Querying SyteLine Data with OData Protocol Integration
The OData (Open Data Protocol) layer in Infor CloudSuite Industrial provides a standardized query interface for SyteLine data. OData support means you can use familiar query operators like $filter, $select, $expand, and $orderby to retrieve exactly the data you need without learning SyteLine-specific IDO filter syntax. Power BI, Excel, custom applications, and middleware platforms can all consume SyteLine data natively through OData endpoints exposed by the ION API Gateway.
OData Endpoint Structure and Query Operators
SyteLine OData endpoints are accessible through the ION API Gateway at /api/{IDOName}. Each IDO appears as an OData entity set, and each IDO property maps to an entity property. The $filter operator translates to the IDO filter string, $select maps to the PropertyList, $orderby becomes the OrderBy parameter, and $top maps to RecordCap. The $expand operator enables navigation to related entities through IDO relationships, loading parent-child data in a single request. The $count operator returns the total number of matching records without fetching the data.
- Base URL pattern: GET https://{tenant}.inforcloudsuite.com/{tenant}/IONSERVICES/api/{IDOName}
- $filter examples: $filter=Item eq 'WIDGET-001' or $filter=QtyOnHand gt 100 and Whse eq 'MAIN'
- $select: $select=Item,Description,QtyOnHand limits response to only the specified properties
- $expand: $expand=OrderLines fetches the parent order and its child order lines in one request
- $top and $skip: $top=50&$skip=100 implements server-side pagination for large result sets
Advanced OData Query Patterns for SyteLine
Beyond basic filtering, OData supports functions and expressions that enable complex queries. The contains() function enables substring searches, startswith() and endswith() handle prefix and suffix matching, and date functions like year() and month() extract components from date properties. For aggregation, the $apply operator supports groupby, aggregate, and filter transformations that produce summarized data directly from the API without client-side processing. Combine these operators to build powerful data retrieval queries that minimize network overhead.
- Substring search: $filter=contains(Description, 'steel') finds items with 'steel' anywhere in the description
- Date filtering: $filter=OrderDate ge 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z and OrderDate lt 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z
- Logical operators: $filter=(Status eq 'O' or Status eq 'F') and Whse eq 'MAIN' with parentheses for grouping
- Aggregation: $apply=groupby((Whse),aggregate(QtyOnHand with sum as TotalQty)) for warehouse inventory totals
- Null checks: $filter=DueDate ne null to exclude records where the due date has not been set
Connecting Power BI and Excel to SyteLine OData
One of the most valuable use cases for SyteLine OData is connecting business intelligence tools directly to live ERP data. In Power BI Desktop, use the OData Feed connector and enter the SyteLine ION API OData URL with your OAuth bearer token for authentication. In Excel, use the Data > From OData Feed option to create a live connection. Both tools translate their visual query builders into OData query parameters, enabling business users to build reports and dashboards without writing API code. Schedule data refreshes in Power BI Service to keep dashboards current.
- Power BI Desktop: Get Data > OData Feed > paste the ION API OData URL > configure OAuth2 authentication
- Excel connection: Data tab > Get Data > From Other Sources > From OData Feed > enter the endpoint URL
- Authentication in Power BI: use Organizational Account authentication linked to your Infor OS identity
- Query folding: Power BI pushes filter and select operations to the OData endpoint for server-side processing
- Scheduled refresh: configure Power BI Service gateway to refresh SyteLine OData datasets on a schedule
Netray AI agents help you design optimal OData queries for SyteLine, generate Power BI data models, and build self-service reporting solutions for your CloudSuite Industrial data.
Related Resources
SyteLine REST API CRUD Operations Guide
Perform CRUD operations against SyteLine via REST API. Step-by-step examples for creating, reading, updating, and deleting records through IDO REST endpoints.
Infor SyteLineSyteLine GraphQL ERP Integration Patterns
Implement GraphQL integration patterns for SyteLine ERP. Build flexible query layers over IDO endpoints for efficient CloudSuite Industrial data retrieval.
Infor SyteLineSyteLine REST API Authentication Guide
Configure SyteLine REST API authentication with OAuth 2.0, bearer tokens, and basic auth. Secure your CloudSuite Industrial API integrations with proven patterns.