameters if needed:

   SharepointOnlineDSN

   SharePoint Online

   User Credentials [OAuth]

   https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0

   Required Parameters
   Authorization URL	Fill-in the parameter...
   Token URL	Fill-in the parameter...
   Client ID	Fill-in the parameter...
   Scope	Fill-in the parameter...
   Return URL	Fill-in the parameter...
   Default Site Id (select after pressing 'Generate Token')	Fill-in the parameter...
   Optional Parameters
   Client Secret
   Default Drive Id (select after pressing 'Generate Token')
   Login Prompt Option
   RetryMode	RetryWhenStatusCodeMatch
   RetryStatusCodeList	429|503|423
   RetryCountMax	5
   RetryMultiplyWaitTime	True
   Search Option For Non-Indexed Fields (Default=Blank - Search Only Indexed)
   Extra Headers (e.g. Header1:AAA||Header2:BBB)
   IsAppCred	0

   

    Application Credentials [OAuth]

   Application-only access is broader and more powerful than delegated access (User Credentials), so you should only use app-only access where needed. Use it when: 1. The application needs to run in an automated way, without user input (for example, a daily script that checks emails from certain contacts and sends automated responses). 2. The application needs to access resources belonging to multiple different users (for example, a backup or data loss prevention app might need to retrieve messages from many different chat channels, each with different participants). 3. You find yourself tempted to store credentials locally and allow the app to sign in 'as' the user or admin. [API reference]

   Steps how to get and use SharePoint Online credentials
   

   Follow these simple steps to create Microsoft Entra ID application with application access permissions:

   • Create an OAuth app

   • Grant application SharePoint Online permissions (optional, for granular permissions)

     This step allows to grant OAuth application granular permissions, i.e. access configured specific Sites, Lists, and List Items.

   Step-1: Create OAuth app

   1. Navigate to the Azure Portal and log in using your credentials.
   2. Access Microsoft Entra ID.
   3. Register a new application by going to App registrations and clicking on New registration button:
      INFO: Find more information on how to register an application in Graph API reference.

   4. When configuration window opens, configure these fields:

      • Supported account type
        • e.g. select Accounts in this organizational directory only if you need access to data in your organization only.
      • Redirect URI:
        • Set the type to Public client/native (mobile & desktop).
        • Leave the URL field empty.
      

   5. After registering the app, copy the Application (client) ID for later:

      

   6. Then copy OAuth authorization endpoint (v2) & OAuth token endpoint (v2) URLs:

      

   7. Continue and create Client secret:

      

   8. Then copy the Client secret for later steps:

      

   9. Continue by adding permissions for the app by going to the API permissions section, and clicking on Add a permission:

      

   10. Select Microsoft Graph:

       

   11. Then choose Application permissions option:

       

   12. Continue by adding these Sites permissions (search for site):

       
       INFO: If you want to access specific lists or list items (table-level vs row-level security) rather than the full site, then add Lists.SelectedOperations.Selected or ListItems.SelectedOperations.Selected permissions , just like in the previous step (search for list).
       WARNING: If you add any of these permissions - Sites.Selected, Lists.SelectedOperations.Selected, or ListItems.SelectedOperations.Selected - you must grant the app the SharePoint permissions for the specific resource (e.g. a Site, a List, or a ListItem). Follow instructions in Grant SharePoint permissions to the OAuth app (optional) section on how to accomplish that.

   13. Finish by clicking Add permissions button:

       

   14. Now it's time to Grant admin consent for your application:

       

   15. Confirm all the permissions are granted:

       

   16. Now go to SSIS package or ODBC data source and use the copied values in Application Credentials authentication configuration:

       • In the Token URL field paste the OAuth token endpoint (v2) URL value you copied in the previous step.
       • In the Client ID field paste the Application (client) ID value you copied in the previous step.
       • In the Client Secret field paste the Client secret value you copied in the previous step.
       • Optional step. Choose Default Site Id from the drop down menu.
   17. Click Test Connection to confirm the connection is working.
   18. Done!

   Step-2 (optional): Grant SharePoint permissions to the OAuth app (optional)

   If you used Sites.Selected, Lists.SelectedOperations.Selected or ListItems.SelectedOperations.Selected permission in the previous section, you must grant the app the SharePoint permissions for the specific resource (e.g. a Site, a List, or a ListItem). You can do it using PowerShell or SharePoint admin center (obsolete method).

   Granting SharePoint permissions using PowerShell

   Unfortunately, there is no user interface available to control these permissions yet. For now, granting permissions has to be accomplished via Microsoft Graph API [Microsoft reference]:

   You must be the owner of the resource to grant permissions (i.e. belong to SharePoint owners group or be the owner of the Site or List).

   1. Open PowerShell (run as admin).

   2. Call the following PowerShell code to grant read and write permission for the app we created earlier (assuming Application (client) ID is 89ea5c94-aaaa-bbbb-cccc-3fa95f62b66e):

      ##### CONFIGURATION ############################################################################################
      
      # More info at:
      # - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/permissions-selected-overview?tabs=powershell
      # - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.graph.sites/?view=graph-powershell-1.0
      
      # Find SharePoint Site Id by following these steps:
      # - Login into SharePoint Online
      # - Open this URL https://{your-company}.sharepoint.com/_api/site in the browser
      #   NOTE: For a subsite use https://{your-company}.sharepoint.com/sites/{your-subsite}/_api/site
      # - Find 'Id' element in the response (e.g. <d:Id m:type="Edm.Guid">efcdd21a-aaaa-bbbb-cccc-5d8104d8b5e3</d:Id>)
      # - Copy the Site Id, i.e.: efcdd21a-aaaa-bbbb-cccc-5d8104d8b5e3 
      # Set $siteId variable to the retrieved Site Id:
      
      $siteId="efcdd21a-aaaa-bbbb-cccc-5d8104d8b5e3"
      
      
      # Find your Application Id (i.e. Client Id) in the Azure Portal, in App Registrations page:
      # https://portal.azure.com/#view/Microsoft_AAD_RegisteredApps/ApplicationsListBlade
      
      $applicationId="89ea5c94-aaaa-bbbb-cccc-3fa95f62b66e"
      
      
      # Set one of app permissions: read, write, fullcontrol, owner ('write' includes 'read' permission)
      
      $appPermission="write"
      
      
      
      ##### SCRIPT ###################################################################################################
      
      # Step-1: Install 'Microsoft.Graph.Sites' module if it's not installed
      if (-not (Get-Module Microsoft.Graph.Sites -ListAvailable))
      {
          Install-Module Microsoft.Graph.Sites
      }
      
      # Step-2: Load module
      Import-Module Microsoft.Graph.Sites
      
      # Step-3: Login (use Azure admin or SharePoint owner account)
      DisConnect-MgGraph
      Connect-MgGraph
      
      # Step-4: Set parameters for API call (set permissions, Site ID and Application ID)
      
      $params = @{
      	roles = @($appPermission)
      	grantedTo = @{
      		application = @{id = $applicationId}
      	}
      }
      
      # Step-5: Grant permissions
      New-MgSitePermission -SiteId $siteId -BodyParameter $params
      
      # Done!
      Write-Host "Granted SharePoint permissions to application '$applicationId' for site '$siteId'."
      
      

   3. That's it! Now you can use the API Connector!

   Granting SharePoint permissions using SharePoint admin center (obsolete method)

   If you used Site.Selected permission you can link it SharePoint site in SharePoint admin center [SharePoint reference]. Follow these simple steps to accomplish that:

   1. Log in to SharePoint admin center using this URL: (replace YOURCOMPANY with your company name):

      https://YOURCOMPANY-admin.sharepoint.com/_layouts/15/appinv.aspx

      INFO: To view all the registered apps in SharePoint, visit this page: https://YOURCOMPANY-admin.sharepoint.com/_layouts/15/appprincipals.aspx?Scope=Web.
   2. In the App Id field enter Application (client) ID you copied in the previous step.

   3. In the Permission Request XML field enter XML snippet which describes which SharePoint permissions you want to grant to the OAuth app, e.g.:

      <AppPermissionRequests AllowAppOnlyPolicy="true">
        <AppPermissionRequest Scope="http://sharepoint/content/tenant" Right="FullControl" />
      </AppPermissionRequests>

      INFO: This example gives app FullControl, but you can also grant it Read or Write permissions.
   4. Click Create to grant the permission to your OAuth app.
   5. That's it! Now you can use the API Connector!

   Fill in all required parameters and set optional parameters if needed:

   SharepointOnlineDSN

   SharePoint Online

   Application Credentials [OAuth]

   https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0

   Required Parameters
   Token URL	Fill-in the parameter...
   Client ID	Fill-in the parameter...
   Client Secret	Fill-in the parameter...
   Default Site Id	Fill-in the parameter...
   Optional Parameters
   Scope	https://graph.microsoft.com/.default
   Default Drive Id
   RetryMode	RetryWhenStatusCodeMatch
   RetryStatusCodeList	429|503|423
   RetryCountMax	5
   RetryMultiplyWaitTime	True
   Search Option For Non-Indexed Fields (Default=Blank - Search Only Indexed)
   Extra Headers (e.g. Header1:AAA||Header2:BBB)
   IsAppCred	1

   

    Application Credentials with Certificate (Sign JWT with Private Key) [OAuth]

   Steps how to get and use SharePoint Online credentials
   To use Certificate-Based Authentication Setup please follow the steps listed in [Application Credentials] authentication and once done come back here to finish next stsps.

   This guide walks you through setting up a certificate-based authentication flow for Microsoft Graph or other Azure AD protected APIs using client credentials and a JWT.

   Step 1: Generate a Self-Signed Certificate

   You can use OpenSSL or any other way to generate Certificate file but make it simple below example uses PowerShell. Open PowerShell and execute code listed in below steps.

   
   # Run this in PowerShell
   #Change .AddYears(1) to desired number. By default it expires certificate in one year as per below code.
   
   $cert = New-SelfSignedCertificate `
     -Subject "CN=MyClientAppCert" `
     -KeySpec Signature `
     -KeyExportPolicy Exportable `
     -KeyLength 2048 `
     -CertStoreLocation "Cert:\CurrentUser\My" `
     -KeyAlgorithm RSA `
     -HashAlgorithm SHA256 `
     -NotAfter (Get-Date).AddYears(1) `
     -Provider "Microsoft Enhanced RSA and AES Cryptographic Provider"
   
   # Export private key (.pfx)  - Keep this with you to make API calls (SECRET KEY - DONOT SHARE)
   $pfxPath = "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\private_key.pfx"
   $pwd = ConvertTo-SecureString -String "yourStrongPassword123" -Force -AsPlainText
   Export-PfxCertificate -Cert $cert -FilePath $pfxPath -Password $pwd
   
   # Export public certificate (.cer) - UPLOAD this to Azure Portal
   $cerPath = "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\public_key.cer"
   Export-Certificate -Cert $cert -FilePath $cerPath
   

   Step 2: Register or Configure an App in Azure AD

   1. Go to https://portal.azure.com
   2. Navigate to Azure Active Directory > App registrations
   3. Click + New registration or open an existing app
   4. Copy the Application (client) ID and Directory (tenant) ID

   Step 3: Upload the Certificate

   1. In your App Registration, go to Certificates & secrets
   2. Under Certificates, click Upload certificate
   3. Select the .cer file (public certificate)
   4. Click Add

   Step 4: Grant API Permissions

   1. Go to the API permissions tab
   2. Click Add a permission
   3. Select Microsoft Graph (or another API)
   4. Choose Application permissions
   5. Add scopes such as:
      • Sites.Read.All
      • Sites.ReadWrite.All
      • Files.Read.All
      • Files.ReadWrite.All
      • email
      • offline_access
      • openid
      • profile
      • User.Read
   6. Click Grant admin consent (requires admin)

   Step 5: Use PFX file

   Once both files generated perform the following steps to use PFX file., , Use the Certificate file (*.pfx) Now its time to use pfx file generated in the previous step. PFX file contains private key and public key both.

   1. On ZappySys Connection UI Go to Certificate Tab
   2. Change Storage Mode to Local PFX File (or you can Import PFX file in Certificate Storage - User Store / Machine Store and use that way)
   3. Supply the pfx file path or select certificate from Local Certificate Store if you imported that way in earlier step
   4. Supply the certificate password (same password used in earlier PowerShell script)
   5. Test connection see everything is good

   Fill in all required parameters and set optional parameters if needed:

   SharepointOnlineDSN

   SharePoint Online

   Application Credentials with Certificate (Sign JWT with Private Key) [OAuth]

   https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0

   Required Parameters
   Token URL	Fill-in the parameter...
   Client ID	Fill-in the parameter...
   Certificate: *** Configure [Client Certificate] Tab ***	Fill-in the parameter...
   Default Site Id	Fill-in the parameter...
   Optional Parameters
   Default Drive Id
   RetryMode	RetryWhenStatusCodeMatch
   RetryStatusCodeList	429|503|423
   RetryCountMax	5
   RetryMultiplyWaitTime	True
   Search Option For Non-Indexed Fields (Default=Blank - Search Only Indexed)
   Extra Headers (e.g. Header1:AAA||Header2:BBB)
   IsAppCred	1

   

7. 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 - SharePoint Online

   SharePoint Connector can be used to read, write data in SharePoint Online List / Document Library, perform file operations such as upload, download, create, move, delete, rename in a few clicks!

   SharepointOnlineDSN

   

8. 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 Tableau to retrieve data from SharePoint Online. Hit OK button to use this query in the next step.

   SELECT * FROM Lists

   
   Some parameters configured in this window will be passed to the SharePoint Online 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.

9. 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 Tableau:

   

   ZappySys API Driver - SharePoint Online

   SharePoint Connector can be used to read, write data in SharePoint Online List / Document Library, perform file operations such as upload, download, create, move, delete, rename in a few clicks!

   SharepointOnlineDSN

   SELECT * FROM Lists

   
   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 SharePoint Online 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 SharePoint Online servers).

10. Click OK to finish creating the data source.

Read data in SQL Server using ZappySys Data Gateway

To read the data in SQL Server, the first thing you have to do is create a Linked Server:

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

   LS_TO_SHAREPOINT_ONLINE_IN_GATEWAY

   Microsoft OLE DB Driver for SQL Server

   localhost,5000

   SharepointOnlineDSN

   SharepointOnlineDSN

   
   Choose SQL Server Native Client 11.0 as Provider if you don't see the option shown above.

2. Then click on Security option and configure username we created in ZappySys Data Gateway in one of the previous steps:

   

3. 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_SHAREPOINT_ONLINE_IN_GATEWAY] rather than OPENQUERY.
   If don't enabled it, you will encounter the Server 'LS_TO_SHAREPOINT_ONLINE_IN_GATEWAY' is not configured for RPC error.

   Query Example:

   EXEC('SELECT * FROM Lists') AT [LS_TO_SHAREPOINT_ONLINE_IN_GATEWAY]

   ---

   If you plan to use 'INSERT INTO <TABLE> EXEC(...) AT [LS_TO_SHAREPOINT_ONLINE_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
   EXEC('SELECT * FROM Lists') AT [LS_TO_SHAREPOINT_ONLINE_IN_GATEWAY]
   

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

   SELECT * FROM OPENQUERY([LS_TO_SHAREPOINT_ONLINE_IN_GATEWAY], 'SELECT * FROM Lists')

   

   SELECT * FROM OPENQUERY([LS_TO_SHAREPOINT_ONLINE_IN_GATEWAY], 'SELECT * FROM Lists')

Create Linked Server using Code

In previous section you saw how to create a Linked Server from UI. You can do similar action by code too (see below). Run below script after changing necessary parameters. Assuming your Data Source name on ZappySys Data Gateway UI is 'SharepointOnlineDSN'

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_SHAREPOINT_ONLINE_IN_GATEWAY', @droplogins='droplogins'

--3. Create new linked server

EXEC master.dbo.sp_addlinkedserver
    @server = N'LS_TO_SHAREPOINT_ONLINE_IN_GATEWAY'  --Linked server name (this will be used in OPENQUERY sql
, @srvproduct=N''
---- For MSSQL 2012,2014,2016 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'SharepointOnlineDSN' --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_SHAREPOINT_ONLINE_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_SHAREPOINT_ONLINE_IN_GATEWAY', 'rpc', true;
EXEC sp_serveroption 'LS_TO_SHAREPOINT_ONLINE_IN_GATEWAY', 'rpc out', true;

--Disable MSDTC - Below needed to support INSERT INTO from EXEC AT statement
EXEC sp_serveroption 'LS_TO_SHAREPOINT_ONLINE_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_SHAREPOINT_ONLINE_IN_GATEWAY', 'query timeout', 1200;
GO

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:

1. CREATE VIEW vwApiInvoices AS
    SELECT * FROM OPENQUERY([LS_TO_SHAREPOINT_ONLINE_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:

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

Passing Parameters to SharePoint Online 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.

1. 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 SharePoint Online 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_SHAREPOINT_ONLINE_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'

2. Once you create a stored procedure go to Tableau datasource and select Database which contains the stored procedure we just created.
3. 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.
4. Thats it now you can reuse your parameterized datasource anywhere in Dashboard.
5. 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.
6. 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.

1. Search for gateway in start menu and open ZappySys Data Gateway.
2. 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).

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

Actions supported by SharePoint Online Connector

Learn how to perform common SharePoint Online actions directly in Tableau with these how-to guides:

• Copy item (File or Folder)
• Create / Update CSV File (Generic)
• Create / Update JSON File (Generic)
• Create List Item
• Delete Item (File or Folder)
• Delete List Item
• Download File
• Get Item (File or Folder)
• List Drives
• List Excel Files
• List Excel Worksheets of a File (i.e. List Tabs)
• List Files
• List Folders
• List SharePoint Lists
• List SharePoint System Lists
• List Sites
• Move or rename item (File or Folder)
• Read CSV File (Generic)
• Read Drive
• Read Excel Worksheet (Auto Detect Range)
• Read Excel Worksheet (From Exact Range)
• Read File Data (As Byte Array)
• Read JSON File (Generic)
• Read List
• Read List Fields
• Read List Item (By ID)
• Read List Items
• Read List Items (Dynamic Columns)
• Read Main Site
• Update List Item
• Upload File
• Generic Request
• Generic Request (Bulk Write)

Conclusion

In this article we showed you how to connect to SharePoint Online in Tableau and integrate data without any coding, saving you time and effort. It's worth noting that ZappySys API Driver allows you to connect not only to SharePoint Online, but to any Java application that supports JDBC (just use a different JDBC driver and configure it appropriately).

We encourage you to download SharePoint Online Connector for Tableau 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 SharePoint Online Connector for Tableau Documentation

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