SQL Server Connector: Overview

Overview

The OCF connector for SQL Server was developed by Alation and is available as a Zip file that can be uploaded and installed in the Alation application. The connector is compiled together with the required database driver, so no additional effort is needed to procure and install the driver.

Create a ticket with Alation Support about receiving the SQL Server connector package.

This connector should be used to catalog SQL Server and/or Azure SQL Managed Instance as a data source in Alation. The connector catalogs SQL Server objects such as tables, columns, views, primary keys, foreign keys, functions, and function definitions. It enables end-users to search and find SQL Server objects from the Alation user interface.

Team

The following administrators are required to install this connector:

  • Alation administrator

    • Installs the connector

    • Creates and configures the SQL Server data source in the catalog.

  • SQL Server administrator

    • Creates a service account for Alation

    • Provides the JDBC URI to access metadata

    • Provides access to schemas to extract metadata

    • Assists in configuring query log ingestion (QLI).

Scope

The table below shows what features are covered by the connector. For version support information, refer to Support Matrix.

Version Support

SQL Server (EC2)

SQL Server (RDS)

SQL Server on Azure VM

Azure SQL Managed Instance

Authentication

Basic (username and password)

✔

✔

✔

✔

Kerberos

✔

ㄨ

ㄨ

ㄨ

SSL

✔

✔

ㄨ

ㄨ

NTLM

✔

ㄨ

ㄨ

ㄨ

Metadata Extraction (MDE)

Default MDE

✔

✔

✔

✔

Query-based MDE MDE

✔

✔

✔

✔

Extracted metadata objects

Schemas

✔

✔

✔

✔

Tables

✔

✔

✔

✔

Views

✔

✔

✔

✔

Columns

✔

✔

✔

✔

Primary keys

✔

✔

✔

✔

Foreign keys

✔

✔

✔

✔

Functions

✔

✔

✔

✔

Function Definitions

✔

✔

✔

✔

Synonyms

✔

✔

✔

✔

Source comments

ㄨ

ㄨ

ㄨ

ㄨ

Sampling and profiling

Table sampling

✔

✔

✔

✔

Query-based table sampling

✔

✔

✔

✔

Query-based column profiling

✔

✔

✔

✔

Dynamic profiling

✔

✔

✔

✔

Query Log Ingestion

Table-based QLI

✔

ㄨ

✔

✔

Query-based QLI

✔

ㄨ

✔

✔

JOINs and filters

✔

ㄨ

✔

✔

Predicates

✔

ㄨ

✔

✔

Lineage

Auto-lineage

✔

✔*

✔

✔

Column-level lineage

✔

✔*

✔

✔

Compose

On-prem Alation

✔

✔

✔

✔

Alation Cloud Service

✔**

✔**

✔

✔

Basic authentication in Compose

✔

✔

✔

✔

SSO authentication in Compose

ㄨ

ㄨ

ㄨ

ㄨ

* — Lineage uses query logs from Compose.

** — Compose for data sources connected through Alation Agent is supported from connector version 1.1.6.