Open Connector Framework (OCF) Release Notes¶
Alation Cloud Service Applies to Alation Cloud Service instances of Alation
Customer Managed Applies to customer-managed instances of Alation
April 24, 2024¶
CosmosDB OCF Connector: Version 23.0.8878¶
The CosmosDB OCF Connector is now available on Connector Hub. (AL-144006)
The documentation for the CosmosDB OCF Connector is available at : CosmosDB OCF Connector.
Features¶
The CosmosDB connector supports various authentication methods including Account Key and AzureServicePrincipal.
The connector is compatible with CosmosDB database version 23.0.0.8866 and Alation version 2023.3 and newer.
Supports features inclusive of Metadata Extraction (MDE), sampling and profiling.
Databricks Unity Catalog OCF Connector: Version 2.2.2¶
Fixed Issues¶
Databricks Lineage Extraction Issues¶
Databricks lineage extraction fails when the column names are empty.
Databricks lineage extraction results in cyclic lineage.
Databricks lineage extraction job completes successfully even with empty Dataflow content.
Now, the issues are fixed. The Lineage extraction query is now updated to filter cyclic lineage, null entity types, empty and null table and column names. (AL-141050, AL-140061, AL-135348)
Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services OCF Connector: Version 23.0.8866¶
SQL Server Analysis Service from Microsoft provides semantic data models for business reports and client applications such as PowerBI, Excel and data visualization tools. Within Alation we catalog SQL Server Analysis Service (SSAS) metadata as an RDBMS Datasource.
The SSAS OCF Connector is now available on Connector Hub. (AL-146586)
The documentation for the SQL Server Analysis Services OCF Connector is available at : SQL Server Analysis Services OCF Connector.
Features¶
The SSAS connector supports various authentication methods including Basic, NTLM, Digest, Kerberos, and SSL.
The connector is compatible with SSAS database version 23.0.0.8866 and Alation version 2023.3 and newer.
Supports features inclusive of Metadata Extraction (MDE), sampling and profiling.
ServiceNow OCF Connector: Version 23.0.8866¶
The ServiceNow OCF Connector is now available on Connector Hub. (AL-144006)
The documentation for the ServiceNow OCF Connector is available at : ServiceNow OCF Connector.
Features¶
The ServiceNow connector supports various authentication methods including Basic, OAuth with password and SSL.
The connector is compatible with ServiceNow database version 23.0.0.8866 and Alation version 2023.3 and newer.
Supports features inclusive of Metadata Extraction (MDE), sampling and profiling.
Tableau OCF Connector: Version 1.9.0¶
Enhancements¶
With Alation version 2024.1.2 and Tableau OCF connector version 1.9.0, Alation has introduced an enhanced user interface for configuring the Tableau OCF data source settings.
Note
The connector version is compatible with Alation versions prior to 2024.1.2. However, you will view the old user interface with Alation versions prior to 2024.1.2
The documentation for the new Tableau OCF experience is available at : Tableau OCF Connector Documentation.
The enhanced user interface provides the following features:
Better User Experience¶
The enhanced Tableau user interface provides better navigation and multiple visual cues, making it easy to configure and manage Tableau data source.
Easy to Connect¶
The Tableau user interface now provides a step-by-step process to connect to your Tableau data source easily and quickly.
Additional Error-Prevention Checks¶
The Tableau user interface now includes added checks to avoid obvious configuration mistakes. The user interface also includes text to assist and provide cues while configuring.
Detailed Error Reports and Troubleshooting Support¶
The improved Tableau user interface makes troubleshooting easier for metadata extraction and query log ingestion, as you can now have a detailed error report for both processes. The report contains a detailed error description and steps to resolve the issue. (AL-139399)
Improved NODE_LIMIT_EXCEEDED Error Handling¶
The improved Tableau OCF connector reduces the possibility of encountering the NODE_LIMIT_EXCEEDED error.
Note
If you continue to encounter the NODE_LIMIT_EXCEEDED error, Alation recommends that you increase the Node limit on Tableau.
April 17, 2024¶
Add-On OCF Connector for dbt: Version 3.0.8¶
Fixed Issues¶
Metadata Extraction Fails When dbt Fails to Return the Compiled Code¶
Metadata Extraction on a Snowflake data source with add-on connector for dbt enabled results in the following error when the compiled SQL is empty:
Error while streaming direct lineage : content is required to build a dataflow.
If the compiled SQL is empty for a job, the connector now logs a warning and marks the node as invalid and allows the Metadata Extraction to continue. (AL-147412)
Azure Power BI Scanner OCF Connector: Version 2.2.0¶
Enhancements¶
Support for PowerBI Column Level Lineage¶
Column level lineage is now available for reports created from table-based datasets and dataflows from Alation version 2024.1.2.
Fixed Issues¶
Lineage Not Visible for Datasets Created from Dataflows in Different Workspace¶
Lineage fails for datasets created from a dataflow in present different a workspace. (AL-149160, AL-141424)
MongoDB OCF Connector: Version 23.0.8867¶
Enhancements¶
Support for SSL Authentication¶
MongoDB OCF connector now supports SSL authentication for secure connectivity. (AL-149342)
SQL Server OCF Connector: Version 1.5.0¶
Enhancements¶
With Alation version 2024.1 and SQL Server OCF connector version 1.5.0, Alation has introduced an enhanced user interface for configuring the SQL Server data source settings.
Note
The connector version is compatible with Alation versions prior to 2023.3.4. However, you will view the old user interface with Alation versions prior to 2024.1.
The documentation for the new SQL Server experience is available at : SQL Server OCF Connector.
The enhanced user interface provides the following features:
Better User Experience¶
The enhanced SQL Server user interface provides better navigation and multiple visual cues, making it easy to configure and manage SQL Server data source.
Easy to Connect¶
The SQL Server user interface now provides a step-by-step process to connect to your SQL Server data source easily and quickly.
Additional Error-Prevention Checks¶
The SQL Server user interface now includes added checks to avoid obvious configuration mistakes. The user interface also includes text to assist and provide cues while configuring.
Detailed Error Reports and Troubleshooting Support¶
The improved SQL Server user interface makes troubleshooting easier for metadata extraction and query log ingestion, as you can now have a detailed error report for both processes. The report contains a detailed error description and steps to resolve the issue. (AL-139399).
April 10, 2024¶
Azure Synapse Analytics OCF Connector: Version 1.2.7¶
Fixed Issues¶
Unable to Generate the Column Level Lineage for CREATE VIEW Queries When Newline Character Is Present¶
The connector fails to generate the column level lineage for CREATE VIEW SQL query statements due to a newline character at the start and/or end of the query.
The newline character is now trimmed when the connector processes the queries to help generate column-level lineage for Azure Synapse. (AL-150115)
PostgreSQL OCF Connector: Version 1.2.1¶
Enhancements¶
With Alation version 2023.3.4 and PostgreSQL OCF connector version 1.2.0, Alation has introduced an enhanced user interface for configuring the PostgreSQL data source settings.
Note
The connector version is compatible with Alation versions prior to 2023.3.4. However, you will view the old user interface with Alation versions prior to 2023.3.4.
The documentation for the new PostgreSQL experience is available at : PostgreSQL OCF Connector.
The enhanced user interface provides the following features:
Better User Experience¶
The enhanced PostgreSQL user interface provides better navigation and multiple visual cues, making it easy to configure and manage PostgreSQL data source.
Easy to Connect¶
The PostgreSQL user interface now provides a step-by-step process to connect to your PostgreSQL data source easily and quickly.
Additional Error-Prevention Checks¶
The PostgreSQL user interface now includes added checks to avoid obvious configuration mistakes. The user interface also includes text to assist and provide cues while configuring.
Detailed Error Reports and Troubleshooting Support¶
The improved PostgreSQL user interface makes troubleshooting easier for metadata extraction and query log ingestion, as you can now have a detailed error report for both processes. The report contains a detailed error description and steps to resolve the issue. (AL-139424)
Snowflake OCF Connector: Version 2.3.3¶
Fixed Issues¶
Catalog Page Displays Incorrect Row Count for Tables¶
The catalog page displays the number of rows profiled by Alation instead of actual row count.
Now, the catalog page displays the row count based on the value set in the Max rows to Scan column under the Per-Object Parameters tab. If the row count in a table is less than the configured value in Max rows to Scan column, the actual row count is displayed. If it is more, Alation would display the row count value as 10000+, provided the Max rows to Scan is set to 10000. (AL-152558)
SSRS OCF Connector: Version 1.2.2¶
Fixed Issues¶
Metadata Extraction Fails with Errors¶
Metadata Extraction (MDE) for SSRS OCF connector fails with various errors.
Alation has improved the error handling for SSRS OCF connector to address some of the errors that appear while running MDE for SSRS data source. The connector now logs the errors causing the failures an allows the Metadata Extraction to continue. (AL-144685 & AL-146517)
April 05, 2024¶
Salesforce OCF Connector: Version 1.0.0¶
Fixed Issues¶
Unable to Connect Using OAuth¶
The Salesforce OCF connector is unable to connect using OAuth. This issue is caused due to a check being enabled for AuthType as a client. (AL-148513)
March 27, 2024¶
Azure Databricks OCF Connector: Version 2.0.6¶
Fixed Issues¶
Bulk Sampling Fails for Column Data Types timestamp_NTZ, Void, and Interval¶
For example, for Azure Databricks data source, sampling fails with the following error for column data type timestamp_NTZ:
The connector was provided with a list of columns to profile from a table, however the schema of the returned result set did not match those columns.
Now, the connector allows bulk sampling to proceed by skipping tables with timestamp_ntz, void, and interval issues. (AL-146049)
Azure Synapse Analytics OCF Connector: Version 1.2.6¶
Fixed Issues¶
QLI for Serverless Pool Works Only When Connected to Master Database¶
QLI in Azure Synapse Analytics OCF connector fails to extract queries when connected to any database other than the master database as the queries executed in Azure Synapse are logged only to the master database.
Now, when you execute serverless pool QLI, a new connection is established to the master database to extract queries.(AL-145689)
Databricks on Google Cloud OCF Connector: Version 2.0.3¶
Fixed Issues¶
Bulk Sampling Fails for Column Data Types timestamp_NTZ, Void, and Interval¶
For example, for Databricks on Google Cloud data source, sampling fails with the following error for column data type timestamp_NTZ:
The connector was provided with a list of columns to profile from a table, however the schema of the returned result set did not match those columns.
Now, connector allows bulk sampling to proceed by skipping tables with timestamp_ntz, void, and interval issues. (AL-146052)
Databricks Unity Catalog OCF Connector: Version 2.2.1¶
Fixed Issues¶
Bulk Sampling Fails for Column Data Types timestamp_NTZ, Void, and Interval¶
For example, for Databricks Unity Catalog data source, sampling fails with the following error for column data type timestamp_NTZ:
The connector was provided with a list of columns to profile from a table, however the schema of the returned result set did not match those columns.
Now, connector allows bulk sampling to proceed by skipping tables with timestamp_ntz, void, and interval issues. (AL-150864)
Google BigQuery OCF Connector: Version 1.3.2¶
Enhancements¶
Help Text Update in the Test Access and Fetch Datasets Section¶
In the new Admin User Interface for Google BigQuery OCF connector, the help text for Test access and fetch datasets step in the General Settings tab has been updated to inform that the permission checks are only performed at the Project level and at not any other resource levels. (AL-144371)
Fixed Issues¶
QLI Volume Check Displays Warning Even for Unsupported Regions During Access Check¶
The QLI volume check displays a warning message even when the User or Service Account configured in the data source configuration has all the required permissions. For example, this can happen when Google BigQuery users select non-GBQ regions from other cloud providers such as AWS or Azure.
Now, the QLI volume check skips all errors except for missing permission issues from regions supported in Google BigQuery.(AL-145878)
Properties Section of Catalog Page Fails to Display the External Table URL¶
The Properties section of the connector Catalog page doesn’t display the external table URL.
Now, the Properties section displays the external table URL. (AL-143448)
Data Sampling Results Display Incorrect Result Set for Struct Column Types¶
Data sampling displays incorrect column values in the result set on the tables.
Now, accurate result sets are displayed for Struct column types. (AL-87719)
Hive OCF Connector: Version 1.2.1¶
Enhancements¶
Library Package Log Level Update¶
The log level of the library package in the Hive OCF connector is now updated to ERROR to avoid multiple warning messages in the log file. (AL-126452)
IBM Db2 Database OCF Connector: Version 2.0.3¶
Enhancements¶
Removal of ORDER BY Clause in Default Metadata Extraction Queries¶
The ORDER BY clause has now been removed from the default Metadata extraction queries.
Processes subsequent to MDE ensure the extracted objects (Schema, Table, and Column) are mapped to the correct hierarchy. Therefore, it is redundant for the connector to fetch ordered items from the data sources. (AL-149896)
Fixed Issues¶
Metadata Extraction Fails¶
Metadata extraction fails with the following redundant error message:
MissingFormatArgumentException: Format specifier ‘%s
The connector has now modified the error handling to display appropriate error messages during MDE failure. (AL-147543)
Impala on CDP OCF Connector: Version 2.1.1¶
Fixed Issues¶
Partition Keys Missing in OCF Connector¶
The Impala CDP OCF Connector does not extract the Partition Keys.
Partition keys will now be extracted for partitioned tables in the Impala CDP OCF Connector and will be displayed under the Properties section of the Partitioned Table view in the catalog. (AL-147592)
Oracle OCF Connector: Version 1.6.2¶
Enhancements¶
Synonyms Extraction Disabled by Default¶
The Extract synonyms option is disabled by default in the Customize Extraction Scope section under the Metadata Extraction tab for new data sources added to Alation.
Additionally, when an administrator enables the Extract synonyms option in UI, a message is displayed warning users about the possible performance degradation with their MDE.
For existing data sources, the Extract Synonyms configuration set by the admin will continue to be valid. (AL-144160)
Help Text Update to Display A Warning in the Run QLI Section¶
The Run QLI section of Query Log Ingestion tab now includes a warning for users to check their daily average volume queries.(AL-146884)
March 20, 2024¶
TIBCO Data Virtualization OCF Connector: Version 1.0¶
Enhancements¶
Support for SSL Authentication¶
TIBCO Data Virtualization (TDV) OCF Connector supports SSL authentication for secure communication between Alation and TDV.
March 13, 2024¶
Key Highlights¶
Data Source Version EOL¶
The following data source versions have moved to end-of-life (EOL):
MySQL (EC2) - 5.7 (See MySQL)
MySQL (RDS) - 5.7 (See MySQL)
PostgreSQL (EC2) - 11.4 & 11.5 (See PostgreSQL)
PostgreSQL (RDS) - 11.4 & 11.5 (See PostgreSQL)
PostgreSQL (Enterprise) - 11 (See PostgreSQL)
Greenplum - 5, 6.3 & 6.9 (See VMware Greenplum)
Starburst Trino - 380-e LTS (See Starburst Version and Starbust Release Notes)
Denodo OCF Connector: Version 1.3.0¶
Enhancements¶
Docker CIS Benchmark Compliance¶
Denodo OCF connector versions 1.3.0 and newer are now compliant with the following Docker CIS benchmarks:
Docker 4.1 Ensure that a user for the container has been created
Docker 4.6 Ensure that HEALTHCHECK instructions have been added to container images
Docker 4.7 Ensure update instructions are not used alone in Dockerfiles (AL-148260)
Snowflake OCF Connector: Version 2.3.2¶
Enhancements¶
Improved Error Message for Incorrect Warehouse¶
In case of an incorrect warehouse name or inaccessible warehouse, the error message now provides cues to check the validity of the warehouse along with required user permissions. (AL-149456)
Improved Experience for Volume Check Threshold UI Message¶
As part of the QLI volume check, the following redundant message was displayed for daily average query volume less than 500K.
“Your daily average query volume <average query volume> is less than 500k.
Now, the message is displayed only when the daily average query volume exceeds the 500K threshold. (AL-141936)
Fixed Issues¶
Upload Data Fails for Column Data Type timestamp_NTZ¶
For Snowflake data source, the Upload Data action fails with the following error for the column data type timestamp_NTZ:
The uploaded data does not seem to match the selected table
Now, you must ensure that you run MDE before you try the Upload Data action again. (AL-138612)
Custom QLI Query Validation Fails If the ENDTIME Keyword Appears Before the STARTTIME¶
Including the STARTTIME and ENDTIME keywords in the Custom QLI queries is mandatory. However, the connector restricts users from using the ENDTIME keyword before the STARTTIME keyword within a custom query. This results in a validation error for the custom QLI queries that require the ENDTIME keyword to appear before the STARTTIME keyword and the user cannot save it.
Now, the connector allows the users to successfully save the custom QLI query irrespective of the STARTTIME or ENDTIME keyword order. (AL-149456)
March 06, 2024¶
Amazon Redshift OCF Connector: Version 1.8.1¶
Fixed Issues¶
Custom QLI Query Validation Fails If the ENDTIME Keyword Appears Before the STARTTIME¶
Including the STARTTIME and ENDTIME keywords in the Custom QLI queries is mandatory. However, the connector restricts users from using the ENDTIME keyword before the STARTTIME keyword within a custom query. This results in a validation error for the custom QLI queries that require the ENDTIME keyword to appear before the STARTTIME keyword, preventing users from saving such custom queries.
Now, the connector allows the users to successfully save the custom QLI query irrespective of the STARTTIME or ENDTIME keyword order.
Impala on CDH OCF Connector: Version 1.2.0¶
Enhancements¶
Docker CIS Benchmark Compliance¶
Impala CDH OCF connector versions 1.2.0 and newer are now compliant with the following Docker CIS benchmarks:
Docker 4.1 - Ensures that a user for the container is created
Docker 4.6 - Ensures that HEALTHCHECK instructions are added to container images
Docker 4.7 - Ensures that docker files do not include update instructions as a standalone or single-line instruction
Impala on CDP OCF Connector: Version 2.1.0¶
Enhancements¶
Docker CIS Benchmark Compliance¶
Impala CDP OCF connector versions 2.1.0 and newer are now compliant with the following Docker CIS benchmarks:
Docker 4.1 - Ensures that a user for the container is created
Docker 4.6 - Ensures that HEALTHCHECK instructions are added to container images
Docker 4.7 - Ensures that docker files do not include update instructions as a standalone or single-line instruction
Oracle OCF Connector: Version 1.6.1¶
Fixed Issues¶
Custom QLI Query Validation Fails If the ENDTIME Keyword Appears Before the STARTTIME¶
Including the STARTTIME and ENDTIME keywords in the Custom QLI queries is mandatory. However, the connector restricts users from using the ENDTIME keyword before the STARTTIME keyword within a custom query. This results in a validation error for the custom QLI queries that require the ENDTIME keyword to appear before the STARTTIME keyword, preventing users from saving such custom queries.
Now, the connector allows the users to successfully save the custom QLI query irrespective of the STARTTIME or ENDTIME keyword order.
Teradata OCF Connector: Version 1.2.0¶
Enhancements¶
Teradata Driver Upgrade¶
The Teradata driver for the OCF connector is upgraded to the latest version 20.00.00.16.
February 28, 2024¶
Amazon Redshift OCF Connector: Version 1.8.0¶
Enhancements¶
Docker CIS Benchmark Compliance¶
Amazon Redshift OCF connector versions 1.8.0 and newer are now compliant with the following Docker CIS benchmarks:
Docker 4.1 - Ensures that a user for the container is created
Docker 4.6 - Ensures that HEALTHCHECK instructions are added to container images
Docker 4.7 - Ensures that docker files do not include update instructions as a standalone or single-line instruction
Databricks on AWS OCF Connector: Version 2.1.10¶
Fixed Issues¶
Data Sampling Fails Due to Void Data Type¶
Bulk data sampling fails when the Databricks on AWS OCF connector encounters a column with void data type.
Now, the connector skips the column with void data type and continues with bulk data sampling and does not error out.
Note
The root cause for this issue is in the Databricks driver that the Databricks on AWS OCF connector uses. Once Databricks on AWS resolves the issue in the driver, you will start viewing the column values in profiling or sampling.
Hive OCF ConnectorL Version 1.2.0¶
Enhancements¶
Docker CIS Benchmark Compliance¶
Hive OCF connector versions 1.2.0 or newer are now compliant with the following Docker CIS benchmarks:
Docker 4.1 - Ensures that a user for the container is created
Docker 4.6 - Ensures that HEALTHCHECK instructions are added to container images
Docker 4.7 - Ensures that docker files do not include update instructions as a standalone or single-line instruction
Oracle OCF Connector: Version 1.6.0¶
Enhancements¶
Docker CIS Benchmark Compliance¶
Oracle OCF connector versions 1.6.0 and newer are now compliant with the following Docker CIS benchmarks:
Docker 4.1 - Ensures that a user for the container is created
Docker 4.6 - Ensures that HEALTHCHECK instructions are added to container images
Docker 4.7 - Ensures that docker files do not include update instructions as a standalone or single-line instruction
Snowflake OCF Connector: Version 2.3.0¶
Enhancements¶
Docker CIS Benchmark Compliance¶
Snowflake OCF connector versions 2.3.0 and newer are now compliant with the following Docker CIS benchmarks:
Docker 4.1 - Ensures that a user for the container is created
Docker 4.6 - Ensures that HEALTHCHECK instructions are added to container images
Docker 4.7 - Ensures that docker files do not include update instructions as a standalone or single-line instruction
Additional Checks for QLI¶
Snowflake OCF connector now checks the inclusion of queryString, startTime, or sessionID column in the view or custom query used for QLI. If the queryString, startTime, or sessionID column is missing, the connector displays an error message and a hint in the Job summary. This check prevents log flooding.
SQL OCF Connector: Version 1.4.0¶
Enhancements¶
Docker CIS Benchmark Compliance¶
SQL OCF connector versions 2.3.0 and newer are now compliant with the following Docker CIS benchmarks:
Docker 4.1 - Ensures that a user for the container is created
Docker 4.6 - Ensures that HEALTHCHECK instructions are added to container images
Docker 4.7 - Ensures that docker files do not include update instructions as a standalone or single-line instruction
Tableau OCF Connector: Version 1.8.0¶
Enhancements¶
Docker CIS Benchmark Compliance¶
Tableau OCF connector versions 1.8.0 and newer are now compliant with the following Docker CIS benchmarks:
Docker 4.1 - Ensures that a user for the container is created
Docker 4.6 - Ensures that HEALTHCHECK instructions are added to container images
Docker 4.7 - Ensures that docker files do not include update instructions as a standalone or single-line instruction
Teradata OCF Connector: Version 1.1.0¶
Enhancements¶
Docker CIS Benchmark Compliance¶
Teradata OCF connector versions 1.1.0 and newer are now compliant with the following Docker CIS benchmarks:
Docker 4.1 - Ensures that a user for the container is created
Docker 4.6 - Ensures that HEALTHCHECK instructions are added to container images
Docker 4.7 - Ensures that docker files do not include update instructions as a standalone or single-line instruction
Fixed Issues¶
Connector Displays Incomplete View Definition¶
The connector truncates the view definition for Views with large view_sql in the user interface. Now, the default MDE view query extracts the complete view definition. Additionally, the connector now joins the view definition split over multiple rows.
TIBCO Spotfire OCF Connector: Version 2.0¶
The TIBCO Spotfire OCF Connector version 2.0 is now available on the Alation Connector Hub.
The connector catalogs TIBCO Spotfire as a BI source within Alation on-premise and Cloud instances.
Features¶
Works with both Tibco Spotfire version 12 and 14
Catalogs Report fields and connection information for TIBCO Spotfire version 14 sources
Provides SSL support for TLS connectivity between Alation and Tibco Spotfire
Supports BI lineage between TIBCO cataloged Reports and Datasource objects
Provides report previews
For more information, see TIBCO Spotfire OCF Connector.
February 14, 2024¶
Amazon Redshift OCF Connector: Version 1.7.1¶
Fixed Issues¶
NULL Values Displayed As Zero In Compose Query Results for Cloud Service Instances¶
When you execute a query in Compose, NULL values are displayed as zero.
Amazon S3 OCF Connector: Version 3.9.0¶
Compatible Alation Version - 2023.1.6 or higher
Enhancements¶
With Alation version 2023.3.5 and Amazon S3 OCF connector version 3.9.0, Alation has introduced an enhanced user interface for configuring the Amazon S3 data source settings.
Note
The connector version is compatible with Alation versions prior to 2023.3.5. However, you will view the old user interface with Alation versions prior to 2023.3.5.
The documentation for the new Amazon S3 OCF Connector experience is available at: Amazon S3 OCF Connector.
The enhanced user interface provides the following features:
Better User Experience¶
The enhanced Amazon S3 user interface provides better navigation and multiple visual cues, making it easy to configure and manage Amazon S3 data source.
Easy to Connect¶
The Amazon S3 user interface now provides a step-by-step process to connect to your Amazon S3 data source easily and quickly.
Additional Error-Prevention Checks¶
The Amazon S3 user interface now includes added checks to avoid obvious configuration mistakes. The user interface also includes text to assist and provide cues while configuring.
Detailed Error Reports and Troubleshooting Support¶
The improved Amazon S3 user interface makes troubleshooting easier for metadata extraction and query log ingestion, as you can now have a detailed error report for both processes. The report contains a detailed error description and steps to resolve the issue.
February 07, 2024¶
Denodo OCF Connector: Version 1.2.4¶
Enhancements¶
Performance Enhancement of Sampling and Profiling¶
Alation has enhanced the performance of Sampling and Profiling queries.
DynamoDB OCF Connector: Version 1.0.0¶
The DynamoDB OCF Connector is now available on Connector Hub for public preview.
Features¶
Extracts and Catalogs database objects such as schemas, tables, views and columns.
Leverages full catalog functionality to search for and find the extracted metadata, curate the corresponding catalog pages, create documentation about the data source, and exchange information about it.
Supports high-performance Open Connector Framework (OCF) ingestion for faster extraction.
Supports following authentication methods: Basic and AWS Root Keys
For more information see Amazon DynamoDB OCF Connector
ElasticSearch: Version 1.0.0¶
` The ElasticSearch OCF Connector is now available on Connector Hub for public preview.
Features¶
Extracts and Catalogs database objects such as schemas, tables, views and columns.
Leverages full catalog functionality to search for and find the extracted metadata, curate the corresponding catalog pages, create documentation about the data source, and exchange information about it.
Supports high-performance Open Connector Framework (OCF) ingestion for faster extraction.
For more information, see ElasticSearch OCF Connector.
Salesforce OCF Connector: Version 2.0.0¶
The Salesforce OCF Connector is now GA and is available on Connector Hub.
Features¶
Support for OAuth authentication.
For more information, see Salesforce OCF Connector.
TIBCO Data Virtualization OCF Connector: Version 1.0.0¶
The TIBCO Data Virtualization (TDV) OCF Connector is now available on Connector Hub for public preview.
Features¶
Combines disparate data sources on demand providing the ability to create logical unified data views.
Extracts and catalogs TDV data source objects such as schemas, tables, and columns within Alation.
Supports cataloging of table column data and sampling.
Provides Compose functionality for cataloged data sources.
For more information, see TIBCO Data Virtualization OCF Connector.
January 31, 2024¶
Amazon Redshift OCF Connector: Version 1.7.0¶
Compatible Alation Version - 2023.1.6, 2023.3 or higher
Enhancements¶
With Alation version 2023.3.4 and higher and Amazon Redshift OCF connector version 1.7.0 and higher, Alation has introduced an enhanced user interface for configuring the Amazon Redshift data source settings.
Note
The connector version is compatible with Alation versions prior to 2023.3.4. However, you will view the old user interface with Alation versions prior to 2023.3.4.
The documentation for the new Amazon Redshift experience is available at : Amazon Redshift OCF Connector.
The enhanced user interface provides the following features:
Better User Experience¶
The enhanced Redshift user interface provides better navigation and multiple visual cues, making it easy to configure and manage Redshift data source.
Easy to Connect¶
The Redshift user interface now provides a step-by-step process to connect to your Redshift data source easily and quickly.
Additional Error-Prevention Checks¶
The Redshift user interface now includes added checks to avoid obvious configuration mistakes. The user interface also includes text to assist and provide cues while configuring.
Detailed Error Reports and Troubleshooting Support¶
The improved Redshift user interface makes troubleshooting easier for metadata extraction and query log ingestion, as you can now have a detailed error report for both processes. The report contains a detailed error description and steps to resolve the issue.
Databricks on AWS OCF Connector: Version 2.1.9¶
Enhancements¶
Databricks Driver Upgrade¶
The Databricks driver for the OCF connector is upgraded to the latest version 2.6.34.
Databricks on GCP OCF Connector: Version 2.0.2¶
Enhancements¶
Databricks Driver Upgrade¶
The Databricks driver for the OCF connector is upgraded to the latest version 2.6.34.
MicroStrategy OCF Connector: 1.1.0¶
Enhancements¶
Support for Table Level Lineage¶
From Alation version 2023.3.5 or newer, you can now view Table Level Lineage for in-memory cubes using cross system lineage API using the MicroStrategy OCF connector.
Oracle OCF Connector: Version 1.5.0¶
Compatible Alation Version - 2023.1 or higher
Enhancements¶
With Alation version 2023.3.4 and higher and Oracle OCF connector version 1.5.0 and higher, Alation has introduced an enhanced user interface for configuring the Oracle data source settings.
Note
The connector version is compatible with Alation versions prior to 2023.3.4. However, you will view the old user interface with Alation versions prior to 2023.3.4.
The documentation for the new Oracle experience is available at : Oracle OCF Connector.
The enhanced user interface provides the following features:
Better User Experience¶
The enhanced Oracle user interface provides better navigation and multiple visual cues, making it easy to configure and manage Oracle data source.
Easy to Connect¶
The Oracle user interface now provides a step-by-step process to connect to your Oracle data source easily and quickly.
Additional Error-Prevention Checks¶
The Oracle user interface now includes added checks to avoid obvious configuration mistakes. The user interface also includes text to assist and provide cues while configuring.
Detailed Error Reports and Troubleshooting Support¶
The improved Oracle user interface makes troubleshooting easier for metadata extraction and query log ingestion, as you can now have a detailed error report for both processes. The report contains a detailed error description and steps to resolve the issue.
Snowflake OCF Connector: Version 2.2.15¶
Fixed Issue¶
Alation Prevents Completion of Test Connection and Test Access and Fetch Actions Without System Views Access¶
You can now complete the Test Connection and Test Access and Fetch Schema actions on the General Settings and Metadata Extraction tabs, respectively, even when your configured service account cannot access system views but would like to use custom views instead.
In such cases, Alation now displays a warning message allowing you to proceed if you intend to use Custom MDE Queries to configure and run extraction. This functionality was blocked in connector version 2.2.13 and has now been re-introduced.
January 24, 2024¶
Azure Synapse Analytics OCF Connector: Version 1.2.5¶
Fixed Issues¶
Metadata Extraction Fails With Generic Error¶
Metadata Extraction fails with the following generic error instead of a specific error message informing the exact issue:
java.util.MissingFormatArgumentException: Format specifier ‘%s’
Google BigQuery OCF Connector: Version 1.3.0¶
Compatible Alation Version - 2023.1 or higher
Enhancements¶
With Alation version 2023.3.4 and Google BigQuery OCF connector version 1.3.0, Alation has introduced an enhanced user interface for configuring the Google BigQuery data source settings.
Note
The connector version is compatible with Alation versions prior to 2023.3.4. However, you will view the old user interface with Alation versions prior to 2023.3.4.
The documentation for the new Google BigQuery experience is available at : Google BigQuery OCF Connector
The enhanced user interface provides the following features:
Better User Experience¶
The enhanced Google BigQuery user interface provides better navigation and multiple visual cues, making it easy to configure and manage Google BigQuery data source.
Easy to Connect¶
The Google BigQuery user interface now provides a step-by-step process to connect to your Google BigQuery data source easily and quickly.
Additional Error-Prevention Checks¶
The Google BigQuery user interface now includes added checks to avoid obvious configuration mistakes. The user interface also includes text to assist and provide cues while configuring.
Detailed Error Reports and Troubleshooting Support¶
The improved Google BigQuery user interface makes troubleshooting easier for metadata extraction and query log ingestion, as you can now have a detailed error report for both processes. The report contains a detailed error description and steps to resolve the issue.
January 17, 2024¶
Add-On OCF Connector for Fivetran: Version 2.0.6¶
The Add-0n OCF Connector for Fivetran is now available on Connector Hub.
Use this connector to create cross-system lineage in Alation for cataloged sources and destination data warehouses, which are being Extracted and Loaded respectively by Fivetran.
Features¶
Better User Experience¶
This add-on utility allows extraction of metadata for Schemas, Tables and Columns as a part of existing Data Warehouse offering.
High Performance¶
This Open Connector Framework (OCF) ingestion operates with high performance to complete extraction quickly.
For more information, see Add-on OCF Connector for Fivetran
Databricks on AWS OCF Connector: Version 2.1.8¶
Fixed Issues¶
Longer Execution Time for Sampling and Profiling Queries
In AWS Databricks, row count takes longer to execute for custom Sampling queries for views with large tables.
Databricks Unity Catalog OCF Connector: Version 2.2.0¶
Compatible Alation Version - 2023.1.7 or higher
Enhancements¶
With Alation version 2023.3.4 and Databricks Unity Catalog OCF connector version 2.2.0, Alation has introduced an enhanced user interface for configuring the Databricks Unity Catalog data source settings.
Note
The connector version is compatible with Alation versions prior to 2023.3.4. However, you will view the old user interface with Alation versions prior to 2023.3.4.
The documentation for the new Databricks Unity Catalog experience is available at: Databricks Unity Catalog OCF Connector
The enhanced user interface provides the following features:
Better User Experience¶
The enhanced Databricks Unity Catalog user interface provides better navigation and multiple visual cues, making it easy to configure and manage Databricks Unity Catalog data source.
Easy to Connect¶
The Databricks Unity Catalog user interface now provides a step-by-step process to connect to your Databricks Unity Catalog data source easily and quickly.
Additional ErrorPrevention Checks¶
The Databricks Unity Catalog user interface now includes added checks to avoid obvious configuration mistakes. The user interface also includes text to assist and provide cues while configuring.
Detailed Error Reports and Troubleshooting Support¶
The improved Databricks Unity Catalog user interface makes troubleshooting easier for metadata extraction and query log ingestion, as you can now have a detailed error report for both processes. The report contains a detailed error description and steps to resolve the issue.
Hive OCF Connector: Version 1.1.5¶
Fixed Issues¶
Metadata Extraction Fails for Objects with Whitespace Characters¶
Metadata Extraction (MDE) fails when encountering a whitespace character in MDE object names.
Now, if the connector encounters a whitespace object name, it logs the object and skips cataloging the object with the whitespace character. Therefore, the Hive OCF Connector is now tolerant and helps catalog all the objects that can be cataloged without issues in Alation.
Kafka OCF Connector: Version 1.0.0¶
The Kafka OCF Connector is now available on Connector Hub.
Features¶
Extracts and Catalogs database objects such as schemas, tables and columns.
Kafka OCF connector supports multiple authentication methods like Azure MSI, Azure Service Principal, SCRAM-SHA-512, SCRAM, Kerberos and Plain.
Leverage full catalog functionality to search for and find the extracted metadata, curate the corresponding catalog pages, create documentation about the data source, and exchange information about it.
High-performance Open Connector Framework (OCF) ingestion for faster extraction.
For more information, see Kafka
January 10, 2024¶
SQL Server OCF Connector: Version 1.3.10¶
Fixed Issues¶
VIEW Columns Fail to Display the Column Length¶
VIEW columns in SQL OCF connector do not display the column length or limit along with the data type name.
Tableau OCF Connector: Version 1.7.1¶
Enhancements¶
Tableau OCF Displays SQL Queries¶
Tableau OCF connector now displays SQL queries for custom SQL-based Tableau datasources. For detail, see Tableau OCF Connector.
Fixed Issues¶
Extraction for Multiple Sites Results in Missing Metadata¶
When extracting from multiple sites, the metadata extraction results in Tableau API failures, NullPointerException, and missing metadata.
Connections to Tableau Remain Open¶
The Tableau OCF connector fails to close the connections to Tableau.
Connector Initiates Duplicate API Calls¶
The Tableau OCF connector initiates duplicate API calls to fetch metadata.
Connector Fails to Stop Upon Encountering a Fatal Error¶
When the Tableau server is under maintenance, the MDE becomes unresponsive.
Permission Mirroring Issues¶
Permission mirroring issues related to site administrator and non-administrator Tableau users are now fixed.
January 03, 2024¶
Databricks on AWS OCF Connector: Version 2.1.7¶
Fixed Issues¶
QLI Fails with Partial Success Status¶
QLI for AWS Databricks OCF connector fails with a Partial Success status and the following status message: No queries were found to ingest, making the QLI feature unusable.
MongoDB OCF Connector: Version 1.0.0¶
The MongoDB OCF Connector is now available on Connector Hub.
Features¶
The MongoDB connector supports various authentication methods including Basic, Kerberos, and LDAP.
The connector is compatible with MongoDB database version 23.0.0.8692 and Alation version 2023.3.
Supports features inclusive of Metadata Extraction (MDE), sampling and profiling.
For more information, see MongoDB.
Snowflake OCF Connector: Version 2.2.13¶
Fixed Issues¶
Compose Uses Incorrect Version of the JDBC Driver¶
Snowflake OCF connector supports the latest JDBC driver version (version 3.14.1). However, Compose is unable to use the latest version of the JDBC driver and falls back to the native version.
SQL Server OCF Connector: Version 1.3.9¶
Fixed Issues¶
QLI Jobs Display Incorrect Job Status for Errors¶
A QLI is completed with Partial Success status even when there are errors and the error message is displayed only in the connector logs.
December 27, 2023¶
Azure Databricks OCF Connector: Version 2.0.5¶
Fixed Issues¶
Azure Databricks OCF Connector Misses Processing the Last Query¶
Azure Databricks runs queries on different threads. These queries are logged into log files that are processed by the OCF connector. Howevetr, while processing, the connector misses processing the last query. This results in missing lineage from the catalog.
With this fix, the missing lineage from the last query is now generated for the Azure Databricks OCF connector.
December 20, 2023¶
Azure Databricks OCF Connector: Version 2.0.4¶
Fixed Issues¶
QLI Extraction Fails to Ingest Queries¶
QLI extraction for Azure Databricks OCF connector fails with NA_LOCATION_INFO error and does not return any query statement to ingest.
You can now successfully run the QLI extraction.
Databricks Unity Catalog OCF Connector: Version 2.1.1¶
Fixed Issues¶
QLI Execution Fails for Databricks Unity Catalog OCF Connector¶
The issue related to QLI execution for Databricks Unity Catalog data source with ANSI Mode enabled that resulted in the CAST_INVALID_INPUT error is now fixed.
SQL Server OCF Connector: Version 1.3.8¶
Fixed Issues¶
SQL Server Connection Error Soft Deletes Cataloged Objects¶
In SQL Server OCF Connector, an error in the SQL server connection caused an empty stream of data, which was treated as a successful MDE and resulted in the soft deletion of all the extracted metadata.
Alation now ensures that such configuration and connection errors result in metadata extraction failure instead of an empty data stream.
December 18, 2023¶
Snowflake OCF Connector: Version 2.2.12¶
Fixed Issues¶
Unable to Complete Test Connection and Test Access and Fetch Actions Without System Views Access¶
You can now complete the Test Connection and Test Access and Fetch Schema actions on the General Settings and Metadata Extraction tabs, respectively, even when your configured service account cannot access system views but would like to use custom views instead.
In such cases, Alation now displays a warning message allowing you to proceed if you intend to use Custom MDE Queries to configure and run extraction.
December 13, 2023¶
Add-On OCF Connector for dbt: Version 3.0.7¶
Compatible Alation Version - 2023.1 or higher
Enhancements¶
Improved User Experience¶
The enhanced Add-On OCF connector for dbt Admin user interface provides better navigation and multiple visual cues, making it easy to configure and manage dbt connector.
Important
Add-On OCF connector for dbt version 3.0.7 is supported with the Alation version 2023.1 and higher, however, the enhanced user experience is available only from the Alation version 2023.3.2.1.
Databricks on AWS OCF Connector: Version 2.1.6¶
Compatible Alation Version - 2023.1 or higher
Enhancements¶
Dynamic Profiling and Dynamic Sampling Uses Respective Database Credentials¶
Dynamic profiling and sampling for Databricks on AWS OCF connector now use the credentials the user provides for their respective databases when retrieving table samples and column profiles for specific tables and columns.
Greenplum OCF Connector: Version 1.0.7¶
Compatible Alation Version - 2022.3 (Patch version: 13.4.7) and higher
Fixed Issues¶
Popularity and Top User Calculations Differ Between OCF and Native Connectors¶
There are discrepancies in the Popularity and Top Users values displayed on catalog pages of schema, table, and column objects between the Greenplum OCF and native connectors.
Impala CDP OCF Connector: Version 2.0.1¶
Compatible Alation Version - 2022.4 or later
Fixed Issues¶
Test Connection Fails on the Impala CDP Connector¶
Test Connection is successful for Kerberos-enabled Impala CDP connector.
SAP BO OCF Connector: Version 1.2.0¶
Compatible Alation Version - 2022.4 or later
Enhancements¶
Enhancements to Performance and Memory Utilization¶
Alation has now improved the SAP BO OCF connector to reduce the MDE time and memory utilization. This enhancement addresses all the existing or potential performance issues (longer MDE runs).
SingleStore OCF Connector (MemSQL): Version 1.1.3¶
Compatible Alation Version - 2022.3 or higher
Fixed Issues¶
Data Upload Fails¶
When you try to upload data for a table, upload and table creation, fail with an error.
The SingleStore OCF connector code is now updated that fixes the issue.
Snowflake OCF Connector: Version 2.2.11¶
Compatible Alation Version - 2022.4 or higher
Enhancements¶
The allowUnderscoresInHost Parameter is Automatically Set in the JDBC URI¶
If you miss setting the allowunderscore parameter in the JDBC URI field on the General Settings tab of the Snowflake data source, the Snowflake OCF connector automatically sets the allowunderscore parameter to true (allowunderscore=true).
With this enhancement, Snowflake OCF connector supports underscores in the account names included in the Privatelink JDBC URLs.
Fixed Issues¶
Metadata Extraction Fails In the Absence of ALLOWED_VALUES Column¶
In Snowflake OCF connector version 2.2.9 and earlier, Alation introduced a new column called ALLOWED_VALUES in the Tag extraction query to extract all the available values associated with the ALLOWED_VALUES parameter from the Snowflake data source. If this column is absent in the custom query for the tag, MDE fails.
This column has now been made optional to ensure that MDE runs successfully for users who have installed the latest Snowflake OCF Connector version (2.2.9 and higher) on an earlier Alation version.
Starburst Trino OCF Connector: Version 1.3.1¶
Compatible Alation Version - 2022.4 or higher
Enhancements¶
JDBC Driver Upgrade¶
The JDBC driver for Starburst OCF connector is upgraded from trino-jdbc-380.jar to trino-jdbc-430.jar.
Support for New Starburst Enterprise Version¶
Starburst OCF connector now supports the new Starburst Enterprise version 413-e LTS.
Note
Alation will continue to support the Starburst Enterprise (Trino) version 380-e LTS (EOL version).
December 06, 2023¶
Azure Power BI Scanner OCF Connector: Version 2.1.3¶
Compatible Alation Version - 2023.3.2 or higher
Enhancements¶
Support for Plus Character (+) in Ingested SQL Queries¶
Azure Power BI Scanner OCF Connector supports a plus sign (+) in the ingested SQL queries for dataset expressions. This enables the extraction of connection information from dataset expressions with queries having ‘+’ (plus character) to generate lineage.
Fixed Issues¶
Metadata Extraction Fails for Parameters with Same Name As Table Name in Datasets¶
In Azure Power BI Scanner OCF Connector, MDE fails if a dataset expression has a parameter with the same name as the table name and value as an expression. This is because the length of the object identifier exceeds the limit set by Alation.
Google BigQuery OCF Connector: Version 1.2.3¶
Compatible Alation Version - 2022.3 (Patch version: 13.4.7) or higher
Enhancements¶
Google BigQuery Connector Uses Service Account During Sampling¶
Google BigQuery Connector now uses a service account while performing dynamic sampling with OAuth setup using the Compose tab.
Impala CDP OCF Connector: Version 2.0.0¶
Compatible Alation Version - 2022.4 or later
Enhancements¶
Support for Public Cloud CDP Distribution¶
The Impala on CDP OCF connector now supports Public Cloud CDP Distribution and earlier support for Private Cloud CDP Distribution (Base and CDW).
Support for New and Combination of Multiple Authentication Types¶
The Impala on CDP OCF connector now supports the following authentication types:
Datasource (Impala)
No Auth
Username
Username Password (LDAP)
Kerberos (Password or Keytab)
SSL over any of the above methods
Metastore (For MDE)
No Auth
Username Password
Kerberos (Password or Keytab)
HDFS (For QLI)
Username
Username Password
Kerberos (Password or Keytab)
SSL over any of the above methods
Additionally, you can use multiple combinations of these authentication types for the data source and metastore connections. For details, see Impala on CDP OCF Connector.
Change of JDBC Driver¶
The Impala on CDP OCF connector now uses the Impala JDBC driver over the Hive JDBC driver. This allows support for public cloud CDP distribution and leverages the JDBC’s request pool parameter feature.
Limitations¶
Support for Compose¶
Impala OCF Connector version 2.0.0 supports Compose only from Alation version 2023.3.3.2 or later.
Microstrategy OCF Connector: Version 1.0.2¶
Compatible Alation Version - 2023.1 or higher
Fixed Issues¶
Unable to Access the Microstrategy Server Using External Source Links on Alation¶
When navigating to the Microstrategy OCF connector from a link on a report or dashboard, the MicroStrategy Web Server displays an error if the user is not already logged in to the Microstrategy Server. Alation now allows you to configure a new optional setting (I-Server) that redirects users to the corresponding object page without an error.
Redshift OCF Connector: Version 1.6.0¶
Compatible Alation Version - 2022.4.11 or higher
Enhancements¶
JDBC Driver Upgrade¶
The custom JDBC driver for the Redshift OCF connector is upgraded to version 2.1.0.21. This upgrade addresses associated potential issues with the Redshift OCF connector. It will also help prevent problems that may arise when handling large volumes of metadata for a Redshift data source.
November 29, 2023¶
Databricks Unity Catalog OCF Connector: Version 2.1.0¶
Compatible Alation Version - 2023.1.7.1 or higher
Enhancements¶
Support for OAuth Authentication with Azure Active Directory¶
The Databricks Unity Catalog OCF connector now supports OAuth authentication for Compose, enabling you to securely access and utilize data assets within the Databricks environment.
November 22, 2023¶
Databricks on AWS OCF Connector: Version 2.1.4¶
Compatible Alation version: 2023.1 or higher
Fixed Issues¶
Query Log Ingestion Fails for AWS OCF Connector¶
The Query Log Ingestion (QLI) Preview and ingestion fails due to the Log4j library upgrade after successful datasource connection and metadata extraction.
Preview Error:
QLI Preview failed: The connector responded with the following error message: NA_LOCATION_INFO.
QLI Error:
No queries were found to Ingest.
This issue is resolved.
Azure Power BI Scanner OCF Connector: Version 2.1.0¶
Compatible Alation version: 2023.3.2 or higher
Enhancements¶
Support for Cross-System Lineage Between PowerBI and Databricks Unity Catalog, Azure SQL, and Azure Synapse¶
Alation now supports cross-system lineage between PowerBI and the following data sources:
Databricks Unity Catalog
Azure SQL
Azure Synapse
To start using this feature, perform the following:
Upgrade to Alation version 2023.3.2 or later.
Set the following flag to True using alation_conf:
alation_conf alation.resolution.DEV_bi_connector_returns_db_for_two_part_schema -s TrueInstall the latest Azure Power BI Scanner OCF Connector.
For details, see Azure Power BI Scanner OCF Connector.
PostgreSQL OCF Connector: Version 1.1.10¶
Compatible Alation version: 2023.1 or higher
Fixed Issues¶
Query Log Ingestion Fails If the Custom Query Does Not Include a transactionid Column¶
From PostgreSQL OCF Connector versions 1.1.9 and 1.1.10 onwards, QLI fails if the Custom QLI Query does not include a transactionid column.
This issue is fixed. Now, in PostgreSQL OCF Connector versions 1.1.9 and 1.1.10 or higher, QLI completes successfully even if the Custom QLI Query does not include a transactionid column. However, Alation recommends that you include the transactionid column in your query to obtain accurate durations for the query.
SAP BW OCF Connector: Version 1.2.0¶
Compatible Alation version: 2022.4 or higher
Enhancements¶
Improved Performance and Memory Utilization¶
Alation has now improved the metadata extraction logic for the SAP BW OCF connector to enhance performance and memory utilization.
This enhancement will address the existing or potential performance issues (longer MDE runs) or MDE failures due to out-of-memory errors in the Connector.
SAP ECC OCF Connector: Version 1.2.0¶
Compatible Alation version: 2022.4 or higher
Enhancements¶
Improved Performance and Memory Utilization¶
Alation has now improved the metadata extraction logic for the SAP ECC OCF connector to enhance performance and memory utilization.
This enhancement will address the existing or potential performance issues (longer MDE runs) or MDE failures due to out-of-memory errors in the Connector.
November 16, 2023¶
Snowflake OCF Connector Version 2.2.9¶
Compatible Alation version: 2022.4 or higher
Enhancements¶
With Alation version 2023.3.2.1 and Snowflake OCF connector version 2.2.9, Alation has introduced an enhanced user interface for configuring the Snowflake data source settings.
Note
The connector version is compatible with Alation versions prior to 2023.3.2.1. However, you will view the old user interface with Alation versions prior to 2023.3.2.1.
The documentation for the new Snowflake experience is available at Snowflake OCF Connector.
The enhanced user interface provides the following features:
Improved User Experience¶
The enhanced Snowflake Admin user interface provides better navigation and multiple visual cues, making it easy to configure and manage Snowflake data source.
Easy to Connect¶
The Snowflake Admin user interface now provides a step-by-step process to connect to your Snowflake data source easily and quickly.
Extra Error-Prevention Checks¶
The Snowflake Admin user interface now includes added checks to avoid obvious configuration mistakes. The user interface also includes text to assist and provide cues while configuring.
Actionable Error Messages and Detailed Error Reports¶
The Snowflake Admin user interface has made troubleshooting easier for metadata extraction and query log ingestion, as you can now have actionable error messages. We also support a detailed error report for Metadata Extraction, which contains a detailed error description and steps to resolve the issue.
November 8, 2023¶
SQL Server OCF Connector Version 1.3.7¶
Compatible Alation version: 2022.2 or higher
Fixed Issues¶
Connection Test Fails When Using SSL with NTLM Authentication¶
Fixed an issue when the connection test failed when SSL was enabled with NTLM authentication. The test resulted in the following error:
Caused by: sun.security.validator.ValidatorException: PKIX path building failed:
sun.security.provider.certpath.SunCertPathBuilderException:
unable to find valid certification path to requested target
To use SSL with NTLM, basic, or Kerberos authentication, use the following JDBC URL format:
sqlserver://<Host_Name>:<Port_Number>;encrypt=true;hostNameInCertificate=<certificate_name>;
This JDBC URI includes the following additional SSL related parameters:
encrypt=true
hostNameInCertificate=<certificate_name>
You can run the command below to verify your certificate name. In the result, check for the value after CN=. That’s the certificate name.
openssl x509 -noout -subject -in <certificate_name>.crt;
Example:
sqlserver://10.13.82.165:1433;encrypt=true;hostNameInCertificate=abc.corp.net;