Pimcore Datahub

Activating Pimcore Datahub

It’s important to know how to activate your Pimcore Datahub in the backend. First, download the Datahub bundle via the Composer package manager. Open a shell and navigate to the main folder of the book source code. Then, run the following command to enter the Docker container:

docker-compose php bash

Then run the following command to download the Datahub package:

composer requiere pimcore/data-hub

If you have downloaded the bundle, you must activate it in order to use it. This can be done via the Tools I Bundles menu. Installing the package creates additional tables within the database structure.
Alternatively, you can perform these operations using the Bash commands:

php bin/console pimcore:bundle:enablePimcoreDatahubBundle
php bin/console pimcore:bundle:installPimcoreDatahubBundle

The installation

Once you have installed the Datahub package, you need to follow these steps to activate the bundle in Pimcore.
Install the following dependencies:

composer require pimcore/data-importer

Next, you need to ensure that the bundle is activated in the config/bundles.php file. To do this, add the following lines:
use Pimcore\Bundle\DataImporterBundle\PimcoreDataImporterBundle;
// ...

return [
// ...
// make sure PimcoreDataHubBundle is added before to that list
// ...
PimcoreDataImporterBundle::class => ['all' => true],
// ...
];
Then, install the package using the following command:

composer require pimcore/admin-ui-classic-bundle

The imports are executed asynchronously in the background. The following commands need to be run regularly for the command-based import:
– # Process import queue items that can be executed in parallel
*/5 * * * * * php /home/project/www/bin/console datahub:data-importer:process-queue-parallel –processes=5
# Process import queue items that need to be executed sequentially
*/5 * * * * * php /home/project/www/bin/console datahub:data-importer:process-queue-sequential

The features

Since the Pimcore Datahub implementation in 2019, the application has impressed with a variety of features, starting with the configurable interface layer for data transfer and usage. Datahub is therefore the tool of choice for connecting Pimcore with any external systems and applications outside the internal PHP API – whether backend applications like ERP systems or frontend applications like your storefront.
In addition, Pimcore Datahub allows multiple endpoints to be defined for different use cases and target/source systems – all on a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI), where data can be transformed and prepared without the need for in-depth coding knowledge.
One of the biggest advantages of the Pimcore Datahub, based on its features, is its high performance and scalability. The optimized data queries ensure fast response times, and the application is ideal for omnichannel strategies, as multiple systems can retrieve data simultaneously.

The basics

What sets Pimcore Datahub apart is the ability to define multiple key points for data transfer and usage. These are configured through settings that can be added in the Pimcore Admin Dashboard.
To do this, go to the Datahub configuration window and select an endpoint technology under Add Configuration. To complete the configuration, you need to define the following fields:
● General Settings
● Schema Configuration
● Security Definitions
● Additional Settings

GraphQL API

The GraphQL API from Meta is undeniably one of the most popular query languages and runtime environments for APIs. It offers a flexible and efficient alternative to traditional REST APIs: unlike REST, where separate endpoints exist for different resources, GraphQL provides a central API interface for all data queries and mutations. Many development platforms, including Pimcore, have integrated GraphQL API support into their systems.
The popularity of the GraphQL query language lies in its ability to allow clients to retrieve data in a simple and intuitive way. To do this, the client makes a request to a single endpoint by sending a GraphQL query and specifying the required data.
GraphQL can be used for both reading and modifying data and is based on a schema that precisely defines which data is available and which queries are possible.
Pimcore uses GraphQL as an API interface to provide data from the Product Information Management (PIM), Digital Asset Management (DAM), and Content Management System (CMS). This allows developers to access specific product data, media assets, or structured content.
Here is an example:
- {
getProduct(id: "123") {
name
description
price
images {
url
}
}
}
In the background, Pimcore generates a schema and stores it in the following file:
/var/config/datahub-configurations.php file
GraphQL focuses more on describing the available data in its functionality. Pimcore Datahub allows you to configure a GraphQL schema via the user interface. To do this, simply click on Add Configuration in Datahub and select GraphQL from the dropdown. Once selected, you can insert a relevant description or add an SQL condition.