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Sarthak Sharma 2Sarthak Sharma 2 

New to salesforce. Need help with creating a dashboard for work. Pull data from sql server and display the dashboard on an external URL

Hi,
Recently started on salaeforce. Got a new assignment at work. Need to connect salesforce to sql server and pull live data from tables that maniframe jobs contineously update and then have to transform this data into an dashboard for everyone in the firm to see and only my team has slaesforce.
I just learned through trailhead how to create simple dashboards, It would be very helpful if someone could point me in the right direction
Ginny MahantGinny Mahant
Hi Sarthak,

   You need to create an External Data Source that connects to your SQL server. Then use this data sourcec to create an External Object in Salesforce, this is nothing but an object that represents data stored in a table in an external databased.  You can then create a report on this external object. Once report is created you can create a dashboard based on it. This link should help - ​http://www.salesforceben.com/salesforce-external-object-reports-using-odata/
Hope this helps.

Regards,
 
Sarthak Sharma 2Sarthak Sharma 2
Hi Ginny,
Thanks for the help. I get the sql connection part but the main thing is that the dashboard needs to be accessible to everyone, salesforce user and non-salesforce user. The Client already uses a link that gets you paste in the address bar and get to the dashboard.so I need something similar. Please advise.
Ginny MahantGinny Mahant
Hi,
Here you have three approaches :- 
https://reportbuilder.cloud4j.com. You can use this to schedule dashboard to non-sfdc users via email. Ensure the user you login with has the required permissions i.e. Schedule Dashboards. OR
In Salesforce schedule Dashboard to be sent to a user. Set up a forwarding rule on this user's (valid Salesforce user; perferably an Admin) Email client who receives the report and then forwards it to external/non-Salesforce  users. OR
Display dashboard in VF page and email it to all users from controller, VF page could be like - 
<apex:page >
<apex:iframe src="https://na12.salesforce.com/01ZU0000000NHAt" scrolling="true" id="theIframe"/>
</apex:page>
src is the url of the dashboard OR you could use an approach mentioned in this link -- http://www.infallibletechie.com/2014/04/how-to-show-report-chart-in-visualforce.html

Please mark as best answer if it helps.