Create data source using Zendesk ODBC Driver

Step-by-step instructions

To get data from Zendesk using SAP Crystal Reports, we first need to create an ODBC data source. We will later read this data in SAP Crystal Reports. Perform these steps:

1. Download and install ODBC PowerPack (if you haven't already).

2. Search for odbc and open the ODBC Data Sources (64-bit):

   

3. Create a User data source (User DSN) based on the ZappySys API Driver driver:

   ZappySys API Driver

   
   • Create and use a User DSN if the client application runs under a User Account. This is the ideal option at design time (e.g., when developing in Visual Studio). Use it for both types of applications (64-bit and 32-bit).
   • Create and use a System DSN if the client application runs under a System Account (e.g., as a Windows Service). This is usually the required option in a production environment. If your Windows Service is a 32-bit application, you must use the 32-bit ODBC Data Source Administrator to configure this

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

   ZendeskDSN

   Zendesk

   

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.

   Token Authentication

   Zendesk authentication

   Authenticate using Static Token instead of userid / password ([Token Access] option must be enabled under Admin Console > Channel > API > Settings and then Click [ADD API Token] to generate new token. These settings typically found here https://YOUR-SUB-DOMAIN.zendesk.com/agent/admin/api/settings [API reference]

   Please refer to external API reference

   API Connection Manager configuration

   Just perform these simple steps to finish authentication configuration:

   1. Set Authentication Type to Token Authentication [Http]
   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. Finally, hit OK button:

   ZendeskDSN

   Zendesk

   Token Authentication [Http]

   https://[$Domain$].zendesk.com/api/v2

   Required Parameters
   Sub Domain (e.g. mycompany)	Fill-in the parameter...
   UserId	Fill-in the parameter...
   Token	Fill-in the parameter...
   Optional Parameters
   RetryMode	RetryWhenStatusCodeMatch
   RetryStatusCodeList	429
   RetryCountMax	5
   RetryMultiplyWaitTime	True

   

   OAuth Authentication

   Zendesk authentication

   OAuth App must be created under Admin Console > Channel > API > Settings. These settings typically found here https://YOUR-SUB-DOMAIN.zendesk.com/agent/admin/api/oauth_clients [API reference]

   Please refer to external API reference

   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:

   ZendeskDSN

   Zendesk

   OAuth Authentication [OAuth]

   https://[$Domain$].zendesk.com/api/v2

   Required Parameters
   Sub Domain (e.g. mycompany)	Fill-in the parameter...
   ClientId	Fill-in the parameter...
   ClientSecret	Fill-in the parameter...
   Permissions	Fill-in the parameter...
   RedirectUrl	Fill-in the parameter...
   Optional Parameters
   RetryMode	RetryWhenStatusCodeMatch
   RetryStatusCodeList	429
   RetryCountMax	5
   RetryMultiplyWaitTime	True

   

   UserID/Password Authentication (2FA must be OFF)

   Zendesk authentication

   Authenticate using your userid / password (2FA must be OFF and [Password Access] option must be enabled under Admin Console > Channel > API > Settings. These settings typically found here https://YOUR-SUB-DOMAIN.zendesk.com/agent/admin/api/settings [API reference]

   Please refer to external API reference

   API Connection Manager configuration

   Just perform these simple steps to finish authentication configuration:

   1. Set Authentication Type to UserID/Password Authentication (2FA must be OFF) [Http]
   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. Finally, hit OK button:

   ZendeskDSN

   Zendesk

   UserID/Password Authentication (2FA must be OFF) [Http]

   https://[$Domain$].zendesk.com/api/v2

   Required Parameters
   Sub Domain (e.g. mycompany)	Fill-in the parameter...
   UserName (2FA Must be OFF)	Fill-in the parameter...
   Password	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:

   

   ZappySys API Driver - Zendesk

   Read and write Zendesk data effortlessly. Manage tickets, users, and organizations — almost no coding required.

   ZendeskDSN

   

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 SAP Crystal Reports to retrieve data from Zendesk. Hit OK button to use this query in the next step.

   SELECT * FROM Tickets

   
   Some parameters configured in this window will be passed to the Zendesk 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 SAP Crystal Reports:

   

   ZappySys API Driver - Zendesk

   Read and write Zendesk data effortlessly. Manage tickets, users, and organizations — almost no coding required.

   ZendeskDSN

   SELECT * FROM Tickets

   
   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 Zendesk 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 Zendesk servers).

9. Click OK to finish creating the data source.

Video Tutorial

Read data in SAP Crystal Reports from the ODBC data source

1. First of all, open SAP Crystal Reports and create the new Crystal Report.

   

2. And it will open the new data source selection window. Under ODBC(RDO) double click on the Make New Connection and Select the desired ODBC DSN, in our case we need to select ZendeskDSN which we created in upper section. And Click on Next.

   ZendeskDSN

   

3. Expand the Connection and under the data select the desired table(s) or view(s) and click Add > button and click on Next.

   ZendeskDSN

   ZendeskDSN

   

4. Add the desired Fields to Display in the Reports. Here we are adding all fields and click on Finish.

   

5. That's it and you will be able to load the data in the Report.

   

Using ZappySys Driver Custom Views and Stored Procedure in SAP Crystal Report

You can create parameterized Stored Procedure and Virtual Tables on the same Data Source (ODBC DSN or Data Gateway Data Source). Please refer to this article for the same. You can create procedures to encapsulate custom logic and then only pass handful parameters rather than long SQL to execute your API call.

Using Custom Views in the SAP Crystal Report

After establishing the connection with ZendeskDSN Data Source you can use the custom view in SQL Crystal Report.

Using Custom Stored Procedure in the SAP Crystal Report

1. First of all, create the custom stored procedure in the ZappySys Driver. Please refer to this article to create the custom stored procedure.
   
2. After establishing the connection with ZendeskDSN Data Source you can use the custom Stored Procedure in SQL Crystal Report. Same way you can write custom queries also in the query box.
   ZendeskDSN

   

Optional: Centralized data access via ZappySys Data Gateway

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

This configuration provides two primary advantages:

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

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

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

Let's not wait and get going!

Create Zendesk data source in the gateway

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

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

   

2. 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
   

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

   • Click the Add button
   • Give the Data source a name (have it handy for later)
   • Then select Native - ZappySys API Driver
   • Finally, click OK
   ZendeskDSN

   ZappySys API Driver

   

4. When the ZappySys API Driver configuration window opens, go back to ODBC Data Source Administrator where you already have the Zendesk ODBC data source created and configured, and follow these steps on how to Import data source configuration into the Gateway:

   • Open ODBC data source configuration and click Copy settings:
     

     ZappySys API Driver - Configuration [Version: 2.0.1.10418]

     ZappySys API Driver - Zendesk

     Read and write Zendesk data effortlessly. Manage tickets, users, and organizations — almost no coding required.

     ZendeskDSN

     
   • The window opens, telling us the connection string was successfully copied to the clipboard:

   • Then go to Data Gateway configuration and in data source configuration window click Load settings:

     ZendeskDSN

     

     ZappySys API Driver - Configuration [Version: 2.0.1.10418]

     ZappySys API Driver - Zendesk

     Read and write Zendesk data effortlessly. Manage tickets, users, and organizations — almost no coding required.

     ZendeskDSN

     
   • Once a window opens, just paste the settings by pressing CTRL+V or by clicking right mouse button and then Paste option.

5. 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.

6. Crucial Step: After creating or modifying the data source, you must:

   • Click the Save button to persist your changes.
   • Hit Yes when prompted to restart the Data Gateway service.

   This ensures all changes are properly applied:

   
   Skipping this step may cause the new settings to fail, preventing you from connecting to the data source.

Create ODBC data source to connect to the gateway

In this part we will create an ODBC data source to connect to the ZappySys Data Gateway from SAP Crystal Reports. To achieve that, let's perform these steps:

1. Search for odbc and open the ODBC Data Sources (64-bit):

   

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

   ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server

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

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

   ZappySysGatewayDSN

   localhost,5000

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

4. Proceed with the authentication part:

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

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

   ZendeskDSN

   ZendeskDSN

   
   Make sure to type the data source name manually or copy/paste it directly into the field. Using the dropdown might fail because the Trust server certificate option is not enabled yet (next step).

6. Continue by checking the Trust server certificate option:

   

7. Once you do that, test the connection:

   

8. If the connection is successful, everything is good:

   

9. Done!

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

Access data in SAP Crystal Reports via the gateway

Finally, we are ready to read data from Zendesk in SAP Crystal Reports via the Data Gateway. Follow these final steps:

1. Go back to SAP Crystal Reports.

2. First of all, open SAP Crystal Reports and create the new Crystal Report.

   

3. And it will open the new data source selection window. Under ODBC(RDO) double click on the Make New Connection and Select the desired ODBC DSN, in our case we need to select ZappySysGatewayDSN which we created in upper section. And Click on Next.

   ZappySysGatewayDSN

   

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

5. That's it!

Now you can connect to Zendesk data in SAP Crystal Reports via the Data Gateway.

Supported Zendesk Connector actions

Got a specific use case in mind? We've mapped out exactly how to perform a variety of essential Zendesk operations directly in SAP Crystal Reports, so you don't have to figure out the setup from scratch. Check out the step-by-step guides below:

• Create Organization
• Create Ticket (Single)
• Create Tickets (Bulk)
• Create User
• Delete Attachment
• Delete Organization
• Delete Ticket
• Delete Tickets (Bulk)
• Delete Upload Session
• Delete User
• Read Attachment
• Read Brands
• Read Current User Info
• Read Groups
• Read Macros
• Read Organization Count
• Read Organization Fields
• Read Organization(s) by ID
• Read Organizations (All)
• Read Organizations (Incremental) changed after a specified date
• Read Requests
• Read Requests Search
• Read Sessions
• Read Tags
• Read Ticket ActivityStream
• Read Ticket ActivityStream Details
• Read Ticket Attachments
• Read Ticket Comments
• Read Ticket Events (Incremental) changed after a specified date
• Read Ticket Fields
• Read Ticket Forms
• Read Ticket Metric Events (Incremental) changed after a specified date
• Read Ticket Metrics
• Read Ticket(s) by ID
• Read Tickets (All)
• Read Tickets (Incremental) changed after a specified date
• Read Tickets (Recent)
• Read Tickets Count (All)
• Read Tickets Count (for Organization)
• Read Tickets for Organization
• Read Tickets for User (Assigned)
• Read Tickets for User (CCed)
• Read Tickets for User (Requested)
• Read User Fields
• Read User Sessions
• Read User(s) by ID
• Read Users (All)
• Read Users (Incremental) changed after a specified date
• Read Views
• Search Records - NO Sorting (Allows more than 1000 rows)
• Search Records - WITH Sorting and Extra Columns (Max 1000 rows)
• Update Organization
• Update Ticket (Single)
• Update Tickets (Bulk)
• Update User
• Upload Attachment (Single file)
• Upsert Organization - Create or Update
• Upsert User - Create or Update
• Upsert Users (Bulk) - Create or Update
• Make Generic REST API Request
• Make Generic REST API Request (Bulk Write)

Conclusion

In this article we showed you how to connect to Zendesk in SAP Crystal Reports and integrate data without writing complex code — all of this was powered by Zendesk ODBC Driver.

Download ODBC PowerPack now or ping us via chat if you have any questions or are looking for a specific feature (you can also reach out to us by submitting a ticket):

Explore SAP Crystal Reports connectors

More Zendesk integrations