OBIEE Integration with Salesforce.com – Part 1 Setting Up SFDC

In order for OBIEE to connect with Salesforce.com, you will need to have an ODBC driver as well as SFDC setup correctly. In this post, I will go through the required setup for Salesforce.com There are 2 main areas you will need to cover in SFDC before we begin setting up ODBC driver.

1. Option 1: Using Security Token
   • Permission Set – API Enabled
   • Assign Permission to Users
   • Security Token Reset
2. Option 2: Using Trusted IP
   • Network Access
   • Trusted IP Ranges

With Option 1, you will not need to trust any particular IP addresses. However, when ODBC connects, connection will require username, password as well as the security token generated by SFDC. This may not be accepted by the end user as they will need to enter a security token every time. It may sound secure, but I’m pretty sure the end user will keep the password and security token in a notepad and just copy and paste everytime they log in. No so safe after all. Using Option 2, the machine hosting OBIEE can be trusted using Trusted IP Range. This way, security token is not needed. Hoping that you have already filled in the poll from the Introduction post and excited to get started. If you haven’t already filled in, you can do it here too.

I will walk through both options and you can decide which one is really needed. Personally, I would go for Option 2 Trusted IP and would make life a lot simpler.

Option 1: Using Security Token

Permission Set – API Enabled

You will need to create a Permission Set with API Enabled checked. To do this, you will need to go to Setup -> Manage Users -> Permission Sets Click New to create a new permission set. I named it APIPerm. Then click System Permissions and Edit. Check API Enabled then save.

Assigning Permission Set

Continuing from above, go to Manager Users -> Users Select the user for this permission. Scroll down until you see Permission Set Assignments and add the Permission Set you have just created for him/her.

Security Token Reset

Security Token is emailed to the user. So if the security token is lost or to be safe, you like to receive a new one, you can always reset the security token. Go to My Settings Click Reset Security Token under Personal. Click Reset Security Token.   You will receive your security token through your email. A sample of the email is below. If your password is “mypassword” and your security token is “XXXX” you must enter “mypasswordXXXX” in place of your password. Keep good hold of your security token as we will use this in Part 2.

Option 2: Using Trusted IP

Getting Hold of OBIEE Server IP Address

You will need to know OBIEE Server IP Address. Hopefully it’s a static address. Go to http://whatismyip.com/. This website will give you the IP address of the computer that you are using at that moment. So make sure you are using the server to connect to the website.

Adding Trusted IP Range to SFDC

1. Follow the click path of: Setup -> Admin Setup -> Security Controls -> Network Access.
   • Click on the New button.
   • Enter a valid IP address in the Start IP Address field and the same or a higher IP address in the End IP Address field.
   • The start and end addresses define the range of allowable IP addresses from which users can log in. If you want to allow logins from a single IP address, enter the same address in both fields.
2. Enter a description and Click on the Save button.

Your SFDC setup is now ready for connecting from an ODBC driver which will be my next post.

OBIEE Integration with Salesforce.com

1. Part 1 Setting Up SFDC
2. Part 2 Setting Up ODBC Driver
3. Part 3 Creating Your First Answers (Analysis) Report
4. Part 4 Embed OBIEE to SFDC