SQL Server - "unable to translate alias" when I save my workflow to the gallery

JDelgado

I could not find an answer to my specific question in the existing posts... can someone tell me how to resolve this?

This is in Alteryx 11.0.

I have a workflow that uses a SQL Server data source, defined with alias name "Emcompass DW"

And in the Gallery I have created a data connection with the same name:

And I shared it to myself.

But when I try to upload my workflow to the gallery, I get the "unable to translate alias" error:

Error Message

Database Connection

Alias Manager

Accepted answers

KaneG

Hi @JDelgado,

The 2 Alias' that you are talking about are different. This is a slight bit of confusion as we added in extra functionality to allow connections to be managed from the Gallery. I'll try to separate the 2 different methods to explain (Sorry about the length if you just want the answer):

The first is the method that has always been in the software (at least for several years) and is documented in the above linked post on Creating an Alias. This involves creating an Alias on your machine and then also creating one through 'Options > Advanced Options > Manage Data Connections' (be careful to make sure that it's a system connection on the server or that it's set as the user that the Server runs as). The way this will work is say if you have an Alias called Teradata, on your machine it may point to a development instance of your Teradata server, but on the Server, it may point to the Production instance of Teradata. But all the workflow stores is 'aka:Teradata'.
The 2nd method is setting up Data Connections in Gallery. this was introduced about 1-2 years ago and allows you to set a data connection in the Gallery, and then that is exposed to end users via the 'Input Tool > Saved Data Connections > {Gallery Name} > {Connection Name}' as in the image below. This is extra functionality (not a replacement of functionality) that was added to allow admins to manage connections for many users from the gallery.

Gallery Data Connections.png

These 2 methods are not interchangeable for one main reason. As you can see in my screenshot there, I have 2 Galleries that I connect to, I just cleaned it up from 6. So, If I had an Alias called 'Teradata' in 2 of those galleries (remember they don't know about each other) then Alteryx wouldn't know which one to use. Hence, in the underlying workflow, that connection is stored as 'aka:593f76fe596b370bb0aabea8' using a unique Id for each alias rather than the short viewable name.

Extra info: So if you are trying to promote workflows from a Dev Server to Prod Server using Alias', then you need to use Option 1.

So, with your issue here, you can either:

Set up the workflow to use a Saved Data Connection through the input tool and link the Gallery Connection, or
Set up a Data Connection through Manage Data Connections on the Server that is the same name as the one in your workflow.

Please let me know if this is still confusing.

Kane

All comments

BenMoss

Remember when working with Alteryx server, applications and workflows are not ran with your credentials but instead the Alteryx server run as user, so it’s this account that needs to have visibility to the alias and connection.

Ben

JDelgado

Sorry, I don't fully understand your reply.

To add more context, the same workflow also uses an Oracle alias which had the same issue at first when I saved it to the gallery.

I checked the existing data connections and found one in the list that matched the server\database my locally created alias was using, so I changed my workflow to use that already existing data connection. This resolved the "unable to translate alias" issue for the Oracle alias.

Even though my SQL Server data connection has been shared with my user id, I think your reply is saying that I need to share it with the Alteryx user account ("...but instead the Alteryx server run as user") - is my understanding correct?

FYI, the Oracle alias that works in my workflow is only shared with one person: another user\employee.

Can you provide some additional clarification?

Thanks

BenMoss

Unfortunately I was just hoping to give you some direction, i'm definitely no expert with this subject though i'm slowly getting more exposure to it.

I'll point you at a few posts that may clear things up for you:

https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Connect-Gallery/Unable-to-Translate-Alias-when-Publishing-App/td-p/64681

https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Knowledge-Base/Database-Connections-Creating-an-alias-and-the-advantages-of/ta-p/15836

If you don't get more traction with your community post i'd suggest pushing it to Alteryx's more formal support channel: support@alteryx.com

Ben

JDelgado

Will do. Thanks!

KaneG

Hi @JDelgado,

The first is the method that has always been in the software (at least for several years) and is documented in the above linked post on Creating an Alias. This involves creating an Alias on your machine and then also creating one through 'Options > Advanced Options > Manage Data Connections' (be careful to make sure that it's a system connection on the server or that it's set as the user that the Server runs as). The way this will work is say if you have an Alias called Teradata, on your machine it may point to a development instance of your Teradata server, but on the Server, it may point to the Production instance of Teradata. But all the workflow stores is 'aka:Teradata'.
The 2nd method is setting up Data Connections in Gallery. this was introduced about 1-2 years ago and allows you to set a data connection in the Gallery, and then that is exposed to end users via the 'Input Tool > Saved Data Connections > {Gallery Name} > {Connection Name}' as in the image below. This is extra functionality (not a replacement of functionality) that was added to allow admins to manage connections for many users from the gallery.

Gallery Data Connections.png

Extra info: So if you are trying to promote workflows from a Dev Server to Prod Server using Alias', then you need to use Option 1.

So, with your issue here, you can either:

Set up the workflow to use a Saved Data Connection through the input tool and link the Gallery Connection, or
Set up a Data Connection through Manage Data Connections on the Server that is the same name as the one in your workflow.

Please let me know if this is still confusing.

Kane

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