Extracting Live Data

To import data from Salesforce Objects, RESTful Web Services, Microsoft Azure Table Storage, Microsoft Excel, CSV, Text Document, JSON, SQLite, Microsoft Access you need to install Syncfusion Dashboard Data Agent in the data server. This agent extracts the web accessible data to the data server and refresh the data to keep it alive based on provided time schedules.

Installing Syncfusion Dashboard Data Agent

Run the installer either through clicking the Run button or by double-clicking the executable file from the saved location.

The installer extracts the files and launch the installation wizard.

Read and accept the license terms and conditions through checking the option I agree to the License Terms and Conditions and click Next.

Browse to the location where you would like to install the Syncfusion Dashboard Data Agent and click Next.

Browse to the location where you want to install the Dashboard Designer application, and then click Next.

Read and accept the Consent the install CefSharp binaries and Dependencies and click NEXT.

IMPORTANT

cefSharp is a lightweight .NET wrapper around the Chromium Embedded Framework (CEF) used for WPF and WinForms web browser control implementations. CefSharp is BSD licensed, so it can be used in both proprietary and free/open source applications. However, additional non-BSD dependencies may be needed. CefSharp binaries and their dependencies are mandatory to render dashboard widgets in the designer surface.

Read and accept the Consent to deploy PhantomJS Webkit and click Install.

IMPORTANT

PhantomJS is a headless WebKit scriptable with JavaScript. This is a free software/open source, and it may contain MIT, BSD, LGPL, or GPL, or other similar licenses that contain third-party code. This executable file is necessary to achieve Image and PDF export functionalities in the Dashboard and widgets. Without this file, the image and PDF export options in the Dashboard and widgets will no longer be available. If you choose to download PhantomJS, must accept all terms and conditions to use it with Syncfusion’s products.

NOTE

If you have any problem with internet connection or do not have internet connection, unselect the PhantomJS download option and continue to install. To manually install the PhantomJS, please refer this.

Now the installation begins. You can cancel the installation anytime through pressing Cancel, if needed.

On successful installation, the above screen appears. Click Finish to close the installation wizard and run the newly installed Syncfusion Dashboard Data Agent. You can also run the application later by unchecking the option Run Data Agent.

Configuring Syncfusion Dashboard Data Agent

Syncfusion Dashboard Data Agent is a self-hosting service which is prepared to be installed only in data servers. It is responsible for extracting data from Salesforce objects, RESTful web services, Azure Table Storage, Excel, CSV, Text and full data update for web accessible resources on the time based on schedulers.

The Overview tab of the Syncfusion Dashboard Data Agent has following segments:

1. Service Status

2. Connections

3. Agent Configuration

Service Status

We can start the Dashboard Data Agent Service on a specific port by click on Start Service button.

Once you clicking on start service button the Syncfusion Dashboard Data Agent start the service on the specified port which was mentioned in Agent Configuration Section.

We can stop the Dashboard Data Agent Service on a specific port by click on Stop Service button at any time.

View Schedules lists the scheduled dashboard report in Scheduler Window.You can remove the particular schedule from the list by clicking Remove Connection option in Action menu of the scheduler list.

NOTE

Here the Refresh Access Token button enabled only when OAuth access token get expired.

Connections

We can add the Target Connection details (where the published data should be extracted) by clicking Add Connection button.

By Clicking Add Connection button the connection wizard open and fill the connection details in the required area to save the connection in Agent.

Once the connection was added in agent you can publish/extract the data on specific connection by using its connection name.

View All allows us to navigate to the connection tab.

Agent Configuration

Agent IP text box shows you the IP of the machine where the Syncfusion Dashboard Data Agent was installed.

Port text box allows us to specify the port where the Dashboard Agent service need to be run.

Add in Firewall check box allows us to add a new inbound rule for the mentioned port in firewall.

NOTE

If you want to access the Agent which runs on a specific port from the client machine then you need to add inbound rule for the specific port in firewall.

The Connections tab of the Syncfusion Dashboard Data Agent allows us to handle connections configuration in agent.

The Add Connection button in Connections tab is same as the Add Connection button in Overview tab which is used to add and configure connections in agent.

This tab lists the SQL connections that are configured in Syncfusion Dashboard Data Agent. You can remove the particular connection from the list by clicking Remove Connection option in Action menu of the connection from Data Connections list

NOTE

Connection modification in agent is irrelevant to the Service state i.e. you can add/remove connection at any time, even when the service is in stop state.

Extracting Data from Web Accessible Resources through Agent

After Configuring the Syncfusion Dashboard Data Agent in data server we can publish the reports which was created using Salesforce Objects, RESTful Web Services, Microsoft Azure Table Storage, Microsoft Excel, CSV, Text Document, JSON, SQLite, and Microsoft Access in the data server by following way.

Once you have completed the dashboard click on Server from menu and Publish and then Dashboard.

In Publish Dashboard window enter the IP of the data server where the agent was installed and enter the port number (Where the agent was running) in Port text box. Once you entered the Agent details when you click on the connection combo box it will show the list of connections configured in Agent. Enter the name of the scheduler and configure the scheduler by the list of options available in Data Agent window like daily update, weekly update, monthly update, when to start and end the scheduler etc…

NOTE

Here the File Storage and File URL options are available only for Microsoft Excel, CSV, Text Document, JSON, SQLite and Microsoft Access data sources. If you need to configure the schedule refresh for these type of data sources, you must upload the file into Google Drive or Dropbox or Dashboard Server cloud service.

Click on Publish button once you have configured the scheduler.