How To Obtain & Submit Your Canvas API Access Credentials for the CCC Data Warehouse

Introduction

This guide colleges with an overview of the Canvas DW Direct Connect implementation process and the preparatory steps required for colleges to successfully access their Canvas API data in the CCC Data Warehouse.

About the CCC Data Warehouse

CCC Data has been developed by the CCC Technology Center in coordination with, and at the direction of, the CCC Chancellor's Office.  

A part of the Data Services Program initiative from the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office, CCC Data provides the necessary infrastructure to the California Community College System to aggregate data across disparate systems to an enterprise data warehouse (CCC Data Warehouse).

Canvas DW Direct Connect Service

The Canvas DW Direct Connect service allows colleges to access their Canvas data in the CCC Data Warehouse/Data Lake through direct access connection (site-to-site VPN). Colleges must “opt-in” or request access separately, even if they are in a multi-college district.

Colleges may request to implement this exclusive service (opt-in) by email. Please contact Enabling Services at the CCC Technology Center.

College Participation

The CCC Technology Center (CCCTC) Enabling Services group will support the connection of Canvas data to the Data Warehouse, to be made available through a Direct (ODBC/JDBC) Connection.  Support for Canvas data will require that the administrator for the Canvas system generate a data API key, to be securely passed to the Enabling Services Integration Engineer.

California Community Colleges that have adopted Canvas CMS may request to implement the Canvas DW Direct Connect service through Enabling Services at the CCC Technology Center. To get started, colleges must meet the following prerequisites and complete the instructions below.

Prerequisites

• College has adopted Canvas through the CCC Technology Center (Live).

• College has implemented DW Direct Connect (Live).

• College has a Canvas Admin user that can generate and provide the required Canvas Data API Key and other account-related information.

Getting Started

• College must request (opt-in) to participate in the Canvas DW Direct Connect service.

• College will participate in the Enabling Services Implementation process, through successful setup and confirmed data access.

Implementation Process Overview

1. College requests to participate (Opt-In) in Canvas DW Direct Connect.

2. College generates and submits the required Canvas Data API key values to CCCTC Enabling Services

3. College works with the Enabling Services implementation team to confirm successful access to their Canvas Data using their established direct access connection.

Step 1: Email a Request to Participate (Opt-In)

As the Canvas Data API key is generated at the root account level, implementation will require each college in a multi-college district to consent to have their Canvas data made available in the CCC Data Warehouse.

1. To participate (opt-in), send an email to Enabling Services with the following subject line: Request for Canvas DW Direct Connect at [college].

2. The College Relationship Manager (CRM) will process your request and pass your interest to the Enabling Services Implementation team who will work with your college to facilitate the Canvas to Data Warehouse setup process.

Step 2: Generate Your Canvas API Credentials

In order to access your Canvas data in the CCC Data Warehouse, the Canvas Data API will be used to add your college’s Canvas data to the DW pipeline. This process requires your unique Canvas Data API credentials (API key and secret) in the format that works with the structure of your Canvas account.

To generate your college’s Canvas Data API credentials, follow the steps below. Once the credentials are generated, a copy of the credentials should be captured for security purposes, and safely passed to the CCC Technology Center in a secure manner.

College Canvas Administrator

From the Admin section of your Canvas application

1. Open Your Account: Click the Admin link in your Canvas application, then click on the name of your account or sub-account.

2. Open Canvas Data Portal: In Account Navigation, click the Canvas Data Portal link.

3. Create API Credentials: Click the Create Credentials button.

4. Copy API Credentials: Copy the API Key and API Secret.

^{(Above: Once you’ve created your API credentials, a ‘success’ notification box will display your API Key and API Secret values.)}

5. Create New API Credentials: You can create new credentials by clicking the Create Credentials button.

College Canvas Administrator

1. Generate your Canvas Data API credentials in the Admin section of the Canvas Data Portal. The API credentials will

   1. Canvas Data API Key: [canvas-datawarehouse-<misCode>-apikey]

   2. Canvas Data API Secret: [canvas-datawarehouse-<misCode>-apisecret]

To generate your college Canvas Data API credentials, a Canvas Administrator must log into the Canvas Data Portal and

Once generated, the Canvas Administrator will be provided a screen with their API Key and Secret, as shown below.

Step 3: Copy, Store, and Safely Pass Canvas API Credentials in a Secure Manner

1. Once your Canvas API credentials are generated, store a copy of these credentials in a secure manner for future reference.

2. Provide your API key and secret values to your ES Implementation engineer in the format below. These values should only be passed using a secure method such as Privnote.

   1. Canvas Data API Key: [canvas-datawarehouse-<misCode>-apikey]

   2. Canvas Data API Secret: [canvas-datawarehouse-<misCode>-apisecret]
      

3. Once received, your ES Implementation engineer will initiate the configuration process of adding your Canvas data into the CCC Data Warehouse.

Step 4: Work with Implementation Team to Test Access

1. Connect to the CCC Data Warehouse through your established DW Direct Connect (ODBC/JDBC) and access your Canvas Data either through your local BI application (typically Tableau or Power BI) or an SQL query.

FAQs

Q. What is the Canvas Data API?

A. The Canvas Data API allows you to get information about or download Canvas Data files.

Q. Who is authorized to access your Canvas Data API credentials?

A. Any Canvas Data Admin user can generate API credentials for your Canvas account. However, once generated, the credentials are shared between all admin users for that account. If you would like to grant access to other users or third-party partners to download files via the API, you can generate credentials and securely pass them to those users.

Q. Can access to our API credentials be revoked from specific users?

A. Yes, however to revoke access for a user, the Canvas Admin user will need to regenerate the credentials and securely distribute the credentials again.  

Q. How do I obtain an [Canvas] API access token in the Canvas Data Portal?

A. Colleges can review this page for instructions and other information related to their custom API access token.

From the Admin link in the Canvas Data Portal navigation bar:

1. Open Account: Click the Admin link, then click on the name of the Canvas account or sub-account.

2. Open Canvas Data Portal: In Account Navigation, click the Canvas Data Portal link.

3. Create API Credentials: Click the Create Credentials button.

4. Copy API Credentials: Copy the API Key and API Secret. If you return to the Credentials Portal, you will be able to see the API Key but not the API Secret.

5. Create New API Credentials: You can create new credentials by clicking the Create Credentials button.