How do I connect Azure Data Factory to Comma-separated Values?

Execute the following steps to connect Azure Data Factory to Comma-separated Values. You only need knowledge of Azure Data Factory and your own business.

Comma-separated values ("CSV") is a text format for data. A CSV file typically stores data elements separated by a comma. The CSV file format is defined by RFC 4180.

No technical knowledge is needed nor knowledge on the Comma-separated Values APIs to connect Comma-separated Values to Azure Data Factory. This step-by-step plan will tell you exactly which steps you need to go through on Invantive Cloud to create your own Azure data warehouse with data from Comma-separated Values.

The steps to connect Azure Data Factory to Comma-separated Values are:

  1. Register an Invantive Cloud account.
  2. Create a Comma-separated Values database.
  3. Make the Comma-separated Values database available through the Microsoft OData connector.
  4. Connect Azure Data Factory to Comma-separated Values through the connector.
  5. Load data from Comma-separated Values into Azure Data Factory data warehouse.

Invantive Cloud offers a Comma-separated Values connector to download data from Comma-separated Values into Azure Data Factory, but there are over 75 other connectors available also for SQL, Power BI Desktop, Power BI Service, Power Query and/or Azure Data Factory.

Do you have a large environment? For effective downloads, you can of course also filter the data using the filter step or the transform button in Azure Data Factory.

When you are having questions, please check the forums for Comma-separated Values. Every organisation is entitled to 1 hour of free training to help you get started. This free hour also applies to free plans.

Register Account on Invantive Cloud

Skip this step when you already have an account on Invantive Cloud. Otherwise execute the following steps one time to register an account on Invantive Cloud:

  1. Go to Invantive Cloud start page.

  2. Select the Log on-button.

  3. Select the Sign Up-button. Sign Up to Invantive Cloud.

  4. Enter your business email address. Enter business email address.

  5. Select the Next-button.

  6. Enter your personal data. Enter personal data.

  7. Select the Next-button.

  8. Enter your password and repeat the provided password.

  9. Select the Next-button. Enter two identical passwords.

  10. You will receive a six-digit verification code by email within 2 minutes.

  11. Enter the six-digit verification code. Six-digit verification code to validate email address.

  12. Select the Sign Up-button.

  13. Log on now. Sign Up.

  14. Make sure you have an authentication app installed on your phone. Select the Next-button. Prepare TOTP-configuration.

  15. Add the displayed QR code to the authentication app, enter the current verification code, and choose "Finish". Scan QR-code into TOTP-app and enter current code.

  16. Skip registration of the organization. Skip company registration.

  17. Complete your personal data and choose 'Save'. Complete personal data.

  18. Go to the dashboard. Navigate to dashboard.

  19. The Invantive Cloud dashboard will be shown.

You now have a login code on Invantive Cloud with which you can set up the connection with Comma-separated Values and numerous other platforms. You will use the same Invantive login code and workflow for all other platforms.

Create Comma-separated Values database

In this step, we set up a database with data from Comma-separated Values. The database is "virtual" because it is not a traditional database, but is fed real-time from Comma-separated Values. Invantive Cloud provides Azure Data Factory with a real-time link to Comma-separated Values. The database will be used for all your Comma-separated Values reporting with Azure Data Factory. So you only need to perform these steps once.

  1. Click the Add Database button. Add database.

  2. Select Comma-separated Values from the list. Select Comma-separated Values connector.

  3. Please fill out the form with login information for Comma-separated Values.

  4. Select the OK-button.

Congratulations! You can now process data from Comma-separated Values within the Invantive Cloud website. You can do this for example with the interactive SQL editor.

Grant connection from Azure Data Factory access to Comma-separated Values

To retrieve the data from Azure Data Factory we create a link via Invantive Bridge Online. This creates a "bridge" between the cloud of Invantive and the standard OData connector that is available in every version of Azure Data Factory. You do not need to install anything locally: no connector, no ado.NET provider and no Azure Data Factory add-on neither.

Execute the following steps to safely use the data from Comma-separated Values outside of Invantive Cloud:

  1. Next to the database you will find an orange text requesting you to allow access from your current location (IP address). Select the nearby orange button.

  2. You must completely disable IP address checking by entering an asterisk ("*") since Microsoft Azure Data Factory consists of hundreds of thousands of servers across the globe.

You are now ready to import the Comma-separated Values data into Azure Data Factory.

Configure Azure Data Factory connector for Comma-separated Values

You will now pull in Azure Data Factory data from Comma-separated Values through the established link.

Please note again that Invantive Cloud under the hood handles all complexity such as setting up credentials such as a refresh token, acquiring an access token, optimizing and parallelizing access, accessing an API within the rate limits, scopes and security restrictions. There is absolutely no need for knowledge on complex technical topics such as OAuth access tokens or API. The Microsoft Azure Data Factory steps, activities and pipelines can be constructed using just the OData feed and basic authentication.

Execute the following steps:

  1. Start Microsoft Azure Data Factory and select 'Ingest'. Copy Comma-separated Values data using Microsoft Azure Data Factory activity 'Ingest'

  2. Select 'Built-in copy task'. Built-in copy using Comma-separated Values as source

  3. Select source type 'OData' and select 'New connection'. OData connection for Comma-separated Values to Microsoft Azure Data Factory

  4. Enter in the window the Bridge Online URL of the Azure Data Factory database. This URL containing the data can be found in the Database-form of Invantive Cloud. Choose authentication type 'Basic authentication'. Enter the Invantive Cloud user name and password. OData URL for Comma-separated Values with log on credentials

  5. The list of available Comma-separated Values tables appears. Select the desired tables and construct your pipeline in Microsoft Azure Data Factory. Select Comma-separated Values tables and process them in Microsoft Azure Data Factory