Using the Neo4j BI Connector
In this tutorial we use the Neo4j Connector for BI to read graph data from an Aura instance using some common SQL clients and BI tools.
This tutorial includes instructions on the usage of third-party software, which may be subject to changes beyond our control. In case of doubt, refer to the third-party software documentation. |
Downloading the connector
Download the connector from the Download Center. Depending on the SQL client or BI tool it will be used with, you will need either the JDBC or the ODBC connector; see the usage examples for further details.
Preparing example data
Before trying the connector with any of the listed tools, some data needs to be loaded on Aura. This can be achieved by running the following Cypher query in the Neo4j Browser:
CREATE
(john:Person {name: "John", surname: "Doe", age: 42}),
(jane:Person {name: "Jane", surname: "Doe", age: 40}),
(john)-[:KNOWS]->(jane)
Using BI tools
Commonly used BI tools include Tableau (which uses the JDBC driver) and Power BI (which uses the ODBC driver).
When connecting with a JDBC driver, the |
Tableau
This example requires Tableau Desktop. Refer to the Tableau documentation for more information on how to add a JDBC database. |
After downloading the JDBC Neo4j Connector for BI from the Download Center:
-
Close any running instances of Tableau Desktop.
-
Copy the Neo4j driver JAR file into the appropriate Tableau
Drivers
folder.-
Use
C:\Program Files\Tableau\Drivers
on Windows. -
Use
~/Library/Tableau/Drivers
on macOS. If the folder is not visible, selectGo → Go to Folder
in Finder to open the folder manually.
-
-
Start Tableau and search for the
Other Databases (JDBC)
option. -
Insert the Aura URL as
jdbc:neo4j://xxxxxxxx.databases.neo4j.io?SSL=true
, leave the SQL dialect asSQL92
, and complete the relevant credentials.
After the connection is established, you can select the neo4j
database and the Node
schema to find the Person
table.
You can then explore the table to find the example data.
Troubleshooting
If the connection fails with a Generic JDBC connection error
, check if you installed the Neo4j driver in the correct location and then:
-
Download the
SSL.com
root certificates as explained on ssl.com and install them as shown in the Tableau documentation, then restart Tableau and repeat the previous steps (recommended option). -
Add
&sslTrustStrategy=TRUST_ALL_CERTIFICATES
to the connection string (afterSSL=true
) and try to connect again. This option requires caution and should not be used in a production environment.
Power BI
This example requires Microsoft Windows and Power BI Desktop. Refer to the Power BI documentation for more information on how to add an ODBC database. |
After downloading and installing the ODBC Neo4j Connector for BI from the Download Center:
-
Open Power BI Desktop.
-
Search for
ODBC
in the Get data from another source panel. -
Select
Simba Neo4j
in the DSN dropdown menu. -
Insert the connection string
Host=xxxxxxxx.databases.neo4j.io;SSL=1
in the Advanced options section. -
Insert your username and password.
Once connected, open sequentially ODBC
→ neo4j
→ Node
→ Person
in the Navigator window to see a preview of the table.