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Step 1: Sign In

1
Go to https://cloud.cdata.com/.
2
Sign in with your CData account.
No account? Click Sign Up for a free trial.

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Step 2: Connect Your First Source

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Example: Salesforce (OAuth)

1
Open Sources > Add Connection > Salesforce.
2
Select OAuth authentication (recommended).
3
Provide:
  • Client ID and Client Secret from Salesforce (Setup > App Manager > Your Connected App).
  • Callback URL shown in Connect AI.
4
Click Authorize and sign in with Salesforce.
5
Test connection, and then Save.
Done! You can now query Account, Opportunity, Contact, and other objects in real time.

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Example: Google BigQuery (OAuth)

1
Open Sources > Add Connection > Google BigQuery.
2
Sign in with your Google account.
3
Select the project and dataset(s) to expose.
4
Test connection, and Save.
Your BigQuery datasets are now queryable via SQL, OData, and REST.
Other authentication options include Username/Password (legacy) and OAuth with Refresh Token for long-lived access.

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Step 3: Explore and Query Your Data

1
Open Explorer and select your source.
2
Run a query:
SELECT Name, StageName, Amount
FROM Opportunity
WHERE CloseDate >= CURRENT_DATE - 90
ORDER BY Amount DESC;
Save as a Derived View to reuse and share.

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Step 4: Create Derived Views

Derived Views are saved SQL definitions you can permission like tables. 
CREATE DERIVED VIEW Sales.TopOpportunities AS
SELECT Name, StageName, Amount
FROM Opportunity
WHERE IsClosed = false AND CloseDate >= CURRENT_DATE - 90
ORDER BY Amount DESC
LIMIT 10;
Use Scheduled Queries under Jobs to refresh cached results for heavy workloads.

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Step 5: Use Data in Your Tools

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Power BI (SQL Endpoint)

1
Open Power BI Desktop and then select Get Data > SQL Server.
2
Enter your Connect AI SQL endpoint (tds.cdata.com).
3
Authenticate with your CData credentials.
4
Select tables or derived views and build visuals.

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Excel (OData)

1
In Excel, select Data > Get Data > From Other Sources > From OData Feed.
2
Paste your Connect AI OData endpoint (https://cloud.cdata.com/api/odata/{workspace\_name}).
3
Authenticate with your CData credentials and load data.

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Tableau (OData or SQL)

1
In Tableau, select Connect > OData Server (or SQL Server).
2
Enter either the OData or SQL Server endpoint, authenticate, and start exploring.

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AI and Apps (Rest/OpenAPI)

Expose any source as a secure API for custom apps and large language models (LLMs).
  • REST provides programmatic access from apps/agents: 
    GET https://cloud.cdata.com/api.rsc/Salesforce/Opportunity Authorization: Bearer <token>
  • OData v4 is used for BI tools and pagination/filtering: 
    GET https://cloud.cdata.com/api/odata/Salesforce/Opportunity?$top=100&$orderby=Amount desc
  • OpenAPI generates clients and validates requests: 
    GET https://cloud.cdata.com/api/openapi/Salesforce

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Step 6: Organize with Workspaces

1
In Workspaces, Add Workspace and name the workspace (for example, Sales).
2
Add sources and derived views needed by the team.
3
Share with groups to grant access.

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Step 7: Permissions by Need-to-Know

Control access at the source or workspace level.
PermissionWhat it allows
SELECTRead/query data
INSERT/UPDATE/DELETEWrite changes back (if source allows)
EXECUTERun procedures (such as refresh metadata)

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Security and Best Practices

  • Rate limits: 100 requests/user/minute.
  • IP allowlist: Restrict access to trusted networks.
  • Logging & audit: Enable detailed logs for governance.

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Troubleshooting

Connection failed? Verify credentials, network/VPN, and source API status.
  • Missing tables? Refresh metadata on the source.
  • Slow queries? Filter early, limit columns, and enable caching.
  • Auth errors? Re-authorize OAuth and confirm scopes.

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Get Support

For assistance with using Connect AI, there are two main resources available:
  • The Status page shows the current status and incident history for the application services.
  • CData Technical Support is also accessible by clicking the Support link at the bottom of the dashboard.

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What’s New

See our Release Notes for new connectors, enhancements, and fixes.