Integrate at Lightning Speed withSalesforce Connect!

Phoenix Developer User GroupFebruary 15, 2017

Adam OlshanskySalesforce Developer at YouTube,Salesforce MVP, 13X Certified@adam17amoAdamToArchitect.com

Overview

● Salesforce Connect empowers Admins to Integrate

● Setup and Demo

● Considerations & Road Map

Salesforce Connect empowers Admins

Common Integration Problems

● Duplicated / Inconsistent data

● Storage Issues

● Connectivity breaking

● Too intimidating – scope/budget/developers

● …No more!

Have you seen these?

The Point:

Allows anyone to integrate Salesforce with other systems…

without a line of code!!!

What is Salesforce Connect?

● Add-on integration feature

● Declarative integration

● Gives users access to external data

○ Real-time Access

○ CRUD permissions to records in external

data sources

○ No copy/paste or double entry

● Allows external databases to be accessed

via Mobile devices

How does it work?Data Synchronization vs. Data Virtualization

How does it work?Architecture

How does it work?

● Uses industry standard Open Data (OData) 2.0 or 4.0 protocol

● SAP, Microsoft SQL Server, Azure, IBM Websphere, Heroku Connect

● Dell Boomi, Informatica, Jitterbit, MuleSoft, Progressive

Communication

External Objects vs. Custom Objects

● __c vs. __x

● Tabs

● List views

● Record detail pages

● Chatter feeds

● Search

● Authentication

● API Access

● SOQL and SOSL

● Visualforce

Security Considerations

● Authentication Options

○ Named Principal

○ Per user (based on source)

● Record Level Security based on source

○ Salesforce sharing rules unavailable

● Still need to grant users object- and field-level access to the

Salesforce External Objects

Setup and Demo

Setup and Demo

● Setup

● External Data Sources

● New External Data Source

● Choose Your Label

● Choose Connection Type

● Enter URL

● Check box for External Objects

● Configure Authentication

What You Just Saw

● Created a successful connection

● Added 2 external objects

● Displayed and manipulated external data in Salesforce in real time

● Created and modified data in an external system FROM Salesforce

● Created a report on the external data

● No code required!

New Lookup Options

External Lookup

● Links any Salesforce object to an external object

● Field on a Salesforce object corresponds to external ID field (not standard ID field) on an external object

Indirect Lookup

● Links an external object to any Salesforce object

● Field on an external object corresponds to external ID field (not standard ID field) on a Salesforce object

DEMO #2!

What You Just Saw

● Linked Payments external object to external Customers object via External Lookup

Relationship

● Linked external Customers object to standard Account object via Indirect Lookup Relationship

○ External ID field on Account needed first (Store ID)

● Was able to edit page layouts like any normal object

● Minimal difference between objects not in Salesforce and normal custom objects

● No code required!

Considerations

Software Integrations: Dollars and Sense

● Integrations are expensive for a reason

● Generally extra costs associated with building on multiple devices

○ No extra cost for Salesforce1 with Salesforce Connect

● Costs for development, maintenance, updates

○ Salesforce Connect is developed and maintained by Salesforce!

○ Managed by admin

○ CLICKS, NOT CODE

Software Integrations: Dollars and Sense

● Salesforce Connect is a paid add-on feature

○ Talk to your Account Executive for more information

Use Cases

Extending the Capabilities

Custom Adapters● For connections other than OData

● Open to sources other than OData

● Source needs an API

● Developers can program custom adapters

● Apex Connector Framework

● Admins manage the connection

Salesforce Cross-Org Adapter● Connect to another Salesforce org

● Data virtualization

○ Salesforce to Salesforce is a classic sync,

data sharing

Limitations (for now)

● 200 external object limit

● Approval processes

● Validation rules

● Workflow rules

● Record types

● Triggers

● Formula fields

● Picklists

Summary

Summary

● Allows Admins to fully set up real-time integrations to other systems

● Access external data on any device for no additional cost

● CRUD functionality on external data

● No code required

Awesome! How do I get started???

● Do the Trailhead modules on Salesforce Connect!

● Do a Proof of Concept for your Decision Makers

○ Connect a Developer Org to one of your business end points

● Join the Official Success Group on the Success Community to learn more

○ bit.ly/sfconnectchatter (SF Connect Chatter)

Thank Y u