The document discusses accessing data out of Salesforce as if it were in an oData source without copying the data or using code. It describes how in 2007, Microsoft's Astoria project enabled exposing data as an oData service that can be consumed by web clients. It then explains that Salesforce introduced Lightning Connect in 2014 to allow accessing external oData sources through point and click configuration of external objects without code. A demo shows connecting to an HR database in AWS through oData and relating external objects to standard objects.

1. Access your data out of Salesforce
as if it was in using oData
Esteve Graells
Software Architect
esteve.graells@gmail.com
(forcegraells.com) @forcegraells

2. Who is who is this story?
Business You Guidance Salesforce

3. Challenge
It’s vital to our business to
access a set of data ,in
another system.
You need to do it this week,
and with no code, and you
can’t copy the data.
I know you can’t do it.

4. Hope
Harry, do not panic.
I remember a group of
outlaws did something
amazing, some years ago,
in a weird place.

5. …back in 2007
2007
Jordi Graells was Born
Microsoft SQL Server Team
initiates Project Astoria
Harry Potter and the Order of the
Phoenix was the year’s top movie

6. Microsoft Astoria Project
Translation for humans:
SQL for the
Web
https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/odatateam/2007/07/18/welcome/
The goal of the Astoria
project is to enable
applications to expose
data as a data service
that can be consumed by
web clients.

7. Demo
Venerable Microsoft
Northwind Database
DIY : my Postman Collection is shared here - https://www.getpostman.com/collections/993c37d4aa583270bbf8
Interested on learning oData: http://docs.oasis-open.org/odata/odata/v4.0/odata-v4.0-part2-url-conventions.html

8. Demo (connectors)
My Contacts and
Tasks on gMail
Database on
Amazon WS
What if my source can’t be offered natively as an oData service?

9. Salesforce Lightning Connect
2014
oData 4.0 standardized by OASIS.
SAP, Microsoft, Salesforce and other Big Players
are using it extensively
Salesforce introduces Lightning Connect
Interstellar was the year’s top movie,
space travelling at light speed

10. What is Salesforce Connect? (formerly Lightning Connect)
• External Data Sources
• External Objects
• Link External objects with
Standard/Custom objects
• Reporting, List Views, Tabs, etc.
You’re done :no code, and pretty
fast to set up

11. Demo Real Scenario
oData via
Salesforce Connect
Whatever
don’t care & don’t mind
HR Database
in AWS
Training
App
oData
Connector

12. Demo Real Scenario
Internal Lookup
External object to Custom/Standard
External Lookup
Custom/Standard object to an External
Teachers
Custom Object
Attendees
Custom Object
employees
External Object
courses
External Object
Attendees links to 2 external
objects employee and course
Courses links to Teachers

13. ❖ Needs an oData Source (abstraction)
❖ Point & Click
❖ Features depends on oData connectors
capabilities (some limitations apply)
❖ Data Access oriented, no business
process oriented
❖ Opex
❖ Reusable (somehow)
❖ Limits (100 external objects/org, 10,000
OData queries/hour – High Volume option
- higher on request, 8MB response size)
❖ API Services developing + infrastructure
❖ Development (devops, managers, meetings, arghh!!!)
❖ Develop crazy, out of this world biz
requirements possible
❖ Business Data Services oriented,
completely versatile
❖ Opex and Capex
❖ Reusable (somehow)
❖ Software Project Limits (the ones you
already know and easy to increment)
oData versus API Services
Different approaches with distinct results

14. ❖ Source data can’t be copied (regulations) or is not convenient (Huge
volumes)
❖ A platform object is required (Reporting, Listing, relationships, etc.)
❖ Need fast implementation (no time for API Development), No code and
minimize software maintenance
❖ Access Heterogeneous source data (remember my google contacts – needs
capable connector )
❖ Accessing to systems already offering oData Endpoints (i.e. SAP)
❖ New approaches like using External Objects for Big Data accessing an
OnPremise Hadoop from Salesforce (https://www.slideshare.net/SumitSarkar10/salesforce-external-objects-for-big-data)
Common Use Cases for Salesforce Connect

15. From Wizard to Jedi Master
Forget about Connectors and create your Own
Integrate with anything - well, anything that we can get to
from Salesforce by using HTTP callouts
(good coding required)
Apex
Connector
Framework

16. Q & A
Esteve Graells
Software Architect
esteve.graells@gmail.com
(forcegraells.com) @forcegraells

17. Thank You
Remember to tell us what you think in the event survey
www.LondonsCalling.net/survey/
Esteve Graells
Software Architect
esteve.graells@gmail.com
@forcegraells - (forcegraells.com)
DATA