Introduction
The OneDrive and SharePoint Data Connectors add-in is now available for JMP 19 EA6 and beyond. This blog post is intended to provide you with more information about how to get connected to your Microsoft account and access your data using these new data connectors.
If you have not yet done so, visit the JMP Marketplace to find the add-in or download it here. The installation instructions and a brief overview are found on the JMP Marketplace listing. Once you have installed the add-in, go to this page to help you get connected.
In this guide, I will show you:
- Authentication options
- The authorization server configuration
- Troubleshooting tips
The OneDrive and SharePoint Data Connectors rely on an authentication and authorization protocol known as OAuth2, which is what allows you to use your Microsoft account to authenticate and access your data.
Once you are connected to your data, you can import and query your data just like any other data connector. From there, you can utilize all of the functionality that JMP has to offer on your data.
Authorization options
There are two options for authentication with the data connectors:
- JMP hosted authorization server
- Custom authorization server
See below for more details about connecting with these options.
These options are dependent on the inclusion of the Tenant ID and Client ID parameters.
Option 1: JMP hosted authorization server
This option will be used automatically if you do not include the Tenant ID and Client ID in the connector editor. When connecting, JMP opens the default browser and prompts you to login to your desired Microsoft account. You are then asked to grant access to the SharePoint Data Connector application.
If you do not have access to Azure, such as when using a personal Microsoft account, then this option will be the only one available to you. If you have issues with permissions, contact your IT department to grant access to the app.
Option 2: Authorization server configuration
Note: You will need access to Microsoft Azure with permissions to create applications to create your own Azure authorization app. If you do not have access to Azure, contact your IT department to create the app for you, or to grant you access. This process only needs to be completed once per company (tenant), so if someone at your workplace has already completed this process, you may receive your necessary credentials from the existing application.
If you have attempted to use Option 1 but find it difficult to obtain the required access permissions, then you may set up your own Azure application to grant access to the connector. This option does include some technical details regarding the OAuth2 standard, so I would recommend that you read more about it here before continuing.
For more detailed information about Azure app registration, view the Microsoft documentation here.
Please ensure that after reading these materials that you understand them before continuing.
Now that you have familiarized yourself with OAuth2 and the Microsoft Azure app registration process, here are the important steps to get you connected to your OneDrive or SharePoint data.
After you have registered your app, add a redirect URI to the application for the connector to work properly. You need to add the URI "http://localhost" to the list under Mobile and Desktop Applications. Reference the Configure Platform Settings section of the Microsoft documentation for more information.
Next, add more API permissions to your app. To do this, go to Manage > API permissions in the app portal. Click Add a permission and then search for and add the following API permissions:
- Files.ReadWrite
- Sites.Read.All
- Sites.Selected
- User.Read
By doing so, it adds the necessary API permissions so that your app can grant access to your OneDrive and SharePoint files.
Testing connection
To ensure that you have connected properly, select the Test button in the data connector editor. After it opens the browser and prompts for your Microsoft account credentials, it then runs a rudimentary API call against OneDrive or SharePoint to ensure that your connection is sound.
Troubleshooting tips
Microsoft federation can be very strict with access requirements, so you may run into issues getting access to your account through the connector if you are using Option 1. Since the authorization server is hosted by JMP, outside tenants require explicit permission from their IT departments to access the application. If this is the case, request permission from your IT department to grant access to the connector or continue with Option 2 to create your own authorization server.
A note on the browser interaction for logging in: There is a 150-second timeout in place so that JMP will not hang forever in case the browser is closed before the authentication sequence is completed. If you accidentally close the browser, you may either wait 150 seconds for the timeout to expire or close and reopen JMP to try connecting again.