General Info:
- Lightning connect give
you capability to connect Salesforce with external sources / database / legacy
System (SAP, Oracle etc.) with point and clicks.
- Access the external
source data at real time without actually saving the external data in
Salesforce.
- OData API service
allows Lightning Connect to access data within third-party enterprise endpoints
and applications, like SAP via OData, in real time and display the data
virtually via the new External Objects.
Cost:
- Free in Developer
Environment.
- Salesforce1 Lightning Connect is priced per data source and monthly subscription pricing starts at $4,000 per month.
Implementation Steps:
Connect via OData v2.0
In below example, we
used Odata v2 service.
Step
#1 Click on: Setup → Develop → External
Data Source
Step
# 2 Click on →
New External Data Source Button
Step # 3 Specify the external source access URL
and type of Connectivity.
NOTE: Server URL will be your
external System URL.
Step # 4 Click on: Validate and Sync button
If successfully synced, it will return
all tables of the external Data base.
Here
it returns following tables -
Select the tables that want to sync
with Salesforce. These tables will work as external Object for Salesforce.
Step
# 5 After selected tables, click on Sync
button.
After click on Sync button, Employees
Table will be available as External object.
Step # 6 Access External Object:
Setup → Develop
→ External Objects → “Employees”
We can use this external object as
like Salesforce objects. Create the fields / tabs / layouts and set the access
permissions.
These objects have some
limitations, please review the below link for consideration of External objects
–
https://help.salesforce.com/apex/HTViewHelpDoc?id=platform_connect_considerations.htm&language=en_US
Considerations -
https://help.salesforce.com/apex/HTViewHelpDoc?id=platform_connect_considerations.htm&language=en_US
Snapshots -
 |
External Object Tab & Real time data.
 |
Lookup with External object |
 |
Detail Page, access all values of External database table |
