Connecting to Google Drive Files in Alteryx Server

[LanceFace]

Hi All - trying to find a way to fix this. We are currently rolling-out our server instance. We use Google Drive extensively and we have a lot of workflows that point towards google drive. Our current solution has been to use Google File Stream and have everyone map shared drives to their "G:/" Drive.

However, when I tried the same on server it did not work. I have also tried to use UNC paths, but I guess the way that Google Drive is set-up there is no UNC path.

Wondering if anyone has solved for this issue. It would be great to allow Server to access Gdrive files the same way that users currently do where we could just add a service account shared to that folder/file.

Any and all ideas welcome!

Thanks,
Lance

[LanceFace]

I would add that we have gone down the path of using the Google Drive/Sheets connectors, but Infosec isn't very eager to continue that usage.

[apathetichell]

@LanceFaceNo solutions here - but i'd add that I don't think Google Drive/Sheets would help much anyway. I assume you are on an SSO system and you'd need a service account (try telling that to InfoSec) for Server compatibility today.

If your Server is an EC2/Compute instance on AWS or GCP - that may sway InfoSec into allowing integration with a bucket system on the same platform (S3/Cloud Storage) since the connection would be internal and not externally exposed.

[digitalmemo · Accepted solution]

@LanceFace have you considered giving permissions to those who are running the worklows that uses gdrive into the root folder which is basically the computer name of the machine where your gdrive is set up? In our case, we created an active directory group for all the users in our team. We then grant permission into the group to allow read/write access to that gdrive folder.

[LanceFace]

Thanks digitalmemo - everything led me to believe that it was not a permission issue (we could access through designer locally), but you were right! After adding the local administrator account as the "run as" user, it was able to "see" the G: Drive.

Thanks so much!

[usuirens]

Hello LanceFace,

I hope you're doing well! Connecting to Google Drive files in Alteryx Server with cloud computing can be a powerful way to streamline your data workflows. Here are some tips and insights to help you make the most of this integration:

• Authentication and Authorization: Ensure that you have set up the necessary authentication and authorization settings to access your Google Drive files securely. Alteryx Server typically supports OAuth 2.0 for this purpose, which provides a robust and secure connection.
• Service Accounts: Consider using service accounts for server-to-server communication. This can be particularly useful in cloud-based scenarios where automated processes need to access Google Drive files without user interaction. Service accounts are essentially Google accounts that represent applications rather than individuals.
• API Usage: Understand the Google Drive API version you are using and its limitations. Google regularly updates its APIs, so it's essential to stay up to date with any changes that might affect your integration.
• Error Handling: Implement robust error handling in your Alteryx workflows to deal with potential issues when connecting to Google Drive. This includes handling authentication errors, quota limits, and any unexpected behavior.
• Security: Ensure that you follow security best practices when dealing with cloud-based data. Encrypt sensitive data both in transit and at rest, and restrict access to authorized users only.
• Performance Optimization: Depending on your use case and the volume of data you're dealing with, consider optimizing your workflows for performance. This might involve using Alteryx features like caching, parallel processing, or data streaming.
• Monitoring and Logging: Implement monitoring and logging for your Alteryx Server instance to track any issues or anomalies in your Google Drive connections. This proactive approach can help you identify and resolve problems quickly.
• Community Support: Don't hesitate to reach out to the Alteryx community or Google Cloud community for assistance or advice. Many experienced users are willing to share their insights and solutions to common integration challenges.

Remember that Alteryx is continuously evolving, and new features and improvements may be available to enhance your Google Drive integration experience. Stay updated with Alteryx release notes and Google Drive API documentation to take advantage of these enhancements.

If you have any specific questions or encounter any issues while setting up your Google Drive integration with Alteryx Server, feel free to ask for more detailed assistance. We're here to help you make the most of this powerful combination of tools.

[robaustin_uk]

I am using Alteryx Server 2023.2. I understand that it is necessary to use DCM to connect to Google Drive however there does not seem to be a suitable connector when I try to set one up on server. If I set it up using designer then sync, it tells me that the schema is missing. What am I doing wrong?