Edit and Search External Impala Objects in Salesforce Connect

CData Connect Cloud, enables you to access Impala data from cloud-based applications like the Salesforce console and mobile applications like the Salesforce Mobile App. In this article, you will use CData Connect Cloud and Salesforce Connect to access external Impala objects alongside standard Salesforce objects.

Connect to Impala from Salesforce

To work with live Impala data in Salesforce Connect, we need to connect to Impala from Connect Cloud, provide user access to the connection, and create a Workspace for the Impala data.

Connect to Impala from Connect Cloud

CData Connect Cloud uses a straightforward, point-and-click interface to connect to data sources.

1. Log into Connect Cloud, click Sources, and then click Add Connection

2. Select "Impala" from the Add Connection panel

3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to Impala.

   In order to connect to Apache Impala, set the Server, Port, and ProtocolVersion. You may optionally specify a default Database. To connect using alternative methods, such as NOSASL, LDAP, or Kerberos, refer to the online Help documentation.

   
4. Click Create & Test
5. Navigate to the Permissions tab in the Add Impala Connection page and update the User-based permissions.

Add a Personal Access Token

When connecting to Connect Cloud through the REST API, the OData API, or the Virtual SQL Server, a Personal Access Token (PAT) is used to authenticate the connection to Connect Cloud. It is best practice to create a separate PAT for each service to maintain granularity of access.

1. Click on the Gear icon () at the top right of the Connect Cloud app to open the settings page.
2. On the Settings page, go to the Access Tokens section and click Create PAT.
3. Give the PAT a name and click Create.
4. The personal access token is only visible at creation, so be sure to copy it and store it securely for future use.

Configure Impala Endpoints for Salesforce Connect

After connecting to Impala, create a workspace for your desired table(s).

1. Navigate to the Workspaces page and click Add to create a new Workspace (or select an existing workspace).
2. Click Add to add new assets to the Workspace.
3. Select the Impala connection (e.g. ApacheImpala1) and click Next.
4. Select the table(s) you wish to work with and click Confirm.
5. Make note of the OData Service URL for your workspace, e.g. https://cloud.cdata.com/api/odata/{workspace_name}

With the connection, PAT, and Workspace configured, you are ready to connect to Impala data from Salesforce Connect.

Connect to Impala Data as an External Data Sources

Follow the steps below to connect to the feed produced by Connect Cloud.

1. Log into Salesforce and click Setup -> Integrations -> External Data Sources.
2. Click Now External Data Sources.
3. Enter values for the following properties:
   • External Data Sources: Enter a label to be used in list views and reports.
   • Name: Enter a unique identifier.
   • Type: Select the option "Salesforce Connect: OData 4.0".
   • URL: Enter the URL to the OData endpoint of Connect Cloud: https://cloud.cdata.com/api/odata/{workspace_name}
4. Select the Writable External Objects option.
5. Select JSON in the Format menu.
6. In the Authentication section, set the following properties:
   • Identity Type: If all members of your organization will use the same credentials to access Connect Cloud, select "Named Principal". If the members of your organization will connect with their own credentials, select "Per User".
   • Authentication Protocol: Select Password Authentication to use basic authentication.
   • Certificate: Enter or browse to the certificate to be used to encrypt and authenticate communications from Salesforce to your server.
   • Username: Enter a CData Connect Cloud username (e.g. [email protected]).
   • Password: Enter the user's PAT.

Synchronize Impala Objects

After you have created the external data source, follow the steps below to create Impala external objects that reflect any changes in the data source. You will synchronize the definitions for the Impala external objects with the definitions for Impala tables.

1. Click the link for the external data source you created.
2. Click Validate and Scan.
3. Select the Impala tables you want to work with as external objects.

Access Impala Data as Salesforce Objects

After adding Impala data as an external data source and syncing Impala tables as external objects, you can use the external Impala objects just as you would standard Salesforce objects.

• Create a new tab with a filter list view:

  

• Create reports of external objects:

  

• Create, update, and delete Impala objects from the Salesforce dashboard:

  

Simplified Access to Impala Data from Cloud Applications

At this point, you have a direct, cloud-to-cloud connection to live Impala data from Salesforce. For more information on gaining simplified access to data from more than 100 SaaS, Big Data, and NoSQL sources in cloud applications like Salesforce, refer to our Connect Cloud page.