Overview

Available from Alation version 2023.3

Overview

The OCF connector for Salesforce was developed by Alation and is available as a Zip file. You can upload and install the Zip file in the Alation application.

The latest Salesforce OCF connector package can be downloaded from the Connector Hub on the Alation Customer Portal. Ask an Alation admin with access to the Customer Portal to download the connector from the Connectors section (Customer Portal > Connectors). The connector is compiled together with the required database driver, therefore, you don’t have to procure and install the driver separately.

This connector should be used to catalog Salesforce as a data source on Alation on-premise and Cloud Service instances.

Alation supports objects from Salesforce Sales Cloud and few from Salesforce Service Cloud. It extracts and catalogs database objects such as schemas, tables, views, columns, column data types, primary keys, and foreign keys. After the metadata is extracted, it is represented in the data catalog as a hierarchy of catalog pages under the parent data source. Alation users can leverage the 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.

Note

For more information on the list of Alation supported Salesforce Sales Cloud objects, see Supported Objects.

Team

You may need the assistance of your database administrator to configure this data source.

  • Salesforce administrator:

    • Creates a service account for Alation.

    • Provides the connection information and the JDBC URI.

    • Provides the authentication information and assists in configuring OAuth authentication.

  • Alation Server Admin:

    • Ensures that Alation Connector Manager is installed and running or installs it.

    • Install the connector.

    • Creates and configures the Salesforce data source in the catalog.

    • Performs initial extraction and prepares the data source for Alation users.

Scope

The table below lists the features supported by the connector.

Feature

Scope

Availability

Authentication

Basic (username and password)

Authentication with a service account created on the database using username and password

SSL

Connection over the TLS protocol

LDAP

Authentication with the LDAP protocol

OAuth

Authentication with the OAuth 2.0 protocol

SSO

Authentication using an SSO flow through an IdP application

Metadata extraction (MDE)

Default MDE

Extraction of metadata on the JDBC driver methods in the connector code

Query-based MDE

Extraction of metadata based on custom extraction queries provided by a user

Popularity

Indicator of the popularity (intensity of use) of a data object, such as a table or a column

Extracted metadata objects

Data Source

Data source object in Alation that is parent to the extracted metadata

Schemas

List of schemas

Tables

List of tables

Columns

List of columns

Column data types

Column data types

Views

List of views

Source comments

Source comments

Primary keys

Primary key information for extracted tables

Foreign keys

Foreign key information for extracted tables

Functions

Extraction of function metadata

Function Definitions

Extraction of function definition metadata

Sampling and Profiling

Table sampling

Retrieval of data samples from extracted tables

Column sampling

Retrieval of data samples from extracted columns

Custom query-based table sampling

Ability to use custom queries for sampling specific tables

Custom query-based column sampling

Ability to use custom queries for profiling specific columns

Deep column profiling

Profiling of columns with the calculation of value distribution stats

Dynamic profiling

Ability for individual users to connect with their own database accounts to retrieve table and column samples and profiles

Compose

On-prem Alation instances

Compose on on-premise instances specific columns

Alation Cloud Service instances

Depending on your network configuration, you may be using Alation Agent to connect to your data source.

Basic authentication in Compose

Authentication in Compose with username and password