Access Salesforce Data Cloud Data in Mule Applications Using the CData JDBC Driver

The CData JDBC Driver for Salesforce Data Cloud connects Salesforce Data Cloud data to Mule applications enabling read functionality with familiar SQL queries. The JDBC Driver allows users to easily create Mule applications to backup, transform, report, and analyze Salesforce Data Cloud data.

This article demonstrates how to use the CData JDBC Driver for Salesforce Data Cloud inside of a Mule project to create a Web interface for Salesforce Data Cloud data. The application created allows you to request Salesforce Data Cloud data using an HTTP request and have the results returned as JSON. The exact same procedure outlined below can be used with any CData JDBC Driver to create a Web interface for the 200+ available data sources.

1. Create a new Mule Project in Anypoint Studio.
2. Add an HTTP Connector to the Message Flow.
3. Configure the address for the HTTP Connector.
4. Add a Database Select Connector to the same flow, after the HTTP Connector.
5. Create a new Connection (or edit an existing one) and configure the properties.
   • Set Connection to "Generic Connection"
   • Select the CData JDBC Driver JAR file in the Required Libraries section (e.g. cdata.jdbc.salesforcedatacloud.jar).
   • Set the URL to the connection string for Salesforce Data Cloud

     Salesforce Data Cloud supports authentication via the OAuth standard.

     OAuth

     Set AuthScheme to OAuth.

     Desktop Applications

     CData provides an embedded OAuth application that simplifies authentication at the desktop.

     You can also authenticate from the desktop via a custom OAuth application, which you configure and register at the Salesforce Data Cloud console. For further information, see Creating a Custom OAuth App in the Help documentation.

     Before you connect, set these properties:

     • InitiateOAuth: GETANDREFRESH. You can use InitiateOAuth to avoid repeating the OAuth exchange and manually setting the OAuthAccessToken.
     • OAuthClientId (custom applications only): The Client ID assigned when you registered your custom OAuth application.
     • OAuthClientSecret (custom applications only): The Client Secret assigned when you registered your custom OAuth application.

     When you connect, the driver opens Salesforce Data Cloud's OAuth endpoint in your default browser. Log in and grant permissions to the application.

     The driver then completes the OAuth process as follows:

     • Extracts the access token from the callback URL.
     • Obtains a new access token when the old one expires.
     • Saves OAuth values in OAuthSettingsLocation so that they persist across connections.

     For other OAuth methods, including Web Applications and Headless Machines, refer to the Help documentation.

     Built-in Connection String Designer

     For assistance in constructing the JDBC URL, use the connection string designer built into the Salesforce Data Cloud JDBC Driver. Either double-click the JAR file or execute the jar file from the command-line.

     		java -jar cdata.jdbc.salesforcedatacloud.jar
     		

     Fill in the connection properties and copy the connection string to the clipboard.

     • Set the Driver class name to cdata.jdbc.salesforcedatacloud.SalesforceDataCloudDriver.
     • Click Test Connection.
   • Set the SQL Query Text to a SQL query to request Salesforce Data Cloud data. For example:

     SELECT [Account ID], [Account Name] FROM Account WHERE EmployeeCount > 250

     
   • Add a Transform Message Component to the flow.
   • Set the Output script to the following to convert the payload to JSON:

     %dw 2.0
     output application/json
     ---
     payload
             

     
   • To view your Salesforce Data Cloud data, navigate to the address you configured for the HTTP Connector (localhost:8081 by default): http://localhost:8081. The Salesforce Data Cloud data is available as JSON in your Web browser and any other tools capable of consuming JSON endpoints.

At this point, you have a simple Web interface for working with Salesforce Data Cloud data (as JSON data) in custom apps and a wide variety of BI, reporting, and ETL tools. Download a free, 30 day trial of the JDBC Driver for Salesforce Data Cloud and see the CData difference in your Mule Applications today.