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Administrator Guide
Last Updated: 2026-08-07
Set Up Zero-Copy Data In with Salesforce

Set Up Zero-Copy Data In with Salesforce

Prerequisites

Task 1: Create a Zero-Copy Connection to Salesforce

You can access Salesforce table metadata without copying data by creating a zero-copy connection from Workday to your Salesforce Iceberg catalog.
  1. In Workday, access the Prism Data Catalog report.
  2. Select
    + Create
     >
    Connection
    .
  3. In the
    Create Connection
     wizard, under
    Zero Copy Connectors
    , select the
    Salesforce
     tile.
  4. Enter the connection details:
    Field
    Description
    Name
    The connection name must be unique in the Data Catalog.
    Example:
    Salesforce_ZeroCopy_<first name><last initial>
    .
    Description
    (Optional) A brief description of the connection's purpose.
    Catalog URL
    Add https:// and enter the
    Tenant Endpoint
     from your Data Share Target in Salesforce. Example:
    https://xyz.salesforce.com
    Cloud Region
    Example: Canada (Central) - ca-central-1 (this must match the region of the Salesforce instance).
    Core Tenant ID
    Paste the
    Core Tenant ID
     of your Salesforce Data Share Target.
  5. Save the connection but do
    not
     test it yet.
  6. Gather keys.
    1. On the
      View Connection Details
       page, locate and keep open the
      Service Principal
      , and
      Issuer
      .
    2. Select
      Certificate
       >
      Download
       >
      PKCS#8
      , to download the PKCS#8 certificate.
  7. Finalize the Data Share Target in Salesforce:
    Field
    Description
    Service Account ID
    Paste the
    Service Principal
     from Workday.
    Issuer URL
    Paste the
    Issuer
     from Workday.
    Public Key
    Copy the contents of the PKCS#8 certificate that you downloaded from Workday.
    Note:
     Remove the -----BEGIN PUBLIC KEY----- and -----END PUBLIC KEY----- headers/footers before saving.
  8. Save your changes.
  9. Link the Data Share Target to the Data Share in Salesforce.
  10. In Workday, on the
    Connection Details
     page, select
    Test Connection
    .

Task 2: Create an External Catalog

An external catalog acts as a virtual window into your external data, allowing you to browse tables in real-time.
  1. Access the
    Data Catalog
     report.
  2. Click
    + Create
     and select
    External Catalog
    .
  3. Enter the external catalog details:
    Field
    Description
    External Catalog Name
    Enter a name for your external catalog.
    Connection
    Select the connection you just created.
    Namespace
    The exact namespace where the Iceberg connector tables reside. This information is provided by Salesforce. Example:
    enterprise.finance.procurement
    .
    Description
    (Optional) The description of the external catalog.
  4. Click
    Save
    .
  5. Wait for the
    Success
     notification that the External Catalog was created.
  6. Select
    Back to Data Catalog
    .
  7. Select
    External Catalog
    , and validate that schema sync is successful on your External Catalog.
After you save the External Catalog, Workday automatically runs a
Schema Sync
 to:
  • Read the metadata of Iceberg tables in the specified Salesforce namespace.
  • Register those tables as
    External Tables
     in Workday.
  • Make table structures visible in the Data Catalog
    without moving or copying data
    .
The duration of this sync depends on the number and complexity of tables in the namespace.

Task 3: Explore and Validate External Tables

Explore the external tables registered from the external partner and perform basic schema validation inside Workday.
  1. Locate the external partner's external tables.
    1. Access the
      Data Catalog
       report.
    2. In the left-hand menu, select
      External Tables
      .
    3. Click on the
      Refresh
       button.
    4. In the
      External Tables
       view, confirm that all Iceberg tables from the external partner are listed under the schema/namespace you selected during external catalog creation.
  2. Inspect an external table.
    1. Right-click or double-click the table name to open
      View External Table Details
      .
    2. On the details page, review:
      • Column names
      • Data types
      • Any available column statistics
      • Sample data preview (if present)
  3. Verify that:
    • Data types (Example: Numeric vs. string) align with the definitions in the external system.
    • Values appear as expected.