MongoDB makes it easy to use Tableau and Qlik on NoSQL data

MongoDB users will soon be able to analyse their data with Tableau or Qlik without moving it out of the NoSQL database.

The database giant's forthcoming BI Connector feature is designed to work with any SQL-compliant data analysis tool, meaning customers can connect their database to the likes of Tableau, Qlik, SAP's Business Objects and IBM's Cognos.

Developers can already connect MongoDB to the above data visualisation tools, but they have to spend many hours coding in order to do so - MongoDB's tool will remove the need for that code by integrating the database directly with the tools.

Currently, developers also have to shift data from MongoDB to relational databases for analysis and visualisation with SQL tools, but with BI Connector most of the processing will happen in MongoDB, with it acting as the primary datastore.

Speaking at MongoDB World in New York today, CTO Eliot Horowitz said: "It's very frustrating to have to transform everything from your operational datastore to your local datastore because it's not real-time, it's not fast.

"You also want to explore the data and iterate quickly and figure out new things. You may not know what report you want, you just want to explore a little bit. There really are great tools out there that can do this. Our BI Connector will work with any SQL-compliant BI visualisation tool."

CEO Dev Ittycheria told IT Pro the new feature was created in response to strong demand from MongoDB's wide user community, with developers unable to easily use the SQL-based data analysis and visualisation tools available in the market.

"Now you don't need to jump through hoops to make MongoDB work with Tableau, it's going to be available out of the box," he added.

The tool is already in preview, and Tableau is partnering with MongoDB for the trial, Ittycheria pointing out the two companies have many joint customers.

Dan Jewett, VP of product management at Tableau, said in a statement: "We are thrilled to work with MongoDB to develop this integration, as it will allow our mutual customers to explore their non-relational data using the same intuitive interface they use for all their other data."

BI Connector will soon launch an advanced beta programme, and is pegged for general release in MongoDB's next update, version 3.2, due out in the fourth quarter of the year.

It comes after Salesforce made a similar play last week, announcing tie-ups with the likes of Google BigQuery, Cloudera and Hortonworks to feed these data sources into its own Analytics Cloud, which sits on the company's Wave Platform.

This works the other way round from BI Connector, feeding data into Salesforce's analytics tool, rather than vice versa, but still maintaining a strong focus on appealing to end users like sales staff, who can query data without needing a science degree.

Ittycheria told IT Pro that BI Connector was similarly pitched towards the business.

"It really appeals to the business users. You don't need to be a data scientist to get value," he said. "It makes the rich data available in Mongo very easy for business users to analyse, dissect and uncover insights."