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• API Lag: Data from cloud apps like Jira, SharePoint, or OneDrive becomes outdated between scheduled updates.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.

Introduction

Claude 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 Zappysys SSIS connectors to the Claude using API key authentication.

Whether you are using Claude for intelligent document processing, data enrichment, or automated workflows, you will learn how to configure SSIS integration without writing custom code. Zappysys handles all the complexity, allowing you to focus on building ETL workflows.

Prerequisites

1. 1. SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) is installed.
   2. Visual Studio with SSIS extension or SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT).
   3. Claude.IA account with API access enabled.
   4. Finally, do not forget to install ZappySys SSIS PowerPack.

Steps

Generate an API Key in Claude

1. Log in to your Claude.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.
   

   Claude – Generate Token

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

Create Zappysys Connection in SSIS

1. Create or select your SSIS project and open the package.
2. Right-click in the Connection Managers pane and select New Connection…
3. Select ZS-HTTP from the SSIS connectors list
   

   Create a new HTTP connection

4. In Credentials Type, select Static token/API key.
5. Enter the API key from the previous step.
6. The API documentation requires sending the token in the header with this format: x-api-key: API_KEY
   1. In the OAuth header Name, we will use x-api-key
   2. For the OAuth Scheme, set to none
7. Click OK to save the settings.
   

   Claude – HTTP connection

Create and Configure the JSON source

1. 1. In your SSIS package, drag and drop a Data Flow Task from the Toolbox into the Control Flow.
      

      Drag and drop Data flow

   2. Double-click the Data Flow Task to enter the Data Flow tab.
   3. In the Data Flow, drag and drop a ZS JSON Source component from the Toolbox.
   4. Double-click the JSON Source to open its editor.
   5. Enable Use credentials, then select your Claude HTTP connection from the connection list dropdown.
   6. Enter the following URL:
      

      https://api.anthropic.com/v1/messages

   7. Select POST as an HTTP Request Method
   8. Inside the header, add:

      anthropic-version: 2023-06-01

   9. In the Body content type, select 

      JSON(application/json)

1. Use this as the body:
   

   {
     "model": "claude-sonnet-4-6",
     "max_tokens": 1024,
     "messages": [
       {
         "role": "user",
         "content": "{YOUR-Message}"
       }
     ]
   }
2. Press on Preview to check the result.
3. You can use the Array filter to get the object you need, and you can use

   $.messages[*].content

     to get only the message.
4. Click OK to save the configuration.
   

   Claude – JSON source request

Configure the Destination

1. Drag and drop a destination component (e.g., Trash destination) into the Data Flow.
2. Connect the output arrow from the JSON Source to the destination component.
3. Double-click the destination component and configure it to point to your target table or file.
4. Map the columns from the response to the appropriate destination columns
5. Click OK to save the destination configuration.
6. Execute the package and verify that the data extraction is working correctly.
   

   Claude – Final Result

Conclusion

You now have a secure and reliable connection between Zappysys SSIS and Claude. API Key authentication is simpler to set up with our HTTP connection. With this connection configured, you can build powerful data extraction, transformation, and loading workflows using Claude’s intelligence and automation capabilities directly from your SSIS packages without writing any custom code.

Explore the full capabilities of the ZappySys SSIS PowerPack to optimize your data integration tasks. By applying this pattern, you can extend your solution to include additional transformations, data validation, error handling, and scheduling through SQL Server Agent.

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 SSIS Tutorial: How to connect Claude to SSIS appeared first on ZappySys Blog.

Introduction

Jamf Pro is a comprehensive Apple device management platform that provides REST APIs for managing Macs, iPads, and iPhones across your organization. This guide demonstrates how to connect Zappysys ODBC drivers to Jamf Pro using OAuth 2.0 API authentication.

Whether you are using Jamf Cloud or an on-premises Jamf Pro server, you will learn how to configure a secure ODBC data source to access Jamf Pro data directly from Excel, Power BI, Tableau, or any application that supports ODBC without writing any custom code. Zappysys handles all the technical complexity, allowing you to focus on data analysis and reporting.

Prerequisites

1. Windows operating system with the ODBC Data Source Administrator available.
2. Active Jamf Pro account with administrator privileges for API client configuration.
3. Finally, do not forget to install ZappySys ODBC PowerPack.

Steps

Generate Jamf credentials

1. Log in to your Jamf Pro instance as an administrator.
2. Navigate to Settings > System Settings > API Roles and Clients.
   

   Jamf – API roles and clients

3. First, create a new API Role with the required permissions:
   • Click API Roles, then click + New.
   • Enter a descriptive name (e.g., ODBC Integration Role).
   • Assign permissions based on your use case:
     • Check Read for data extraction (computers, devices, users)
     • Check Create, Update, or Delete only if you need to write data back to Jamf Pro
   • Click Save.
     

     Jamf – new API role

4. Now, create an API Client:
   • Go back to API Roles and Clients and select the API Clients tab.
   • Click + New in the upper right corner.
   • Enter a Display Name (e.g., ODBC Connector).
   • Select the API Role created in the previous step.
   • Toggle Enable API client to ON, then click Save.
5. Generate client credentials:
   • Select Generate client secret and click Create secret in the pop-up dialog.
   • Copy and securely save the Client ID and Client Secret for use in the next steps.
     

     Jamf – Generate Client ID and Client Secret

6. Record your Jamf Pro instance URL (e.g., https://your-company.jamfcloud.com).

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. Enter the Jamf Pro API endpoint in the URL:
   • https://your-company.jamfcloud.com/JSSResource/computers — To retrieve computer inventory
   • https://your-company.jamfcloud.com/JSSResource/mobiledevices — To retrieve mobile device data
   • https://your-company.jamfcloud.com/JSSResource/users — To retrieve user information
   • https://your-company.jamfcloud.com/JSSResource/accounts — To retrieve account data
2. Select OAUTH as the connection type, then click it to configure it.
3. Set the OAuth Version to OAuth 2.0.
4. Set the Grant Type to Client Credentials Grant.
5. Provide the Client ID and Client Secret from the API Client created above.
6. Enter the Token URL:
   

   https://your-company.jamfcloud.com/api/oauth/token

7. Click OK to save the connection.
8. Set the HTTP method to GET.
9. Select the object you want to use in the Array Filter (e.g., $.account)
10. Click Test Connection to verify your credentials and API access.
    

    Jamf – ODBC JSON 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.
   

   Jamf – ODBC JSON driver result

Conclusion

You now have a secure and flexible ODBC connection to Jamf Pro using OAuth 2.0 authentication. This approach allows you to access Jamf Pro data directly from any ODBC-compatible application—Excel, Power BI, Tableau, SQL Server, or custom applications—without writing any code. With your ODBC data source configured, you can create powerful dashboards, run ad-hoc queries, generate compliance reports, and integrate Jamf Pro device management data with your existing 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 Jamf with ODBC appeared first on ZappySys Blog.

Introduction

Jamf Pro is a comprehensive Apple device management platform that provides REST APIs for managing Macs, iPads, and iPhones across your organization. This guide demonstrates how to connect Zappysys SSIS connectors to Jamf Pro using OAuth 2.0 API authentication.

Whether you are using Jamf Cloud or an on-premises Jamf Pro server, you will learn how to configure secure OAuth 2.0 authentication without writing any custom code. Zappysys handles all the technical complexity, allowing you to focus on building your ETL workflows for managing device inventory, policy configurations, and compliance reporting.

Prerequisites

1. SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) must be installed.
2. Visual Studio with SSIS extension or SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) is required.
3. Active Jamf Pro account with administrator privileges for API client configuration.
4. Finally, do not forget to install ZappySys SSIS PowerPack.

Steps

Generate Jamf credentials

1. Log in to your Jamf Pro instance as an administrator.
2. Navigate to Settings > System Settings > API Roles and Clients.
   

   Jamf – API roles and clients

3. First, create a new API Role with the required permissions:
   • Click API Roles, then click + New.
   • Enter a descriptive name (e.g., Admin).
   • Assign permissions based on your use case:
     • Check Read for data extraction (computers, devices, users)
     • Check Create, Update, or Delete only if you need to write data back to Jamf Pro
   • Click Save.
     

     Jamf – new API role

4. Now, create an API Client:
   • Go back to API Roles and Clients and select the API Clients tab.
   • Click + New in the upper right corner.
   • Enter a Display Name (e.g., SSIS Connector).
   • Select the API Role created in the previous step.
   • Toggle Enable API client to ON, then click Save.
5. Generate client credentials:
   • Select Generate client secret and click Create secret in the pop-up dialog.
   • Copy and securely save the Client ID and Client Secret for use in the next steps.
     

     Jamf – Generate Client ID and Client Secret

6. Record your Jamf Pro instance URL (e.g., https://your-company.jamfcloud.com).

Create the OAuth connection

1. Create or select your SSIS project and open the package.
2. Right-click in the Connection Managers pane and select New Connection…
3. Select ZS-OAUTH from the SSIS connectors list.
   

   Create a new SSIS OAuth API Connection Manager

4. Set the OAuth Version to OAuth 2.0.
5. Set the Grant Type to Client Credentials Grant.
6. Enter the Client ID and the Client Secret from the API Client created above
7. Enter the Token URL:
   

   https://your-company.jamfcloud.com/api/oauth/token

8. Click OK to save the connection.
   

   Jamf – OAuth connection

Create and Configure the JSON source

1. In your SSIS package, drag and drop a Data Flow Task from the Toolbox into the Control Flow.
   

   Drag and drop Data flow

2. Double-click the Data Flow Task to enter the Data Flow tab.
3. In the Data Flow, drag and drop a ZS JSON Source component from the Toolbox.
4. Double-click the JSON Source to open its editor.
5. Select your Jamf OAuth connection from the Connection Manager dropdown.
6. Enter the Jamf Pro API endpoint path in the URL field. For example:
   • https://your-company.jamfcloud.com/JSSResource/accounts — To retrieve account data
   • https://your-company.jamfcloud.com/JSSResource/computers — To retrieve computer inventory
   • https://your-company.jamfcloud.com/JSSResource/mobiledevices — To retrieve mobile device data
   • https://your-company.jamfcloud.com/JSSResource/users — To retrieve user information
7. Set the HTTP Method to GET for data retrieval.
8. Configure the JSON Path Filter to extract the specific object you need from the response (e.g., $.account or $.computers).
9. Click Preview to see sample data from the Jamf Pro API.
   

   Jamf – JSON source request

Step 4: Configure the Destination

1. Drag and drop a destination component (e.g., Trash destination) into the Data Flow.
2. Connect the output arrow from the JSON Source to the destination component.
3. Double-click the destination component and configure it to point to your target table or file.
4. Map the columns from the Jamf Pro API response to the appropriate destination columns
5. Click OK to save the destination configuration.
6. Execute the package and verify that the data extraction is working correctly.
   

   Jamf – Final Result

Conclusion

You now have a secure, reliable connection between Zappysys SSIS and Jamf Pro via OAuth 2.0. This modern, secure approach eliminates the need to store plaintext credentials and simplifies credential rotation and management. With your OAuth connection configured and JSON source component in place, you can build powerful ETL workflows to extract device inventory, policy data, user information, and compliance metrics from Jamf Pro—all flowing directly into your SQL Server database or data warehouse without writing a single line of custom code.

Explore the full capabilities of the ZappySys SSIS PowerPack to optimize your data integration tasks. By applying this pattern, you can extend your solution to include additional transformations, data validation, error handling, and scheduling through SQL Server Agent.

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 SSIS tutorial: How to connect Jamf with SSIS 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.

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

Zappysys provides a powerful REST connector that simplifies integrating cloud-based APIs into your SQL Server Integration Services packages. We will demonstrate a practical ETL pattern using ZappySys REST connectivity to extract data from Blogger and load it into SQL Server within SSIS.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have the following:

• First, you will need to have SSIS installed
• Secondly, make sure to have SSDT
• Thirdly, access to a Blogger blog with appropriate permissions to read public posts and comments.
• Finally, do not forget to install ZappySys SSIS 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.

Create the OAuth connection for Blogger

1. Create or select your SSIS project, and open the package.dtsx file.
2. Drag and drop the ZS REST API task from the Toolbox.
3. Inside Connection Manager, right-click and select New connection…
4. Inside the SSIS connectors, select the ZS-OAuth
   
   

   Create a new SSIS OAuth API Connection Manager

5. Select the Google API provider
6. Enter the Client ID and Client Secret you generated in the past step
7. Use Blogger URL scope: https://www.googleapis.com/auth/blogger
8. Generate the token
9. Test the connection to ensure it is working correctly.
10. Click OK to save the connection.
    

    OAuth connection – Blogger API

Get information from a Blog

1. Create a string variable {{User::BlogID}} and enter the ID from the blog you want to get information from.
2. From the SSIS Toolbox, drag the ZS REST API Task onto the Control Flow designer.
3. Double-click the task to open the editor.
4. Select the connection manager you created in the previous step.
5. In the URL Path field, enter: https://www.googleapis.com/blogger/v3/blogs/{{User::BlogID}}/posts
6. Set the HTTP method to GET.
7. Click the Preview tab to test the API connection and view sample data.
8. If the preview is successful, click OK to configure the task.
   

   REST API task – Blogger example

Save the information in a SQL table

1. Drag and drop a Data Flow into the Control Flow and double-click it.
   

   Drag and drop Data flow.

2. In the Data Flow, drag and drop the JSON source, then double-click it to configure it.
   

   SSIS JSON Source – Drag and Drop

3. Use the same configuration as in the REST API task, but first enable the Use credentials option.
4. Enter the URL, select the OAuth connection, and use the Method GET.
5. You can use the filter option to get the object you want to get data from: $.Items[*]
6. Preview the data and click OK to save the configuration.
   

   JSON Source – Blogger Example Request
7. Now drag and drop a destination component. In our case, we will use the Upsert destination component.
   

   SSIS – Data Flow – Drag and Drop Upsert Destination Component

8. Double-click in the Upsert destination component to configure it.
9. Select the Action you want to use.
10. Create or select a database connector.
11. Create or select a table.
12. Use the options Insert or/and Update.
13. Map the column; if the columns have the same name, it will be automatic.
14. Select at least one column for a primary key.
15. Click OK to save the configuration.
    

    Upsert destination – Blogger example

16. Run the package, and you will see the data from Blogger in your database
    

    Blogger – result

Code Examples

Sample REST API Request

Here’s an example of retrieving blog posts using the Blogger REST API:

GET https://www.googleapis.com/blogger/v3/blogs/{blogId}/posts
Authorization: Bearer {access_token}
Content-Type: application/json

Example response:

{
  "kind": "blogger#posts",
  "items": [
    {
      "kind": "blogger#post",
      "id": "7109703471293209437",
      "title": "Getting started with Blogger API",
      "content": "Learn how to integrate Blogger with your applications...",
      "published": "2026-03-15T10:30:00Z",
      "updated": "2026-03-20T14:15:00Z",
      "url": "http://example.blogspot.com/2026/03/getting-started.html",
      "author": {
        "displayName": "John Doe"
      }
    }
  ]
}

SQL Table Structure

Recommended table structure for storing Blogger posts data:

CREATE TABLE BloggerPosts (
    PostID BIGINT PRIMARY KEY,
    BlogID BIGINT NOT NULL,
    Title NVARCHAR(MAX),
    Content NVARCHAR(MAX),
    AuthorName NVARCHAR(255),
    PublishedDate DATETIME,
    UpdatedDate DATETIME,
    PostURL NVARCHAR(MAX),
    CreatedDate DATETIME DEFAULT GETDATE(),
    ModifiedDate DATETIME DEFAULT GETDATE()
);

Conclusion

You have successfully learned how to use Zappysys SSIS connectors to extract data from the Blogger
platform using the REST API. With ZappySys SSIS PowerPack, connecting Blogger to your SQL Server becomes
straightforward and reliable. By configuring the REST connector for Blogger and using the native SSIS destination,
you can build a robust ETL pipeline for extracting blog data.

Explore the full capabilities of the ZappySys SSIS PowerPack to optimize your data integration
tasks. By applying this pattern, you can extend your solution to include additional transformations, data
validation, error handling, and scheduling through SQL Server Agent.

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 SSIS tutorial: How to connect Blogger with SSIS 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.

The Root Cause: In-Process Driver Risks

When you configure a Linked Server using the OLE DB Provider for ODBC (MSDASQL), the third-party driver runs inside the SQL Server process (sqlservr.exe). This is the “In-Process” model, and it has significant architectural flaws:

SQL Server Linked Server ODBC Crash Zone

• Memory Contention: The driver shares SQL Server’s memory heap, meaning driver memory leaks directly starve the SQL Buffer Pool.
• Unmanaged Code: You are executing third-party native code directly inside the database engine.
• The Fatal Crash: If the driver hits an access violation (error 0xc0000005), it kills the entire sqlservr.exe process, taking all databases offline.

The “Zero-Touch” Remote Isolation Model

ZappySys Data Gateway introduces Process Isolation. Instead of installing risky drivers on your production database host, you can run the Gateway on a Remote PC or dedicated App Server.

Architectural diagram of ZappySys Data Gateway using TDS protocol to provide safe, out-of-process data integration for SQL Server.

• No Drivers on SQL Server: You never have to touch your SQL Server machine or install third-party .dll files on it.
• Native TDS Communication: SQL Server communicates with the Gateway using the standard, Microsoft-hardened TDS protocol.
• Engine Stability: If a cloud API failure or driver bug occurs, it happens in the isolated ZappySysGateway.exe process—SQL Server stays online.

Supported Connectors via ZappySys Integration Hub

ZappySys provides a secure, out-of-process bridge for hundreds of modern data sources.

Native API & Cloud Connectors

• CRM/ERP: Salesforce, Dynamics 365, HubSpot, ServiceNow, Zoho CRM.
• Marketing: Amazon Ads, Google Ads, Google Search Console, Mailchimp.
• Collaboration: SharePoint Online, Google Sheets, Jira, Azure DevOps, OneDrive.

Big Data & NoSQL (Safe JDBC Bridge)

Systems using Java-based drivers run safely within the Gateway process, preventing JDBC memory overhead from affecting SQL Server:

• Sources: Google BigQuery, Amazon Athena, MongoDB, Infor Data Lake, Cosmos DB.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Summary: Protect Your Production Uptime

A driver bug should fail a query—it should never crash your production database engine. ZappySys Data Gateway provides the architectural “firewall” your infrastructure deserves.

The post Stop SQL Server Crashes: Why ZappySys Data Gateway Beats ODBC Linked Servers appeared first on ZappySys Blog.

In our previous post, we explored how to read and write MongoDB data using the ZappySys MongoDB Source and Destination SSIS connectors. In this article, you will learn how to connect MariaDB to MongoDB using ZappySys SSIS PowerPack and transfer data between both systems.

We will demonstrate a practical ETL pattern using ZappySys ODBC/JDBC connectivity to extract data from MariaDB and load it into MongoDB within SSIS.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have the following:

• First, you will need to have SSIS installed
• Secondly, make sure to have SSDT
• Thirdly, access credentials for both MariaDB and MongoDB
• Finally, do not forget to install ZappySys SSIS PowerPack and ZappySys ODBC PowerPack

Steps

Configure MariaDB Connection Using ODBC (JDBC Bridge)

Since MariaDB connectivity is handled via JDBC, we will use the ZappySys JDBC Bridge Driver to expose it as an ODBC data source.

1. Visit the official MariaDB website.
2. Download the latest MariaDB JDBC driver.
3. Save the .jar file locally, for example: D:\Zappysys\drivers\mariadb-java-client-3.5.7.jar
4. Download and install ZappySys ODBC PowerPack if not already installed.
5. Open ODBC Data Sources (64-bit).
   

   Open ODBC Data Sources

6. Create a User data source (User DSN) based on ZappySys JDBC Bridge Driver:
   

   Create a User data source

7. Configure the JDBC Connection. Fill in the connection details
   • Connection String  jdbc:mariadb://{host-name}:{port}/{database-name}

   • JDBC Driver File D:\Zappysys\drivers\mariadb-java-client-3.5.7.jar

   • Username root

   • Password ********

   • Connection Parameters[]
8. Click Test Connection. If configured correctly, you should see a success message.
   

   Zappysys JDBC – MariaDB

9. You can also use the Preview tab to select the table and execute SQL queries. For advanced SQL examples, refer to the JDBC Bridge documentation.
   

   Zappysys JDBC – MariaDB preview result

Connect MariaDB to SSIS

1. Open Visual Studio.
2. Create a New Project.
3. Select Integration Services Project.
4. Provide a project name and location, then click OK.
5. Drag and drop a Data Flow Task from the SSIS Toolbox onto the Control Flow surface.
   

   Drag and drop Data flow.

6. Double-click the task to open the Data Flow Designer.
7. Drag and drop an ODBC Source component into the Data Flow.
   

   Drag and drop the ODBC source.

8. Double-click the component to configure it.
9. Click New… to create a new ODBC Connection Manager.
   

   Creating an ODBC Connection Manager in SSIS

10. Select the MariaDB ODBC DSN you created earlier.
11. Click Test Connection and click OK to save the configuration.
    

    Creating an ODBC Connection Manager in SSIS from JDBC

12. Choose Data Access Mode: Table name or SQL command.
13. Select the desired table or enter a custom query.
14. Click Preview to validate the data, and click OK to save the configuration.
    
    

    Preview an ODBC Connection Manager in SSIS from JDBC

Configure MongoDB Destination

1. In the Connection Manager pane, click New Connection.
2. Select ZS-MONGODB.
3. Configure the connection:
   • Host
   • Username
   • Password
   • Database
4. Use the other tabs for more configuration if needed
5. Click Test Connection and Click OK.
   

   MongoDB connection configuration

6. Drag and drop the MongoDB Destination component.
   

   Drag and drop the MongoDB destination

7. Connect it to the ODBC Source and double-click to configure it.
8. Select the MongoDB connection.
   

   MongoDB Destination – Select connection

9. Go to the Properties tab and choose the operation and the target table.
   

   MongoDB Destination – Properties configuration

10. Go to the Column Mappings tab and map source columns to destination columns.
    

    MongoDB Destination – Map the columns.

11. Click OK to save the configuration.
12. Run the SSIS package. If everything is configured correctly, the data will be transferred from MariaDB to MongoDB.
    

    MongoDB Destination – Final Result

Conclusion

With ZappySys SSIS PowerPack and ODBC PowerPack, connecting MariaDB to MongoDB becomes straightforward and reliable.

By configuring the ODBC/JDBC bridge for MariaDB and using the native MongoDB destination in SSIS, you can build a robust ETL pipeline between the two databases.

Explore the full capabilities of the ZappySys SSIS PowerPack and ZappySys ODBC PowerPack to optimize your data integration tasks.

Need Help?

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

• Live Chat — Use the chat widget (bottom-right corner of this page)
• Email — support@zappysys.com
• Support Center — Support | ZappySys

The post SSIS tutorial: How to load MariaDB data into MongoDB appeared first on ZappySys Blog.