Box

This article outlines the integration with the Box connector, enabling streamlined metadata management through features such as crawling, data preview, data quality, and manual lineage building. The connector extracts folder, file, and supported file-type metadata and maps them to corresponding catalog assets.

The connector connects to Box using SDK-based connectivity and retrieves metadata from Box file system objects and attributes. Authentication is established using OAuth 2.0 client credentials flow with Client ID and Client Secret managed through a credential manager, enabling access to Box APIs for secure retrieval of folders, files, and related metadata objects.

Overview

Connector Details

Connector Category	File Connectors
OvalEdge Release Supported	Release6.x and later
Connectivity [How the connection is established with Box]	SDK
Verified Box Version	4.x

The Box connector has been validated with the mentioned "Verified Box Versions" and is expected to be compatible with other supported Box versions. If there are any issues with validation or metadata crawling, please submit a support ticket for investigation and feedback.

Connector Features

Feature	Availability
Crawling	✅
Delta Crawling	❌
Profiling*	✅
Sample Profiling	✅
Query Sheet	NA
Data Preview	✅
Auto Lineage	NA
Manual Lineage	✅
Secure Authentication via Credential Manager	✅
Data Quality	✅
DAM (Data Access Management)	❌
Bridge	✅

NA' indicates that the respective feature is 'Not Applicable.'

*Full profiling is supported through DuckDB. To enable this capability, configure the system setting (enable.duckdb) to True. When enabled, the File Data tab displays only the first 100 rows from the source file.

Metadata Mapping

The following objects are crawled from Box and mapped to the corresponding UI assets.

Box Object	Box Attribute	OvalEdge Attribute	OvaEdge Category	OvalEdge Type
Folder	Folder	Folder	Folder	Folder
File	File	File	File	File
↳ XLSX (Sheets)	File	File (subfile)	File (subfile)	File (subfile)
↳ XLS (Sheets)	File	File (subfile)	File (subfile)	File (subfile)
CSV	File	File	File	File
TXT	File	File	File	File
PARQUET	File	File	File	File
ORC	File	File	File	File
JSON	File	File	File	File
YAML	File	File	File	File
PIP	File	File	File	File

The file types to be cataloged are controlled through a system setting. Navigate to the Common Files Configuration page to manage supported file types. The setting key is config.file.types.to.be.cataloged, with a default value of csv, conf, env, sh, properties, txt, yaml, xlsx, json, ddl, sql, hql, and parquet.

Set up a Connection

Prerequisites

The following are the prerequisites to establish a connection.

Ensure that the CSV files follow the required formatting standards for proper data processing and visibility. Refer to CSV Format Requirements.

For detailed steps to create a Box custom application, configure access permissions, authorize the application, and generate the required User ID, Client ID, and Client Secret, refer to Box Authentication Configuration.

OvalEdge supports OAuth 2.0 client credentials–based authentication.

Service Account User Permissions

It is recommended to use a dedicated service account to establish the connection to the data source, configured with the following minimum set of permissions.

👨‍💻Who can provide these permissions? These permissions are typically granted by the Box administrator, as users may not have the required access to assign them independently.

Operations	Objects	Access Permission
Connector Validation	-	Read on APP
Crawling	Files & Folders	Read on APP
View File Data	Files & Folders	Write on APP
Profiling	Files & Folders	Write on APP

Connection Configuration Steps

Users are required to have the Connector Creator role in order to configure a new connection.

1. Log into OvalEdge, go to Administration > Connectors, click + (New Connector), search for Box, and complete the required parameters.

Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory for establishing a connection.

Field Name	Description
Connector Type	By default, "Box" is displayed as the selected connector type.
Credential Manager*	Select the desired credentials manager from the drop-down list. Relevant parameters will be displayed based on the selected option. Supported Credential Managers: OE Credential Manager AWS Secrets Manager HashiCorp Azure Key Vault For more details, click here.
License Add Ons	Select the checkbox for Data Quality Add-On to identify data quality issues using data quality rules and anomaly detection. For more details, click here.
Connector Environment	Select the environment (Example: PROD, STG) configured for the connector. For more details, click here.
Connector Name*	Enter a unique name for the Box connection (Example: "Boxdb").
Connector Description	Enter a brief description of the connector.
Client ID*	Enter the unique Client ID provided by the service or application for authentication.
Client Secret*	Enter the Client Secret associated with the Client ID to securely authenticate the connection.
User ID*	Enter the registered User ID used to access the external system or service. Note: The User ID must be the Box numeric user ID. Ensure to provide the correct numeric ID associated with the Box account.

Default Governance Roles

Default Governance Roles*	Select the appropriate users or teams for each governance role from the drop-down list. All users configured in the security settings are available for selection.

Admin Roles

Admin Roles*	Select one or more users from the dropdown list for Integration Admin and Security & Governance Admin. All users configured in the security settings are available for selection.

No of Archive Objects

No Of Archive Objects*	This shows the number of recent metadata changes to a dataset at the source. By default, it is off. To enable it, toggle the Archive button and specify the number of objects to archive. Example: Setting it to 4 retrieves the last four changes, displayed in the 'Version' column of the 'Metadata Changes' module.

Bridge

Select Bridge*	If applicable, select the bridge from the drop-down list. The drop-down list displays all active bridges that have been configured. These bridges facilitate communication between data sources and the system without requiring changes to firewall rules.

1. After entering all connection details, the following actions can be performed:

   1. Click Validate to verify the connection.

   2. Click Save to store the connection for future use.

   3. Click Save & Configure to apply additional settings before saving.

2. The saved connection will appear on the Connectors home page.

Manage Connector Operations

Crawl

To perform crawl & profile operations, users must be assigned the Integration Admin role.

1. Navigate to the Connectors page and click Crawl/Profile.

2. This action initiates the metadata collection process from the data source and loads the retrieved metadata into the File Manager > File Explorer.

3. In the File Manager, click the connector name, select the specific folder(s) or file(s), then click Catalog / Catalog and Profile from the Nine Dots menu. For more details, click here.

4. The selected files or folders will be added to the Data Catalog > Files/File Columns tab.

Other Operations

The Connectors page provides a centralized view of all configured connectors, along with their health status.

Managing connectors includes:

• Connectors Health: Displays the current status of each connector using a green icon for active connections and a red icon for inactive connections, helping to monitor the connectivity with data sources.

• Viewing: Click the Eye icon next to the connector name to view connector details, including databases, tables, columns, and codes.

Nine Dots Menu Options:

To view, edit, validate, configure, or delete connectors, click on the Nine Dots menu.

• Edit Connector: Update and revalidate the data source.

• Validate Connector: Check the connection's integrity.

• Settings: Modify connector settings.

  • Crawler: Configure data extraction.

  • Access Instructions: Add notes on how to access the data.

  • Business Glossary Settings: Manage term associations at the connector level.

• Delete Connector: Remove a connector with confirmation.

For more details on connector settings, click here.

Connectivity Troubleshooting

If incorrect parameters are entered, error messages may appear. Ensure all inputs are accurate to resolve these issues. If issues persist, contact the assigned support team.

S.No.	Error Message(s)	Error Description & Resolution
1	Error while validating connection: Exception in validateConnection() : The API returned an error code [400] invalid_client	Description: Connection validation failed due to invalid client credentials. Resolution: Check and re-enter the correct Client ID and Client Secret.

Known Limitations

S.No.	Limitation
1	For File-based connectors, the folder count in the File Manager and Data Catalog Files module may not match if folders or files are added or deleted in the source system after crawling. Run the connection crawl again to refresh and display the latest changes.

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