Power BI and Blackbaud Financial Edge NXT via SKY API Console

marc cannon

We're trying to get our NXT data loaded onto Microsoft's Power BI so we can built some internal financial dashboards.


So far we've been able to build out an app, but we need help getting everything configured. We're currently stuck on building out our ODBC data source. We downloaded a driver from CData on a 30 day trial, but we're hoping that Blackbaud has one available that we won't have to pay for (we're a non-profit, so we try to save money wherever we can).


Within the SKY app, we need to know what to input for our redirect URI. This is the tutorial we've been following so far (https://www.cdata.com/kb/tech/blackbaudfenxt-powerbi-gateway.rst), but this is from CData themselves. So I suspect there might be a better, cleaner way to get our API configured that we just don't know about. Open to other solutions.

Daniel Leonard

Hi Marc,


Thank you for the questions.


Unfortunately, I am not aware of us offering an ODBC driver but it is something we can investigate for future requests.


Here is a link to our UI Extensibility tutorials that might help. https://developer.blackbaud.com/skyapi/docs/addins/get-started


In regard to the SKY App redirect URI, are you using the SKYUX framework to create your application? If so, during development, when you launch the application locally `skyux serve -l local`. The application will normally launch on `https://localhost:8000`. You will need to add a Redirect URI pointing to the entry point of your application. An example would be `https://localhost:8000/mytile` for local development, where the `mytile` folder has an index.html page as an entry point.


If you are not using the SKYUX framework, you will want to add the redirect URI pointing to your local application entry point during development.


Once the application is deployed to production you will need to add a RedirectUri pointing to the deployed production entry point for your application.


Please let us know if you have more questions.

marc cannon

Hi Daniel,

Thanks for your response. I’m getting the following error when
trying to access the link you sent:

Marc
Cannon

Sr. Financial
Analyst / Financial Systems Admin

WestCare / Foundation

1711 Whitney Mesa

Henderson, NV 89014

Email: marc.cannon@westcare.com

Office: 702-385-2090 ext. 10209 / Fax: 702-448-8100

westcare.com

Uplifting
the Human

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Daniel Leonard

Hi Marc,


Sorry you are having problems with the link. Please try this one. https://developer.blackbaud.com/skyapi/docs/addins/get-started

marc cannon

Thanks Daniel. So we were able to complete the
configuration, but we’ve found that there’s no connect for the
transactions themselves.

I’m trying to pull data that is hitting our Accounts and Projects,
as in, data that’s being entered into Journal Entries by our
accounting team. I’d also like to be able to pull data from
Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable.

Would you be able to help me with those?

Marc
Cannon

Sr. Financial
Analyst / Financial Systems Admin

WestCare / Foundation

1711 Whitney Mesa

Henderson, NV 89014

Email: marc.cannon@westcare.com

Office: 702-385-2090 ext. 10209 / Fax: 702-448-8100

westcare.com

Uplifting
the Human

#E1E1E1 1pt;padding:3pt 0in 0in 0in;">

Daniel Leonard

Hi Marc,


This is a link to the available endpoints for the General Ledger API.
https://developer.sky.blackbaud.com/docs/services/56eb17a0a9db9516c46bff6f/operations/GetAccount


If what you are looking for is not in the list of available endpoints, you can submit an idea here to see if it can be added: https://community.blackbaud.com/developer/ideas


Please let me know if you have problems with the link or if I misunderstood the question.

marc cannon

Daniel, this looks like we’re getting closer,
but I’m a novice when it comes to API configuration, so I don’t
know how to incorporate any of this into Power BI.

I’m trying to locate the right connector, so
I’m attempting to Web for this.

I’m then entering in the URL listed as the request URL on the link
you provided. (https://developer.sky.blackbaud.com/docs/services/56eb17a0a9db9516c46bff6f/operations/GetAccount)

Then selecting with Anonymous I get the
following error.

If I try with Web API, and enter in my
Subscription Key, I then get this error.

I’m now stuck. Am I on the right path? Where
do I go from here?

Marc
Cannon

Sr. Financial
Analyst / Financial Systems Admin

WestCare / Foundation

1711 Whitney Mesa

Henderson, NV 89014

Email: marc.cannon@westcare.com

Office: 702-385-2090 ext. 10209 / Fax: 702-448-8100

westcare.com

Uplifting
the Human

#E1E1E1 1pt;padding:3pt 0in 0in 0in;">

Daniel Leonard

Hi Marc,


I am not familiar with this CDATA integration, but I should be able to help with the API errors you are getting. I was not able to see the errors you mentioned. Possibly the screenshots are not coming through. If you could please give me some context to the errors I would be glad to help.

John Wooster

Hi Marc,


Circling back on this post to see if you ever got your issue resolved.

Mission BI Reporting Access™ and SQL Access™ are Blackbaud Marketplace App Solutions that enable standardized data source connections to your RE NXT and FE NXT data from virtually any reporting platform such as Microsoft Power BI, Tableau, or Crystal Reports.

Reporting Access™ and SQL Access™ are much more than simple API connectors. They are specialized database solutions, hosted and managed in the secure Mission BI Cloud, and optimized as data source connections for advanced custom reporting.

Let's jump on a quick call to get acquainted and explore how I can help. Please use the link below to drop a time on my calendar for us to connect.

See My Calendar and SCHEDULE A CONVERSATION HERE.

John Wooster
CRO | Mission BI, Inc.
843.491.6969 | https://www.missionbi.com
John@MissionBI.com

Edwin Harvey

Hi Marc,


In case you're still looking, I've found the following General Ledger endpoint helpful to pull journal entries into Power BI for financial reporting, including memo text, project codes, account numbers, etc.:

"Transaction distribution (List)".

https://api.sky.blackbaud.com/generalledger/v1/transactiondistributions


Edwin