ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) Connector for Power BI ManagedEngine (Zoho) ServiceDesk Plus Connector can be used to integrate ServiceDesk Plus data in your App / BI Tools. You can read/write Requests, Tasks, Comments, Worklogs and many other items. In this article you will learn how to quickly and efficiently integrate ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) data in Power BI without coding. We will use high-performance ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) Connector to easily connect to ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) and then access the data inside Power BI. Let's follow the steps below to see how we can accomplish that! Download Documentation ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) Connector for Power BI 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 ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) in other apps Connect to ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) in SSIS Connect to ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) in SQL Server Connect to ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) in SSRS Connect to ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) in Informatica Connect to ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) in MS Access Connect to ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) in MS Excel Connect to ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) in SSAS Connect to ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) in C# Connect to ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) in Python Connect to ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) in JAVA Connect to ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) in Tableau Connect to ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) in SAP Crystal Reports Connect to ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) in Azure Data Factory (Pipeline) Connect to ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) in Azure Data Factory (SSIS) Connect to ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) in Talend Studio Connect to ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) in UiPath Connect to ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) in PowerShell Connect to ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) in ODBC

Video Tutorial - Integrate ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) data in Power BI

This video covers the following topics and more, so please watch carefully. After watching the video, follow the steps outlined in this article:

• How to download and install the required PowerPack for ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) integration in Power BI
• How to configure the connection for ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho)
• Features of the ZappySys API Driver (Authentication / Query Language / Examples / Driver UI)
• How to use the ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) in Power BI

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

Step-by-step instructions

To get data from ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) using Power BI we first need to create a DSN (Data Source) which will access data from ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho). We will later be able to read data using Power BI. 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 ZappySys API Driver

   ZappySys API 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. When the Configuration window appears give your data source a name if you haven't done that already, then select "ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho)" from the list of Popular Connectors. If "ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho)" 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:

   ManagedengineServicedeskPlusZohoDSN

   ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho)

   

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 [OAuth]

   OAuth Connection for ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus API [API reference]

   Steps how to get and use ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) credentials : OAuth [OAuth]
   To register custom App, perform the following steps (Detailed steps found in the help link at the end)

   1. Go to Zoho API Console
   2. Click Add Client link
   3. Select Server-based Applications option
   4. Enter desired client name (Display purpose only)
   5. Enter some URL for Company homepage
   6. For Authorized Redirect URI enter https://zappysys.com/oauth (Or enter your own but we recommend using ZappySys one if possible). This URL must match on Zoho Connector UI.
   7. Click CREATE.
   8. Copy Client ID and Secret and paste on Zoho Connector UI.

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

   ManagedengineServicedeskPlusZohoDSN

   ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho)

   OAuth [OAuth]

   https://sdpondemand.manageengine.com/api/v3

   Optional Parameters
   ClientId
   ClientSecret
   Permissions	SDPOnDemand.requests.ALL
   AccountUrl	https://accounts.zoho.com
   RedirectUrl	https://zappysys.com/oauth
   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 - ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho)

   ManagedEngine (Zoho) ServiceDesk Plus Connector can be used to integrate ServiceDesk Plus data in your App / BI Tools. You can read/write Requests, Tasks, Comments, Worklogs and many other items.

   ManagedengineServicedeskPlusZohoDSN

   

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 Power BI to retrieve data from ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho). Hit OK button to use this query in the next step.

   SELECT * FROM Requests

   
   Some parameters configured in this window will be passed to the ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) 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 Power BI:

   

   ZappySys API Driver - ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho)

   ManagedEngine (Zoho) ServiceDesk Plus Connector can be used to integrate ServiceDesk Plus data in your App / BI Tools. You can read/write Requests, Tasks, Comments, Worklogs and many other items.

   ManagedengineServicedeskPlusZohoDSN

   SELECT * FROM Requests

   
   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 ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) 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 ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) servers).

9. Click OK to finish creating the data source.

Video Tutorial

Read ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) data in Power BI using ODBC

Importing ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) data into Power BI from table or view

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

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

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

   ManagedengineServicedeskPlusZohoDSN

   

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:

   ManagedengineServicedeskPlusZohoDSN

   

5. Finally, you will be asked to select a table or view to get data from. Select one and load the data!
   

6. Finally, finally, use extracted data from ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) in a Power BI report:
   

Importing ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) data into Power BI using SQL query

If you wish to import ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) 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.

ManagedengineServicedeskPlusZohoDSN

SELECT * FROM Requests

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 API Driver - Configuration [Version: 2.0.1.10418]

   ZappySys API Driver - ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho)

   ManagedEngine (Zoho) ServiceDesk Plus Connector can be used to integrate ServiceDesk Plus data in your App / BI Tools. You can read/write Requests, Tasks, Comments, Worklogs and many other items.

   ManagedengineServicedeskPlusZohoDSN

   
2. The window opens, telling us the connection string was successfully copied to the clipboard:
3. Then just paste the connection string into your script:
   ManagedengineServicedeskPlusZohoDSN

   DRIVER={ZappySys API Driver};ServiceUrl=https://sdpondemand.manageengine.com/api/v3;Provider=Custom;OAuthVersion=OAuth2;ScopeSeparator={space};ReturnUrl=[$RedirectUrl$];ExtraAttributesForAuthRequest=access_type=offline&prompt=consent;AuthUrl=[$AccountUrl$]/oauth/v2/auth;TokenUrl=[$AccountUrl$]/oauth/v2/token;ClientId=[$ClientId$];ClientSecret=[$ClientSecret$];Scope=[$Permissions$];ExpiresInAttribute=expires_in_sec;

   
4. You are good to go! The script will execute the same way as using a DSN.

Limitations of using a full connection string

Despite using a full ODBC connection string may be very convenient it comes with a limitation: it's length is limited to 1024 symbols (or sometimes more). It usually happens when API provider generates a very long Refresh Token when OAuth is at play. If you are using such a long ODBC connection string, you may get this error:

"Connection string exceeds maximum allowed length of 1024"

But there is a solution to this by storing the full connection string in a file. Follow the steps below to achieve this:

1. Open your ODBC data source.
2. Click Copy settings button to copy a full connection string (see the previous section on how to accomplish that).
3. Then create a new file, let's say, in C:\temp\odbc-connection-string.txt.
4. Continue by pasting the copied connection string into a newly created file and save it.
5. Finally, the last step! Just construct a shorter ODBC connection string using this format:

   DRIVER={ZappySys API Driver};SettingsFile=C:\temp\odbc-connection-string.txt

6. Our troubles are over! Now you should be able to use this connection string in Power BI with no problems.

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:

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=ManagedengineServicedeskPlusZohoDSN",
                                            "SELECT ProductID, ProductName, UnitPrice, UnitsInStock
                                             FROM Products
                                             WHERE UnitPrice > " & Text.From(MyParameter) & "
                                             ORDER BY UnitPrice")
                           
                   

   
   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 ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) 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 ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) 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 ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) 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 ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) Data Source in Data Gateway and defined linked server - change the name below).

   SELECT * FROM OPENQUERY([LS_TO_MANAGEDENGINE_SERVICEDESK_PLUS_ZOHO_IN_GATEWAY], 'SELECT * FROM Requests')

   SELECT * FROM OPENQUERY([LS_TO_MANAGEDENGINE_SERVICEDESK_PLUS_ZOHO_IN_GATEWAY], 'SELECT * FROM Requests')

   

   
   DirectQuery option for Power BI (Read ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) Data Example using SQL Server Linked Server and ZappySys Data Gateway)

7. Click OK and Load data... That's it. Now your ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) 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:

   

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

   

3. Finally, if everything went right, you will see a window indicating success:

   

   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:

   

2. If you see this view, it means you have to install On-premises data gateway (standard mode):

   

3. Install On-premises data gateway (standard mode) and sign-in:

   
   Use the same email address you use when logging in into Power BI account.

4. Register a new gateway (or migrate an existing one):

   

5. If you are creating a new gateway, name your gateway, enter a Recovery key, and click Configure button:

   

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=ManagedengineServicedeskPlusZohoDSN"}

   

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=ManagedengineServicedeskPlusZohoDSN

   
   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=ManagedengineServicedeskPlusZohoDSN"}

   

9. Finally, you are at the final step where you can refresh the semantic model:

   

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:

   

2. If you see this view, it means you have to install On-premises data gateway (personal mode):

   

3. Install On-premises data gateway (personal mode) and sign-in:

   
   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=ManagedengineServicedeskPlusZohoDSN

   

5. Finally, you are ready to refresh your semantic model:

   

Actions supported by ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) Connector

Learn how to perform common ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) actions directly in Power BI with these how-to guides:

• Delete Request
• Get Asset Details
• Get Assets
• Get Change Details
• Get Change Note Details
• Get Change Notes
• Get Change Task Comment Details
• Get Change Task Comments
• Get Change Task Details
• Get Change Task Worklog Details
• Get Change Task Worklogs
• Get Change Tasks
• Get Change Worklog Details
• Get Change Worklogs
• Get Changes
• Get Contract Details
• Get Contracts
• Get Problem Details
• Get Problem Note Details
• Get Problem Notes
• Get Problem Task Comment Details
• Get Problem Task Comments
• Get Problem Task Details
• Get Problem Task Worklog Details
• Get Problem Task Worklogs
• Get Problem Tasks
• Get Problem Worklog Details
• Get Problem Worklogs
• Get Problems
• Get Project Details
• Get Project Members
• Get Project Milestone Tasks
• Get Project Milestones
• Get Project Note Details
• Get Project Notes
• Get Project Task Comment Details
• Get Project Task Comments
• Get Project Task Details
• Get Project Task Worklog Details
• Get Project Task Worklogs
• Get Project Tasks
• Get Project Worklog Details
• Get Project Worklogs
• Get Projects
• Get Purchase Order Details
• Get Purchase Orders
• Get Release Details
• Get Release Note Details
• Get Release Notes
• Get Release Task Comment Details
• Get Release Task Comments
• Get Release Task Details
• Get Release Task Worklog Details
• Get Release Task Worklogs
• Get Release Tasks
• Get Release Worklog Details
• Get Release Worklogs
• Get Releases
• Get Request Details
• Get Request Note Details
• Get Request Notes
• Get Request Task Comment Details
• Get Request Task Comments
• Get Request Task Details
• Get Request Task Worklog Details
• Get Request Task Worklogs
• Get Request Tasks
• Get Request Worklog Details
• Get Request Worklogs
• Get Requests
• Get Task Details
• Get Tasks
• Test Connection
• Generic Request
• Generic Request (Bulk Write)

Conclusion

In this article we showed you how to connect to ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) in Power BI 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 ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho), but to any Java application that supports JDBC (just use a different JDBC driver and configure it appropriately).

We encourage you to download ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) 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 ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho) Connector for Power BI Documentation

More integrations

Other connectors for Power BI

Amazon Ads

Amazon Athena

Amazon Selling Partner (SP-API)

Apache Derby

Apache Hive

Apache Spark

Asana

Azure DevOps

Cosmos DB

DropBox

ElasticSearch

FastSpring

Google Ads

Google BigQuery

Google Calendar

Google Drive

Google Sheets

Hubspot

Infor Data Lake

Jira

Mailchimp

MariaDB

OData

OneDrive

Outlook Mail (Office 365)

Power BI

ServiceNow

SharePoint Online

Shopify

Smartsheet

Starburst

Stripe

Trino

YouTube

Zendesk

Zoho CRM

Zoho SalesIQ

Zoom

REST API

JSON

JSON File

XML

SOAP

XML File

JDBC-ODBC Bridge

Salesforce

CSV

Amazon S3 JSON File

Amazon S3 XML File

Amazon S3 CSV File

Azure Blob JSON File

Azure Blob XML File

Azure Blob CSV File

FTP/SFTP JSON File

FTP/SFTP XML File

FTP/SFTP CSV File

Build your own Custom API Connector

Other application integration scenarios for ManagedEngine ServiceDesk Plus (Zoho)

SSIS

SQL Server

SSRS

Informatica

MS Access

MS Excel

SSAS

C#

Python

JAVA

Tableau

SAP Crystal Reports

Azure Data Factory (Pipeline)

Azure Data Factory (SSIS)

Talend Studio

UiPath

PowerShell

ODBC

Common Searches: