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API Release Notes

See Finding Your Alation Version for help determining which version of Alation you're using.

2024.1.3 API Release Notes

New

Folder API

We've added a new Folders API for creating, retrieving, updating, and deleting folder object types. You must enable the Document Hubs feature to use this API. (AL-152751)

Updated

Custom Field Values API

The Custom Field Values API now supports the folder and glossary object type, glossary_v3. (AL-155886)

πŸ“˜

Folders vs. Glossaries

Document Hubs extend and build on the existing functionality for Glossaries and Terms. When you enable Document Hubs, the Glossary Hub is already considered a document hub, glossaries are considered to be folders, and terms are considered to be documents.

With the Document Hubs feature enabled, the glossary_v3 object type can refer to both glossary and folder objects, and the glossary_term object type can refer to both term and document objects.

Search API

The Search API now supports the folder and glossary object type, glossary_v3, and the document and term object type, glossary_term. See the note above about Folders vs. Glossaries. (AL-155886)

Data Dictionary API

The Data Dictionary API's Upload a data dictionary endpoint now has a parameter that controls the behavior of blank values in the data dictionary. You can ignore blank values or cause them to reset the value of the field in the catalog. This also fixes a known issue in which blank values were resetting values rather than being ignored by default. (AL-156670)

Documents API

The Documents API now has dedicated throttling settings you can use to set the rate limit for API calls. See Throttling for more information. (AL-151897)

Fixed

Documents API

  • We fixed the documentation for the Create documents method to indicate that the document_hub_id parameter is required. (AL-149027)

Documents API and Terms API

  • We updated the sample response for the GET method to be more accurate. The sample response is now an array of documents, and the otype and is_public items have been removed, as they are not returned when getting documents. (AL-149027)
  • The description of the search parameter has been updated to indicate that it searches all textual fields on documents and terms, not just the title field. (AL-149027)

Deprecation Notices

NoSQL API v1

Version 1 of the NoSQL API will be deprecated in release 2024.3.2 in early November 2024. Start using the newer NoSQL API v2 as soon as possible.

Upload Logical Metadata (ULM) API

The ULM API will be deprecated in release 2024.3.1 in early October.

If you are using the ULM API, we recommend you move as soon as possible to using the newer, more performant Custom Field Values Async API or one of the other alternatives for your use case as shown below.

Object TypeFieldsAlternative API
ArticleTitle and bodyArticles API
ArticleCustom field valuesSee What about articles? below.
Data source (OCF) objectTitle and descriptionData Sources API (OCF)
Data source (native) objectTitle and descriptionData Sources API
DocumentTitle, description, and
custom field values
Documents API
Schema, table, and columnTitle and descriptionRelational Integration API
Schema, table, and columnCustom field valuesCustom Field Values Async API
TermTitle, description, and
custom field values
Terms API
Other supported object typesCustom field valuesCustom Field Values Async API

Why is this happening?

Alation is investing in scalable APIs and infrastructure that are no longer compatible with the ULM API. To give our customers the best experience, we will be focusing our efforts on more scalable alternatives as shown in the table above.

What about articles?

Alation is replacing articles with Document Hubs. Articles will eventually be deprecated, and Alation will provide a migration path to Document Hubs. No deprecation date for articles has been announced at this time. For now, you can continue to use the ULM API to update custom field values on articles, until the ULM API is sunset. The sunset timeline will be communicated to customers at a later date.

Custom Field Values Synchronous PUT

The PUT multiple Custom Field Values synchronous endpoint will be deprecated in release 2024.3.1 in early October. As an alternative, migrate to the PUT multiple Custom Field Values Async endpoint as soon as possible. The asynchronous endpoint is much more performant and provides a better experience.

OCF Data Sources API Parameters

For the Trigger metadata extraction job endpoint of the OCF Data Sources API, we will be deprecating the three body parameters limit_schemas , exclude_schemas, and remove_filtered_schemas. The deprecation will occur in release 2024.3 in early September. As an alternative, we recommend you use the Update metadata extraction configurations endpoint to configure the extraction and use the Trigger metadata extraction job endpoint to run the extraction. (AL-148936)