Trello is a popular project management platform used by teams worldwide to organize tasks, track progress, and collaborate on projects. Many applications and tools need to integrate with Trello data for reporting, analytics, and business intelligence. Using Zappysys ODBC Driver for Trello, you can easily query card data, lists, and board information from Trello using standard SQL queries without writing custom code.

This tutorial demonstrates how to connect to Trello via ODBC and extract card and board data for use in your applications, databases, and reporting tools.

Prerequisites

1. A Windows or Linux system with an ODBC driver manager installed.
2. An ODBC-compatible application (Excel, Power BI, Tableau, database tool, etc.).
3. A Trello account with at least one board and list created.
4. Finally, install the ZappySys ODBC Driver.

Steps

Generate Trello API Key and Token

1. Go to the Trello Power-up page and log in to your account.
2. Create a new App and fill in the form.
   

   Trello – Create a new App

3. Inside your new App, click the API key, then generate a new API Key.
   

   Trello – API key page

4. In the API Key section, click the Token link to generate an access token.
   

   Trello – API key and Token link

5. Choose the token’s expiration time (Recommended: 30 days for security).
6. Review the permissions and click Create Token.
7. Copy the generated token and store it securely.
8. You now have both your API Key and Token. Keep these credentials confidential.

Creating a new ODBC DSN using ZappySys JSON Driver

1. Search for ODBC in the Windows Start menu and open the ODBC Data Source Administrator.
   
2. In the User DSN or System DSN tab, click Add to create a new data source.
3. In the ODBC Data Source Setup window, select the ZappySys JSON Driver and click Continue.
   

 Configure the Connection and API Settings

1. In the Base URL field, enter the URL:
   

   https://api.trello.com/1/members/me/boards?key={{TrelloApiKey}}&token={{TrelloToken}}

   For more examples:
   GET /boards/{boardId}/cards — Retrieve all cards from a specific board
GET /boards/{boardId}/lists — Retrieve all lists from a specific board
GET /cards/{cardId} — Retrieve details of a specific card

2. In the Request Method, use GET
3. You can use the Array filter to get the object you need.
4. Test the connection to check everything is working fine
   

   Trello – ODBC configuration

Preview the data

1. Once your ODBC DSN is configured, go to the preview tab.
2. Select the table you want to use.
3. Press the Preview data button to see the result.
   

   Trello – ODBC final result

Conclusion

Connecting to Trello via ODBC with the Zappysys ODBC Driver simplifies integrating project management data into your applications, databases, and reporting tools without custom development. By following the steps outlined in this tutorial, you can build reliable data connections that allow you to query Trello data using standard SQL and access it from Excel, Power BI, Python, SQL Server, and many other tools. Whether you need to track project progress, analyze team productivity, consolidate data from multiple teams, or create executive dashboards, Trello integration via ODBC provides a flexible and powerful solution.

Explore the full capabilities of the ZappySys ODBC Drivers to optimize your data access and integration strategy. You can extend this solution to include periodic data synchronization, real-time dashboards, and advanced transformations using your preferred analytics platform.

Need Help?

If you encounter any issues, our support team is here to help:

1. Live Chat — Use the chat widget (bottom-right corner of this page)
2. Email — support@zappysys.com
3. Support Center — Visit the ZappySys Support Portal

The post How to extract data from Trello appeared first on ZappySys Blog.

Power BI native ODBC connectors do not support DirectQuery. This significant platform limitation forces users into Import mode, preventing real-time data access and causing refresh delays for critical business dashboards. If you have been searching for a “Power BI ODBC DirectQuery workaround” or a way to “enable DirectQuery for custom ODBC drivers,” this guide provides the exact steps to bridge that gap.

The Industry Challenge: Standard Power BI ODBC settings lack the DirectQuery option.

The Problem: Why “Import Mode” Fails Modern Data Teams

While the native Microsoft connector is useful for simple tasks, its lack of DirectQuery support creates several enterprise-level issues:

• Stale Data: There is no true real-time reporting, as data is only as fresh as your last refresh.
• Memory Constraints: Large datasets quickly bloat the Power BI model and increase memory usage.
• Refresh Overhead: Frequent changes in underlying data require complex and constant refresh schedules.
• API Lag: Data from cloud apps like Jira, SharePoint, or OneDrive becomes outdated between scheduled updates.

The Solution: ZappySys DirectQuery ODBC Connector

To fix this widespread industry problem, you can use the ZappySys DirectQuery ODBC Connector (a specialized custom Power BI connector). This tool allows you to treat any ODBC source as a live connection, unlocking real-time analytics for databases, APIs, and cloud apps.

Advanced Capabilities:

• Enable DirectQuery mode for virtually any 64-bit ODBC source.
• Query live data directly without importing massive datasets into Power BI.
• Seamlessly integrate with the ZappySys ODBC PowerPack for API and JSON connectivity.

Step 1: Install the ZappySys Connector

1. First, download and install the ZappySys ODBC PowerPack.
   This is essential for those using ZappySys drivers (e.g. REST API, JSON, JDBC Bridge (e.g. Trino, Infor, Athena) and more).
2. Download the Power BI Connector file: ZappySys-DirectQuery-ODBC-Connector.zip
3. Copy the extracted .mez file to <your-profile>\Documents\Power BI Desktop\Custom Connectors: (See next section to find exact path)
   

   Examples:
   
   C:\Users\<YourUsername>\Documents\Power BI Desktop\Custom Connectors
   C:\Users\<YourUsername>\OneDrive - <your-company>\Documents\Power BI Desktop\Custom Connectors

   
   Note: If the Custom Connectors folder does not exist, you must create it manually.For finding exact connector folder path see Microsoft Connector Extensibility documentation.

How to find the Custom Connector folder Path for Power BI

1. Type PowerShell on command line.
2. Run the lines below to print the base path and the full path. You can run one after another or paste both lines.
   

   [Environment]::GetFolderPath('MyDocuments')
   Join-Path ([Environment]::GetFolderPath('MyDocuments')) 'Microsoft Power BI Desktop\Custom Connectors'

Step 2: Update Power BI Security for Custom Connectors

1. Open Power BI Desktop.
2. Navigate to File > Options and settings > Options > Security.
3. Under Data Extensions, enable the option “Allow any extension to load without validation”.
4. Save your changes and restart Power BI Desktop to apply the new security policy.

Power BI options security settings to enable custom connectors

Step 3: Set Up a 64-bit ODBC DSN

1. Open the ODBC Data Sources (64-bit) administrator.
2. Click the System DSN tab and select Add.
3. Choose your driver (for example, the ZappySys ODBC Driver for API/Jira/SharePoint).
4. Save the DSN with a clear name, such as MyZappyDSN.

Important Architecture Note: Power BI Desktop and the Gateway require a 64-bit DSN; 32-bit DSNs are not supported for this workflow.

Windows 64-bit ODBC DSN Configuration.

Step 4: Connecting for Live Data / DirectQuery Support

1. In Power BI Desktop, go to Get Data > More...
2. Search for “zappysys” in the list.
3. Select ZappySys ODBC Connector (For DirectQuery Support).
4. Provide your DSN name (MyZappyDSN) or a full connection string.
5. Select DirectQuery mode and click connect.
   

   ZappySys ODBC Connector – To enable DirectQuery option for ODBC Datasource (Custom Install required)

Note for PowerPack Users: You can use a full connection string (e.g., Driver={ZappySys ODBC Driver};Host=...;) by using the “Copy Settings” feature within the ZappySys Driver UI. Read more how to copy full connection string

Power BI Get Data showing ZappySys DirectQuery ODBC Connector selected

Choosing Your Selection Mode

When the navigator opens, you must choose how to fetch your data:

• Table Mode: Best for simple datasets where you want to select a table from a list.
• Query Mode (SQL): Recommended for performance. Writing a custom SQL query allows you to filter and join data at the source, which is much faster for DirectQuery.

Step 5: Verify Your DirectQuery Connection (Final Result)

Once connected, it is crucial to verify that the report is truly “Live.” A successful connection will change the behavior of Power BI Desktop.

Power BI Test Dashboard showing Storage Mode: DirectQuery

Step 6: Configure the Gateway for Power BI Service

Once your report is ready, you must configure the gateway so Power BI Service can maintain the live DirectQuery connection to your data source. Follow the steps below to deploy and enable your custom connector for the On-premises Data Gateway.

6.1 Create a Dedicated Connector Folder

Do not place the connector in a user-specific folder. The gateway service account needs reliable access, so use a shared folder on a local drive instead.

• Recommended paths: C:\CustomConnectors or C:\ZappySysConnectors

6.2 Copy the Connector File

Copy your custom connector file (.mez) into the folder you created.

C:\CustomConnectors\YourConnector.mez

6.3 Grant Folder Permissions to the Gateway Service

If the connector does not appear in Power BI Service, first make sure the gateway service account can access the connector folder.

1. Right-click the folder (for example, C:\CustomConnectors) and select Properties > Security.
2. Click Edit > Add.
3. Enter NT SERVICE\PBIEgwService and click Check Names.
   NOTE: If you are using a different service account, then use that instead. To verify Services account name try below steps.
   Press Windows Key + R > open services.msc > locate On-premises data gateway service > look at Log On As
   > If it says NT SERVICE\PBIEgwService then use exact same user name
   > If it says Local System then use SYSTEM user for folder permission
   > If it says DOMAIN\Svc-PBI-Gateway then use exact same user name
4. If Windows cannot find the account, make sure the Location is set to the local machine, not the domain.
5. Grant at least Read and List folder contents permissions.

6.4 Enable Custom Connectors in the Gateway Config File

You must explicitly enable custom connectors and point the gateway to your connector folder.

1. Open this file in Notepad as Administrator:

C:\Program Files\On-premises data gateway\Microsoft.PowerBI.DataMovement.Pipeline.GatewayCore.dll.config

2. Find the <appSettings> section and add these entries:

<add key="EnableCustomConnectors" value="true" />
<add key="CustomConnectorsPath" value="C:\CustomConnectors" />

3. Save the file.
4. Restart the gateway service from services.msc or from the gateway application.

6.5 Verify the Connector in Power BI Service

After restarting the gateway, sign in to Power BI Service and try adding or mapping the data source. Your custom connector should now be available through the gateway.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

Does the native Microsoft ODBC connector support DirectQuery?

No. The native Microsoft ODBC connector is limited to Import mode only.

How can I enable DirectQuery for ODBC sources in Power BI?

By using the ZappySys DirectQuery ODBC Connector and following the custom extension setup outlined in this guide.

Where is the ZappySys DirectQuery connector download?

You can find the latest version here: ZappySys DirectQuery Connector ZIP.

Troubleshooting Checklist

• Connector Missing: Ensure “Allow any extension” is checked in Power BI security settings.
• Gateway Errors: Verify the DSN name is identical on both the local PC and the gateway server.
• 32-bit vs 64-bit: Ensure you are using a 64-bit System DSN; 32-bit will cause connection failures.
• Driver Installation: Ensure the ZappySys ODBC driver is installed on all machines where the report or gateway runs.

The post Enable Power BI DirectQuery for ODBC: Solving the Live Data Problem appeared first on ZappySys Blog.

Introduction

Claude.IA is a powerful cloud-native intelligence and automation platform that offers REST APIs for accessing AI models, data processing pipelines, and automation workflows. In this guide, we will demonstrate how to connect to Claude using the Zappysys ODBC Driver for REST APIs with API key authentication.

Whether you are using Claude for intelligent document processing, data enrichment, or automated workflows, you will learn how to configure ODBC connectivity without writing custom code. Zappysys ODBC REST driver handles all the complexity, allowing you to query Claude APIs using standard SQL and connect from any ODBC-compatible application.

Prerequisites

1. Windows operating system (32-bit or 64-bit).
2. Claude’s account has API access enabled.
3. Finally, do not forget to install ZappySys ODBC PowerPack.

Steps

Generate an API Key in Claude

1. Log in to your Cloude.IA account settings.
2. Navigate to Settings > API Keys.
3. Click Create Key.
4. Enter the workspace name (optional).
5. Enter a descriptive name for the API key.
6. Press Add to generate the token Key.
7. Save the API key in a secure location; you won’t be able to view it again.
   

   Cloude- Generate Token

8. Set Up Billing (required): add a payment method via the Billing Settings page.

Creating a new ODBC DSN using ZappySys JSON Driver

1. Search for ODBC in the Windows Start menu and open the ODBC Data Source Administrator.
   
2. In the User DSN or System DSN tab, click Add to create a new data source.
3. In the ODBC Data Source Setup window, select the ZappySys JSON Driver and click Continue.
   

 Configure the Connection and API Settings

1. In the Base URL field, enter:
   

   https://api.anthropic.com/v1

2. Select HTTP as the connection type, then click it to configure it.
3. Select Static Token/API Key as the Authentication Type.
4. Enter your Claude API key in the API Key field.
5. In the Header Name, enter x-api-key.
6. In the OAuth Scheme, use none.
7. Click OK to save the configuration.
8. Set up the HTTP Request Method to POST.
9. Use this JSON as the body:
   

   {
     "model": "claude-sonnet-4-6",
     "max_tokens": 1024,
     "messages": [
       {
         "role": "user",
         "content": "{YOUR-Message}"
       }
     ]
   }
10. In the Body content type, select 

    JSON(application/json)

11. Inside the header, add:

    anthropic-version: 2023-06-01

12. You can use the Array filter to get the object you need, and you can use

    $.messages[*].content

      to get only the message.
13. Test the connection to check everything is working fine
    

    Claude – JSON ODBC Driver configuration

Preview the data

1. Once your ODBC DSN is configured, go to the preview tab.
2. Select the table you want to use.
3. Press the Preview data button to see the result.
   

   Claude – JSON ODBC Driver result

Conclusion

You now have a secure and reliable ODBC connection to Claude. API Key authentication provides a simple and secure way to connect using the Zappysys ODBC Driver for REST APIs. With this connection configured, you can build powerful data extraction, transformation, and integration workflows using Claude’s intelligence and automation capabilities from any ODBC-compatible application without writing custom code.

Explore the full capabilities of the ZappySys ODBC PowerPack to optimize your data integration tasks. By applying this pattern, you can extend your solution to include additional data sources and create unified reporting across multiple cloud-based APIs.

Need Help?

If you encounter any issues, our support team is here to help:

1. Live Chat — Use the chat widget (bottom-right corner of this page)
2. Email — support@zappysys.com
3. Support Center — Visit the ZappySys Support Portal

The post ODBC Tutorial: How to connect Claude to ODBC appeared first on ZappySys Blog.

This tutorial walks you through the process of extracting blog posts and comments data from Blogger using the REST API and Zappysys ODBC connectors. In this guide, you will learn how to authenticate with the Blogger REST API, configure a Zappysys ODBC data source, and query extracted data using ODBC. This approach eliminates the need for custom code and provides a standard interface for managing complex API integrations.

Zappysys provides a powerful ODBC connector that simplifies the integration of cloud-based APIs. We will demonstrate a practical pattern using ZappySys ODBC JSON Driver to extract data from Blogger APIs through any ODBC-compatible application.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have the following:

• Windows operating system with ODBC Data Source Administrator available
• Access to a Blogger blog with appropriate permissions to read public posts and comments
• Finally, do not forget to install ZappySys ODBC PowerPack.

Steps

Create/Select a Project in the Google API Console

1. Navigate to the Google API Console.
2. Click on the Project Dropdown at the top bar and either select an existing project or create a new one by clicking CREATE PROJECT.
   

   Google Console – Create or select a project

3. Once the project is set, click ENABLE APIS AND SERVICES.
4. Search for the Blogger API v3 and click ENABLE.
   

   Google Console – Enable Blogger API

5. Return to the main screen and click on the OAuth Consent Screen tab.
6. Select the External user type and click CREATE.
7. Provide the application name, user support email, and developer contact information, then click SAVE AND CONTINUE.
8. Click through the remaining scopes and summary pages (no additional scopes are required for this tutorial), and click SAVE AND CONTINUE on each.
9. Move to the Credentials tab.
10. Click CREATE CREDENTIALS in the top bar, choose OAuth Client ID, select Desktop App as the Application Type, and click Create to obtain your Client ID and Secret.
    

    Google Console – Create credentials

11. Download the credentials JSON file and save it in a secure location on your development machine.

Creating a new ODBC DSN using ZappySys JSON Driver

1. Search for ODBC in the Windows Start menu and open the ODBC Data Source Administrator.
   
2. In the User DSN or System DSN tab, click Add to create a new data source.
3. In the ODBC Data Source Setup window, select the ZappySys JSON Driver and click Continue.
   

Configuring the ODBC connection for Blogger

1. Set the API Base URL to the Blogger API endpoint:
   https://www.googleapis.com/blogger/v3/blogs/{{Blog_ID}}/posts
2. Select OAUTH as the connection type, then click it to configure it.
3. Configure the authentication and provide the Client ID and Client Secret
4. Enter the Blogger Scope: https://www.googleapis.com/auth/blogger
5. Generate the token and test the connection
6. Click OK to save the connection
7. Set the HTTP method to GET.
8. Select the object you want to use in the Array Filter.
9. Test the connection by clicking Test Connection to verify your credentials and API access.
10. Save the configuration and name your ODBC DSN (e.g., “BloggerAPI”).
    

    ODBC JSON driver – Blogger connection

Preview the data

1. Once your ODBC DSN is configured, go to the preview tab.
2. Select the table you want to use.
3. Press the Preview data button to see the result.
   

   ODBC JSON driver – Blogger final result

Conclusion

You have successfully learned how to use Zappysys ODBC connectors to extract data from the Blogger
platform using the REST API. With ZappySys ODBC PowerPack, connecting Blogger to any ODBC-compatible application becomes
straightforward and reliable. By configuring the JSON ODBC driver for Blogger, you can access blog data from Excel, Power BI, Tableau, and other business intelligence tools.

Explore the full capabilities of the ZappySys ODBC PowerPack to optimize your data integration
tasks. By applying this pattern, you can extend your solution to include additional data sources and create unified reporting across multiple cloud-based APIs.

Need Help?

If you encounter any issues, our support team is here to help:

1. Live Chat — Use the chat widget (bottom-right corner of this page)
2. Email — support@zappysys.com
3. Support Center — Visit the ZappySys Support Portal

The post ODBC tutorial: How to connect Blogger to ODBC appeared first on ZappySys Blog.

When you create a linked server, the connection succeeds, but the query fails. By default, non-admin users do not have access to a Linked Server in SQL Server. When such users attempt to query a Linked Server, they may encounter errors similar to the following:

OLE DB provider "SQLNCLI11" 
for linked server "ZappySysLink" returned message "Unable to open a logical session". 

Msg -1, Level 16, State 1, Line 0 

SMux Provider: Physical connection is not usable [xFFFFFFFF].

This issue occurs because the Linked Server does not have a login mapping configured for the user executing the query.

Cause

1. Non-admin users do not inherit access to Linked Servers by default.
2. No login mapping exists between the local SQL Server login and the remote Linked Server credentials.
3. SQL Server cannot determine which remote credentials to use when the user connects.

For admin users, SQL Server often uses the default option “Be made using this security context”, which allows access without additional configuration.

Solution

The post How to add non-admin user access for linked servers appeared first on ZappySys Blog.

OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT, provide both a web interface and an API for seamless integration of their tools into applications. This article provides a comprehensive guide on how to establish a connection with the OpenAI API in SSIS using ZappySys JSON Source, enabling seamless data integration and retrieval.

Prerequisites

Before we perform steps listed in this article, you will need to make sure following prerequisites are met:

1. SSIS designer installed. Sometimes it is referred as BIDS or SSDT (download it from Microsoft site).
2. Basic knowledge of SSIS package development using Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services.
3. Make sure ZappySys SSIS PowerPack is installed (download it).
4. Optional (If you want to Deploy and Schedule ) – Deploy and Schedule SSIS Packages

Step-by-step guide to making a ChatGPT Rest API call

How to get an OpenAI API Key for ChatGPT

First, obtain your API key from OpenAI. This key is required for authenticating your requests.

To access the services, you will be required to set up an account with OpenAI. Click here to create your account. Once your account has been successfully created, proceed to log in to your OpenAI account.

You can find the API key by following these steps:

1. Navigate to the top right corner of the screen.
2. Click on your account name.
3. From the drop-down menu, select “API Keys.”
4. Alternatively, you can directly access the API Keys section by clicking here.

To generate a new secret key, please follow these steps:

1. Go to the API Keys page.
2. Look for the “Create new secret key” button.
3. Click the button to generate a new secret key.

Generate a new key

Upon generation, your API key will be visible on the screen. It’s crucial to copy the key and store it in a secure location immediately, as it will not be displayed again for security purposes.

The new key

Now that you have your API key, you can begin utilizing it to make calls with your components. A preliminary example involves retrieving a list of all available models in OpenAI. For detailed instructions, please refer to the API documentation available here.

ChatGPT Rest API call using JSON Source

1. Drag and Drop the SSIS Data Flow Task from the SSIS Toolbox.

Drag and drop Data flow task

2. Double-click on the DataFlow task to see the DataFlow designer surface.

3. From the SSIS toolbox drag and drop ZS JSON Source on the dataflow designer surface.

Drag and drop a JSON source

4. We will use this on the URL path:

https://api.openai.com/v1/models

5. In the HTTP headers grid add the following values by clicking Raw Edit button :

Authorization: Bearer YOUR_OPENAI_API_KEY
OpenAI-Organization: org-YQ9qpxxxxxxxxxxxxgoPi

6. Select your preferred Array Filter, simply click the “Select Filter” button. for this API call we need to select the

$.data[*]

7. Final step: Click ‘Preview’ to initiate the ChatGTP Rest API call. You will also find a demonstration within our component, along with the resulting output from the call, below.

ChatGPT call

That’s it the configuration for the ChatGPT Rest API call has been completed successfully.

Load ChatGPT data in SQL Server using Upsert Destination (Insert or Update)

ZappySys SSIS PowerPack makes it easy to load data from various sources such as REST, SOAP, JSON, XML, CSV or from other source into SQL Server, or PostgreSQL, or Amazon Redshift, or other targets. The Upsert Destination component allows you to automatically insert new records and update existing ones based on key columns. Below are the detailed steps to configure it.

Step 1: Add Upsert Destination to Data Flow

1. Drag and drop the Upsert Destination component from the SSIS Toolbox.
2. Connect your source component (e.g., JSON / REST / Other Source) to the Upsert Destination.

SSIS - Data Flow - Drang and Drop Upsert Destination Component

Step 2: Configure Target Connection

1. Double-click the Upsert Destination component to open the configuration window.
2. Under Connection, select an existing target connection or click NEW to create a new connection.
   • Example: SQL Server, or PostgreSQL, or Amazon Redshift.

Step 3: Select or Create Target Table

1. In the Target Table dropdown, select the table where you want to load data.
2. Optionally, click NEW to create a new table based on the source columns.

Configure SSIS Upsert Destination Connection - Loading data (REST / SOAP / JSON / XML /CSV) into SQL Server or other target using SSIS

Step 4: Map Columns

1. Go to the Mappings tab.
2. Click Auto Map to map source columns to target columns by name.
3. Ensure you check the Primary key column(s) that will determine whether a record is inserted or updated.
4. You can manually adjust the mappings if necessary.

SSIS Upsert Destination - Columns Mappings

Step 5: Save Settings

• Click OK to save the Upsert Destination configuration.

Step 6: Optional: Add Logging or Analysis

• You may add extra destination components to log the number of inserted vs. updated records for monitoring or auditing purposes.

Step 7: Execute the Package

• Run your SSIS package and verify that the data is correctly inserted and updated in the target table.

SSIS Upsert Destination Execution

Conclusion

In this article, we explored the seamless process of establishing a connection with ChatGPT in SSIS and integrating data effortlessly, all without the need for coding. Interested in trying it out yourself? Feel free to Download ZappySys SSIS PowerPack by clicking here and experience the simplicity firsthand. Should you have any lingering queries, please don’t hesitate to ask by clicking here or initiating a conversation with our experts via the live chat icon at the bottom-right corner of this page.

The post Call ChatGPT REST API in SSIS appeared first on ZappySys Blog.

Imagine this situation, you or users of your product wants to consume some REST API in ETL / BI / Programming Tools using ODBC / JDBC Driver interface but there are no ODBC / JDBC Driver available for that API and you dont even know coding? If you are in a situation No Problem !!! In this post you will learn how to create a custom ODBC Driver for API (i.e. REST / SOAP / OData) without writing code… and access in most BI / ETL / Reporting tools using Industry Standard such as ODBC Interface….. Yes you heard it right… 🙂

Generally speaking, creating an ODBC Driver requires a lot of coding effort and that’s why most vendors don’t invest in providing ODBC Driver and let you consume their API using code only. They assume that your company / team has really sharp C# / JAVA / C++ coders available 🙂 …. but we all know that coding is not cheap and not easy to maintain in long run.

Basically, the approach mentioned in this article requires you to create an XML File (or call it Connector File) and then consume it using API Driver (ODBC) So let’s get started!

API Connector File – The Concept

ZappySys has developed a highly flexible API Connector Framework which you can use to build API Connector Files which can be used by API ODBC Driver in different apps. This API Connector Framework is so flexible that it can handle pretty much any API out there.

Here are a few example connector files we built using the same framework. Don’t worry about various parts in those connector files for now, you might not need to implement all those. We will start simple and explain to you advanced use cases later.

Example Connector Files

• Youtube
• Stripe
• Jira
• Shopify

Basic Example of API Connector File

Here is a very simple example of some API to read Customers and Orders. Keep in mind most features are omitted for simplicity.

Below connector file shows few concepts which we will discuss later in this article. Such as API Base URL (i.e. Service URL), Authetication, Pagination, EndPoints, Metadata, Parameters, Templates, Tables so on.

1. Open Notepad
2. Copy / Paste below XMl in notepad and save as NorthwindConnector.xml
3. Then you can Create a new ODBC DSN as mentioned here and use our connector file for Testing (Use Saved Connector File Option on new DSN wizard).

NorthwindConnector.xml

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ApiConfig Name="Northwind" Slug="northwind-api" Desc="Sample connector for Northwind OData Service" Logo="https://www.odata.org/assets/ODataLogo-96.png">
  <ServiceUrls>
    <ServiceUrl Name="V3_API" Url="https://services.odata.org/V3/Northwind/Northwind.svc"/>
    <ServiceUrl Name="V4_API" Url="https://services.odata.org/V4/Northwind/Northwind.svc"/>
  </ServiceUrls>


  <!-- Implement supported way to Authenticate API calls -->
  <Auths>
    <Auth Name="ApiKeyAuth" Type="Http" TestEndPoint="get_customers" ConnStr="CredentialType=Token;TokenAuthHeader=X-APIKEY;Password=[$ApiKey$]">
      <Params>
        <Param Name="ApiKey" Label="Enter your API  Key" Secret="True"/>
      </Params>
    </Auth>  
  </Auths>

  <!-- Reusable Templates (i.e. API Pagination Properties) -->
  <Template>
    <EndPoint Name="PaginatedCall">
      <Params>
        <Param Name="NextUrlAttributeOrExpr" Type="Property" Value="$.['odata.nextLink']"/>
      </Params>    
    </EndPoint>
  </Template>

  <!-- EndPoints -->
  <EndPoints>
    <EndPoint Name="get_customers" Template="PaginatedCall" Url="/Customers?$format=json" Filter="$.value[*]" Method="GET">
      <OutputColumns>
        <Column Name="CustomerID" Label="Id" DataType="DT_WSTR" Length="20"/>
        <Column Name="CompanyName" DataType="DT_WSTR" Length="100"/>
      </OutputColumns>
    </EndPoint>

    <EndPoint Name="get_orders" Template="PaginatedCall" Url="/Orders?$format=json" Filter="$.value[*]" Method="GET">

      <OutputColumns>
        <Column Name="OrderID" Label="Id" DataType="DT_I4"/>
        <Column Name="OrderDate" DataType="DT_DBTIMESTAMP"/>
        <Column Name="CustomerID" DataType="DT_WSTR" Length="20"/>
        <Column Name="Notes" DataType="DT_NTEXT"/>
      </OutputColumns>
    </EndPoint>
  </EndPoints>

  <!-- Tables (with SELECT, LOOKUP UPDATE, INSERT, DELETE operations. For Demo we have used just SELECT EndPoint) -->
  <Tables> 
    <Table Name="Orders" SelectEndPoint="get_orders"/>
    <Table Name="Customers" SelectEndPoint="get_customers"/>
  </Tables>
</ApiConfig>

Using API Connector File in Apps

Once API connector file is created

Use in ODBC Apps

Click here to see an example – Using API connector file in ODBC Apps (ODATA). For other popular apps check this page and click on desired app.

Here is how it may look like if we import the previous connector file in API Driver UI. Notice how we selected the V3 Base URL as API. Also, see how various connector file elements translated to Driver UI…. very cool right ?

Using Custom API Connector File – New ODBC DSN – ZappySys API Driver

Using Custom API Connector file in ZappySys API ODBC Driver

Here is the output from Preview Tab

Preview Data from Custom API Driver – Using ZappySys API Driver

Use in JAVA Apps

Click here to see an example – Using API connector file in JAVA based Apps (It uses ZappySys Data Gateway as Bridge rather than direct ODBC call in Java becuase JAVA doesnt support ODBC directly)

Use in SQL Server (T-SQL code)

Click here to see an example – Using API connector file in SQL Server (It uses ZappySys Data Gateway as Bridge rather than direct ODBC call in SQL Servr becuase of some known issues of direct ODBC)

Use in SSIS Package

Click here to see an example – Using API connector file in SSIS Packages. It uses native API Source / API Destination components.

Create / Edit Connector file using Wizard from API Driver UI

If you like to edit your file previously created using Wizard then you can do the following steps.

1. Assuming you have already setup ODBC DSN for API Connector File we previously created.
2. Open Odbc UI (search for “ODBC” in the start menu and select “ODBC Administrator”)
3. Double-click on the Data source you like to edit
4. On the Properties Tab > Go to Advanced Tab
5. Click on Customize – Current Connector File (If you wish to create a new API connector file then you can click on Create New Connector File Button instead)

Create / Edit Custom API Connector File – From API ODBC Driver UI

Create Connector file from SSIS JSON / XML Source UI Settings

If you are an SSIS user and you have configured JSON Source or XML Source then you convert those UI settings into a basic API connector file by going on API Template and clicking on Create New Connector File button like below.

Create a new Custom API Connector File – From SSIS JSON / XML Source UI

Create API Connector file from scratch

So far you have understood the basic ideas about connector files. Also explored creating / editing API Connector File using Wizard in ODBC / SSIS.

Now let’s look at concepts of creating connector file in detail.

Basic Properties (Name, Slug, Logo)

Coming Soon

Service URL (API Base URL)

Coming Soon

Authentication

Coming Soon

Templates

Coming Soon

Parameters

Coming Soon

EndPoints

Coming Soon

Metadata / OutputColumns

Coming Soon

Tables

Coming Soon

Contact Us – We will build Custom API Driver for you

If you are still not sure how to use all these on your own or you do not have time/experience… no worries. Contact us and we will provide you an estimate for building a custom API Driver / connector.

In the contact form above provide us following details (or as much as you can provide)

• Which connector do you like to build?
• How are you planning to consume that data (i.e. which apps e.g. Power BI, Tableau)?
• Your use case (e.g. read customer data from Zoho Invoice System)
• Include table / data feed names you prefer to read from (e.g. Read Invoices, Read/Write Customers)

Conclusion

In this article, we explored how easy it is to create your custom ODBC Driver for API using a powerful API Connector Framework. Download ODBC PowerPack and build your own API Driver in a few clicks.

The post How to create custom ODBC Driver for API without coding appeared first on ZappySys Blog.

In this blog post you will learn how to use Infor Compass JDBC driver in ODBC Apps (i.e. non-JAVA apps) such as Power BI, Excel, Informatica and many more listed here using JDBC-ODBC Bridge Driver. In other words, if you like to use Infor Compass data in your App / Programming language and App doesnt support using JDBC Driver Infor Provides then this article is for you. ZappySys has created a Bridge Driver which can translate ODBC calls to JDBC making it possible to call any JDBC driver in non Java Apps (i.e. ODBC Apps) written in languages like C++ / C#  / Python etc.

So lets get started.

Download Infor Compass JDBC Driver and ionapi file

Check below links to download and configure Infor Compass JDBC.

1. Download Infor Compass JDBC Driver (*.jar file)
2. Extract Driver files to local folder
3. Download and Configure *.ionapi file – Infor Compass JDBC Driver.ionapi file (Placed in same directory where JDBC driver is saved)

Setup JDK (Java Runtime)

Before you start using ZappySys JDBC Bridge Driver, we need to install JAVA Runtime (JRE) or Java Development Kit (JDK).

We recommend installing JDK21 or higher (other JRE / JDK version(s) might work too).

There are several ways to get Java Runtime Installer, but we recommend from following link. Skip below steps if you have JAVA Runtime already installed.

1. Download JDK 21 (i.e. Amazon Corrento OpenJDK distribution). Listed here
   Direct Download Link:  amazon-corretto-21-x64-windows-jdk.msi
2. Run the downloaded msi installer file
3. After it’s installed, you can confirm Java version by running the following command line. It will show
   

   java.exe -version

   Sample Output
   

   openjdk version "21.0.7" 2025-04-15 LTS
   OpenJDK Runtime Environment Temurin-21.0.7+6 (build 21.0.7+6-LTS)
   OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM Temurin-21.0.7+6 (build 21.0.7+6-LTS, mixed mode, sharing)

Download Infor JDBC Driver / Generate ionapi Credentials File

To access infor Data using their official JDBC Driver you will need to do 2 things

1. Download Infor JDBC Driver locally
2. Create ionapi file locally

Read this link for more information

Here is the video Tutorial

Create ODBC DSN for Infor Compass JDBC Driver

In this section, you will learn how to Configure ODBC DSN. Later on, this DSN can be used to use ZappySys Driver. ODBC DSN can be stored at Machine Level (for all users) or the Current User Level. In this case, we are going to load data into Microsoft Excel from PostgreSQL Storage using ZappySys JDBC Bridge ODBC Driver.

1. Type odbcad32.exe in your search box and launch the DSN Config utility.
   
2. If you want access for yourself then stay on User DSN Tab. If you want to grant access to other users, then go to the System DSN tab. For SQL Server Integration go to the System Tab and add a new System DSN rather than User DSN. Click the New button.
   
3. From the Driver list Select ZappySys ODBC Driver. For this example, select [ZappySys JDBC Bridge Driver].
   

Configure ODBC DSN for Infor Compass Connectivity

Once you downloaded / extracted JDBC (*.jar) and *.ionapi files and saved them to the local disk you can configure ZappySys JDBC Bridge Driver like the below

1. Create a folder e.g. C:\Infor_Datalake
2. Extract jdbc driver files in that folder, keep ionapi file in the same folder too (v1.7 will look ionapi file under this folder)
3. Make sure do not rename ionapi file. It must be named as “Infor Compass JDBC Driver.ionapi”
   
   If you are getting this error (Infor Compass JDBC Driver.ionapi file is not found) then we suggest you copy ionapi file in the below locations too. If you are not planning to use Data Gateway / Linked Server then you can skip ionapi file copy to 3rd location (i.e. ZappySys.TdsServer.WindowsService folder).
   

   C:\Program Files (x86)\ZappySys\ZappySys ODBC PowerPack\JdbcBridgeDriverX64
   C:\Program Files (x86)\ZappySys\ZappySys ODBC PowerPack\JdbcBridgeDriverX86
   C:\Program Files (x86)\ZappySys\ZappySys ODBC PowerPack\ZappySys.TdsServer.WindowsService

4. Open ODBC DataSource UI by double clicking the DSN (you created in the previous section).
5. Enter JDBC Connection String as per this format
   

   jdbc:infordatalake://TENANTNNAME

6. Enter Driver class (Optional).
   

   com.infor.idl.jdbc.Driver

7. Enter User ID and Password is optional so keep it blank unless required by driver. Click Test Connection
   

   Using Infor Compass JDBC Driver in ODBC Apps via ZappySys JDBC Bridge Driver

8. Now you can go to Preview Tab and select Table from the dropdown and write query to preview data

Video Tutorial – ODBC-JDBC Bridge Driver

Connect Infor Compass Datalake in SQL Server (Linked Server)

So in our previous section, we saw how to connect using ODBC Driver but if you like to access Infor Datalake data in SQL Server then you have to use the Data gateway approach. Click here to learn more.

In Data Gateway Driver UI is pretty much the same as ODBC UI except few differences. You also need to configure the Linked server which requires extra steps. The above link is for a generic JDBC Driver but follow Infor Datalake JDBC-specific steps mentioned in the ODBC setup section in this article.

Troubleshooting Known Errors

Here in this section, we will discuss some known errors and its workaround.

The Infor Compass JDBC Driver.ionapi file is not found

If you get this error you can review this solution

Data Lake is not available /  Unable to verify trust for server certificate chain

If you get the following error then check this link for possible workarounds

JBR error: java.sql.SQLException: Data Lake is not available

at com.infor.idl.jdbc.Driver.connect(Driver.java:422) 
at DbConnection.Init(DbConnection.java:45) 

.......... 
.......... 
Unable to verify trust for server certificate chain [CN=mingle-ionapi.inforcloudsuite.com, CN=pa-trusted-ca.noble.loc, CN=noble-SUBCA-CA, DC=noble, DC=loc, CN=ROOTCA-CA, CN=ROOTCA-CA] .......... at sun.net.www.protocol.https.HttpsClient.afterConnect(HttpsClient.java:559) 
.......... 
..........

Test Connection Hangs

This happens if you have not installed the latest Java version (i.e. Java 21 or higher) and you are using the latest JDBC, which doesn’t support Java8 (i.e. infor-compass-jdbc-2025.06.05.jar)

To fix this issue, uninstall the  older version of Java and install the new Java (e.g. v21 or higher) from here

Using Infor Compass ODBC-JDBC connection in various apps (e.g. Power BI, Excel, Informatica, SQL Server)

Once you create ODBC DSN you are ready to test that in any ODBC-compliant apps listed here

If your app is not listed in the above link, then no worries just find the Option to connect to ODBC in your App and use DSN we created in an earlier section.

ZappySys ODBC Drivers built using ODBC standard which is widely adopted by industry for a long time. Which mean the majority of BI Tools / Database Engines / ETL Tools already there will support native / 3rd party ODBC Drivers. Below is the small list of most popular tools / programming languages our Drivers support. If your tool / programming language doesn't appear in the below list, which means we have not documented use case but as long as your tool supports ODBC Standard, our drivers should work fine.  

BI / Reporting Tools Integration	ETL Tools Integration	Programming Languages Integration
Microsoft Power BI Tableau SSRS (SQL Reporting Services) QlikView /Qlik Sense MicroStrategy Google Sheet Microsoft Excel Microsoft Access Oracle OBIEE Many more (not in this list).....	Informatica PowerCenter (Windows) Informatica Cloud SSIS (SQL Integration Services) SQL Server Talend Data Studio Pentaho Kettle Oracle OBIEE Many more (not in this list).....	Visual Studio C# C++ JAVA Python PHP PowerShell T-SQL (Using Linked Server)

 

Conclusion

In this post we saw how easy it is to use the Infor Compass JDBC driver in any non-JAVA app in a few steps. Click here to download ZappySys JDBC Bridge Driver.

The post Connect to Infor Compass using JDBC Driver in ODBC Apps (e.g. SQL Server, Power BI, Excel, Informatica) appeared first on ZappySys Blog.

In our previous post we saw how to read API data in SSIS. This post we will cover how to call NetSuite RESTlet to read / write data in SSIS or ODBC Apps. For demo purpose we will use SSIS PowerPack REST API Task but concepts and many UI elements remain same for ODBC JSON Driver too. This article assumes you know how to write Netsuite RESTlet and you have obtained Credentials to call RESTlet from extranal app.

What is NetSuite RESTlets

NetSuite added a really nice feature to expose business data and workflows as API by writing Javascript functions which they call it RESTlets. You can secure and customize these restlets as per your need.

You can automate CRUD (Create /Read / Write / Delete) operations in NetSuite by writing special functions in JavaScript and expose those functions as API URL which can be called by any external Systems (i.e. SSIS Packages , ODBC Apps like Power BI, Informatica, SSRS).

RESTlet can be secured few ways such as OAuth 1.0 and OAuth 2.0 authentication. We will cover both approach briefly in this article. You can choose any one as per your need

Creating NetSuite RESTlet / Obtain OAuth Credentials (Client ID and Secret)

Below video shows how to obtain necessary credentials to call Netsuites API (RESTlet).

At mark 4:30 seconds it will show you How to use OAuth 2.0 for calling RESTlet

Create NetSuite RESTlet Connection

There are few ways to authenticate NetSuite RESTlet. If you are using ZappySys Products then it makes it super easy to use either approach. Lets look at both approaches.

Using OAuth 2.0 (Recommended)

As per above video if you obtained Client ID and Secret for OAuth 2.0 you can follow below steps to configure OAuth connection to call RESTlet.

What you need to use OAuth 2.0.

• Your Account ID (it goes in URL)
• Your Client ID and Secret (Obtained from Netsuite Portal) – See above video Mark 04:30
• Register Redirect URL in NetSuite portal (we recommend you use https://zappysys.com/oauth as call back Url for Automatic Code extraction)

Steps to configure OAuth Connection

1. Right click on Connection Panel and choose Choose “New Connection..”. Select ZS-OAUTH type
   
   
   

   Create new SSIS OAuth API Connection Manager

    

    

2.  Enter following things
   ————————-
   On General Tab
   ————————-
   ClientID and Secret: <get it from NetSuite>
   Authorization URL: https://<accountID>.app.netsuite.com/app/login/oauth2/authorize.nl
   Token URL: https://<accountID>.suitetalk.api.netsuite.com/services/rest/auth/oauth2/v1/token
   Scope: restlet
   

   Configure NetSuite OAuth 2.0 Connection for API call

    

   ————————-
   On Advanced Tab
   ————————-
   Callback / Redirect URL:  https://zappysys.com/oauth  (this must be entered same way in NetSuite Portal)

   

   OAuth2 Connection – Callback / Redirect URL

3. Now go back to General Tab and click Generate Token button
4. Follow login screen and try to finish the flow. At the end it will generate Tokens and populate on UI
5. Click OK to save

Using OAuth 1.0

Another approach is use OAuth 1.0 (Older version). If you have enabled OAuth 1.0 in NetSuite then follow below steps (Create connection is same as before).

1. Setup General Tab and Advanced Tab as below.
   On ==== General Tab====:
   Enter ClientID, ClientSecret, AccessToken, AccessToken Secret
   On ==== Advanced Tab ====:
   Check Do Not Include Empty Key/Value Pairs
   Select Signature Method as HMAC-SHA256
   For Extra Token Attribute enter realm=<your-account-number>_SB1
2. Click OK to Save

Call NetSuite RESTlet in SSIS

1. Create a new SSIS Package
2. Drag REST API Task from SSIS Toolbox
3. Double click the Task to configure
4. Select URL from Connection
5. From Connection dropdown select OAuth connection we created in the earlier section (either OAuth 1 or OAuth 2)
6. Enter the URL as below. Assuming you copied URL from NetSuite Replace script ID and account number
   

   https://<account-number>-sb1.restlets.api.netsuite.com/app/site/hosting/restlet.nl?script=<scriptid>&deploy=1

   Enter <account-number>
   Enter <scriptid>
7. Change Method to POST if your script supports Parameters (Else you can supply id=xxxx and recordtype=xxxxx in the URL for GET request)
8. If its POST request then chnage ContentType to ApplicationJSON (application/json)
9. Enter your Input in the body. In below example our RESTlet takes sql query as input so we enter just one parameter named query but you can have different parameter(s)
   

   Syntax:  { param1_name : <value> , param2_name : <value> ....  }

10. Now click Test see everything works
    

    Calling NetSuite RESTlet in SSIS (Using REST API Task)

Conclusion

We saw how easy it is to call NetSuite RESTlets or other NetSuite API in SSIS / other BI Apps using ODBC Drivers provided by ZappySys. Download SSIS PowerPack and try your self see how easy it is to consume virtually any API in SSIS.

The post How to call NetSuite RESTlet API in SSIS / ODBC appeared first on ZappySys Blog.

In our previous article we explored several powerful features of the ZappySys Data Gateway. This follow‑up post focuses on keeping the gateway secure. You’ll learn about the new options available in the Network Settings tab, how to restrict access by IP address, and how to grant dataset‑level permissions to non‑admin users.

Network Settings Overview

The Network Settings tab contains filters that control which clients can connect to the gateway. Two common scenarios are addressed below: allowing a range of IP addresses, or permitting only a single IP address.

If your connection still fails even after opening port 5000, a third-party firewall is very likely blocking it.

The “Add Firewall Rule” option only creates a rule in Windows Defender Firewall and does not configure rules in third-party security software.

Common symptoms of this issue include:

• Login timeout or connection timeout errors
• OPENQUERY or Linked Server failing to connect
• Port appears open in Windows Firewall but connection still fails

Third-Party Firewall Blocking Gateway Connection

When you click “Add Firewall Rule” in ZappySys Data Gateway, the rule is added to Windows Defender Firewall to allow inbound traffic on the configured port (default: 5000).

In environments with third-party security software, this alone may not be sufficient.

Why?

If your system is using third-party security software (such as ESET Endpoint Security, McAfee, Symantec, etc.), Many enterprise antivirus tools include their own firewall, which takes priority over or replaces Windows Defender Firewall.
For example, in one case, the rule was added successfully in Windows Firewall, but traffic was still blocked by ESET Endpoint Security. Once the ESET firewall was paused, the connection worked immediately.
In such cases:

• Windows Defender rules may be ignored
• Traffic can still be blocked even if the port is open in Windows Firewall
• Connection attempts (e.g., Linked Server, ODBC queries) may fail with timeout errors

What to check

If you are unable to connect even after adding the firewall rule:

• Verify whether any third-party firewall/antivirus is installed
• Temporarily disable or pause it for testing
• If the connection works after disabling, then the traffic is being blocked by that software

How to fix

To resolve this issue:

• Add an inbound allow rule in your third-party firewall for the Gateway port (default: 5000)
• Ensure the rule allows traffic from the required source machines
• Ensure both inbound and outbound rules are allowed if required by your network policy
• Ensure rules are applied under the correct network profile (Domain / Private / Public)
• Contact your network/security administrator if needed

Test connectivity

You can verify if the port is reachable using PowerShell:

Test-NetConnection -ComputerName <GatewayHost> -Port 5000

If TcpTestSucceeded = False, the port is still blocked by a firewall or network security layer.

Note

⚠️ Important: Opening a port in Windows Defender Firewall alone does not guarantee connectivity if a third-party firewall is active.

IP Range Filter

1. Ensure you have installed the ZappySys ODBC PowerPack with the default options (this also installs the Data Gateway Service).
2. Open the gateway configuration app by typing “Gateway” in the Start menu and selecting ZappySys Data Gateway Configuration.
   

   Open ZappySys Data Gateway

3. Assuming the other tabs are already configured the way you want, switch to Network Settings.
4. Click the Edit IP Filters button (see screenshot below):
   

   Range IP Filters Network Settings for Data Gateway

5. In the IP Filters dialog, set Enabled to true, then supply the From and To addresses that define the permitted range:

Single range example:

[
  {
    "Name": "Network_1",
    "Enabled": true,
    "From": "192.168.1.1",
    "To": "192.168.1.255"
  }
]

Multiple ranges example:

[
  {
    "Name": "Network_1",
    "Enabled": true,
    "From": "192.168.1.1",
    "To": "192.168.1.255"
  },
  {
    "Name": "Network_2",
    "Enabled": true,
    "From": "192.167.1.1",
    "To": "192.167.1.255"
  }
]

6. Save the dialog, then click OK to apply the settings. Only clients whose IP addresses fall within the defined ranges will be allowed.

Single IP Filter

1. Repeat steps 1‑3 from the previous section.
2. Open the IP Filters dialog and enable it.
3. Enter the same value for the From and To fields to restrict access to one address.
4. Save and close the dialog; only that address may connect to the gateway.

Specific IP Filter Network Settings for Data Gateway.

Note: once any filter rule is enabled, all other addresses are automatically blocked.

User‑Based Permissions

You can further limit access by granting specific users permission to individual data sources. This is useful when you want to allow non‑admin users to consume only certain datasets.

1. Make sure the user(s) exist on the Users tab and that they are not assigned administrator rights.
2. Switch to the Datasets tab.
3. Find the row for the data source you wish to secure and click Edit in the Users column.
4. In the dialog that appears, select one or more users on the left pane and click the [ >> ] button to move them to the right pane.
5. Choose the desired permission type (for example, Full permission).
   

   Set Dataset User Permissions – ZappySys Data Gateway

6. Click OK to save the changes.
7. Restart the Data Gateway service to ensure the new permissions take effect.

Conclusion

In this article we reviewed several ways to harden the ZappySys Data Gateway. The network filters let you restrict connections to either a specific IP address or a range of addresses. The new user‑based permissions allow you to grant dataset access to individual users. Together these features make your gateway more secure and easier to manage.

If you haven’t yet installed the gateway, download it here to get started.

The post How to Secure ZappySys Data Gateway (Network Settings) appeared first on ZappySys Blog.