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How do I connect Tableau to FTP in 5 minutes?

Execute the following steps to connect Tableau to FTP. You only need knowledge of Tableau and your own business.

FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is a standard network protocol used to transfer files between a client and server over the internet or a local network, supporting both uploading and downloading.

No technical knowledge is needed nor knowledge on the FTP APIs to connect FTP to Tableau. 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 FTP.

The steps to connect Tableau to FTP are:

  1. Register an Invantive Cloud account.
  2. Create a FTP database.
  3. Make the FTP database available through the Tableau OData connector.
  4. Connect Tableau to FTP through the connector.
  5. Load data from FTP into Tableau.

Invantive Cloud offers a FTP connector to download data from FTP into Tableau, but there are over 75 other connectors available also for SQL, Power BI, Power Query, Tableau and Azure Data Factory.

Do you have a large environment? For effective downloads, you can of course also filter the data.

When you are having questions, please check the forums for FTP. 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 FTP and numerous other platforms. You will use the same Invantive login code and workflow for all other platforms.

Create FTP database

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

  1. Click the Add Database button. Add database.

  2. Select FTP from the list. Select FTP connector.

  3. Please fill out the form with login information for FTP.

  4. Select the OK-button.

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

Grant connection from Tableau access to FTP

To retrieve the data from Tableau 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 Tableau. You do not need to install anything locally: no connector, no ado.NET provider and no Tableau add-on neither.

Execute the following steps to safely use the data from FTP 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 can completely disable IP address checking by entering an asterisk ("*").

You are now ready to import the FTP data into Tableau.

Configure Tableau connector for FTP

You will now pull in Tableau data from FTP 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.

Execute the following steps:

  1. Start Tableau and choose "More..." from the "To a Server" menu on the left menu "Connect". Prepare import of FTP data into Tableau.

  2. Search and select the OData connector.' Select the Tableau OData connector to import data from FTP.

  3. Enter in the window the Bridge Online URL of the Tableau database. This URL containing the data can be found in the Database-form of Invantive Cloud. Choose authentication type "Username and Password". Enter the Invantive Cloud user name and password. OData URL for FTP with log on credentials

  4. The list of available FTP tables appears. Select the desired tables and construct your Tableau dashboard. Select FTP tables and process them in Tableau.