Teradata OCF Connector: Overview

The OCF connector for Teradata 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.

To download the Teradata OCF connector package, go to the Alation Connector Hub available from the Customer Portal. Go to Customer Portal > Connectors > Alation Connector Hub. Only Alation users with access to the Customer Portal can access the Alation Connector Hub. If you don’t have access to the Customer Portal, contact Alation Support.

This connector should be used to catalog Teradata as a data source on Alation on-premise and Alation Cloud Service instances. It extracts and catalogs such database objects as tables, columns, views, primary keys, foreign keys, functions, and function definitions. 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.

Team

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

  • Alation Administrator:

    • Install the connector.

    • Creates and configures a Teradata data source in the catalog.

  • Teradata Administrator:

    • Creates a service account for Alation.

    • Provides the JDBC URI to access metadata.

    • Provides access to schemas to extract metadata.

Scope

The table below shows which metadata objects are extracted by this connector and which operations are supported.

Feature

Scope

Availability

Authentication

Basic authentication

Authentication with a service account that uses a username and password

Yes

LDAP

Authentication with the LDAP protocol

Yes

Kerberos

Authentication with Kerberos

Yes

Keytab

Authentication with Keytab

Yes

SSL

SSL Authentication

No

Metadata Extraction (MDE)

Default MDE

Extraction of metadata based on default extraction queries in the connector code

Yes

Custom query-based MDE

Extraction of metadata based on extraction queries provided by user

Yes

Extracted metadata objects

Schemas

List of schemas

Yes

Tables

List of tables

Yes

Columns

List of columns

Yes

Column comments

Column comments

Yes

Column data types

Column data types

Note:

  • Data types for table columns are extracted

  • Data types for view columns are extracted with limitations. They are not extracted if the data definition language (DDL) for a view contains aliases and if more than two tables have identical column names in the JOINs of the view DDL

Yes

Views

List of views

Yes

Source comments

Source comments

Yes

Primary keys

Primary key information for extracted tables

Yes

Foreign keys

Foreign key information for extracted tables

Yes

Functions

Extract function metadata

Yes

Function definitions

Extract function definition metadata

Yes

Sampling and Profiling

Table sampling

Extracts data samples from all extracted tables

Yes

Column sampling

Extracts data samples from all extracted columns

Yes

Deep column profiling

On-demand profiling of specific columns with the calculation of value distribution stats

Yes

Dynamic profiling

On-demand table and column profiling by individual users who use their own database accounts to retrieve the profiles

Yes

Custom query-based table sampling

Ability to use custom queries for sampling specific tables

Yes

Custom query-based column sampling

Ability to use custom queries for profiling specific columns

Yes

Query Log Ingestion (QLI)

Table-based QLI

Ingestion of query history based on a table that contains query history data

Yes

Query-based QLI

Ingestion of query history based on a custom query history extraction query

Yes

JOINs and filters

Calculation of JOIN and filter information based on ingested query history

Yes

Predicates

Ability to parse predicates in ingested queries

Yes

Lineage

Automatic lineage generation

Auto-calculation of lineage based on query history ingested from QLI, MDE, and Compose queries

Yes

Compose

Customer-managed (on-premise) instances

Compose on on-premise Alation instances

Yes

Alation Cloud Service instances

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

Compose via Agent is supported is supported from connector version 1.0.3.3194.

Yes

Compose authentication

Authentication in Compose with username and password

Yes

OAuth in Compose

Authentication in Compose with OAuth credentials

No