Export Query Results To a File

Alation Cloud Service Applies to Alation Cloud Service instances of Alation

Customer Managed Applies to customer-managed instances of Alation

When you execute a query, Alation has an upper limit on how much data can be stored and displayed in Alation. To get more data in your results, you can export the query results instead. Exports are limited to a million rows, giving you a potentially much larger data set.

Exported data is downloaded directly to a file on your computer. You can export to the following formats:

  • CSV

  • TSV

  • Pipe-delimited

  • XLSX

These features may be enabled or disabled by an Alation administrator. See Manage Access to Data Export and Download.

To export the results of a query:

  1. In Compose, open a query and click on the arrow next to the Export button.

  2. Click the format you’d like to export: CSV, TSV, pipe-delimited, or XLSX.

    ../../../_images/Compose_ExportMenu.png

  3. If you’d like to export the results for only part of the query, you can select the text you’d like to run.

  4. Click the arrow next to the Export button again and choose how you’d like to run the query:

    1. Run & Export Full Query—This option is available if you haven’t selected any text in the query. Each statement in the query is executed one at a time, and the results of all statements are exported. This is the default action that takes place if no text is selected and you click the Export button without using the drop-down arrow.

    2. Run & Export Selected Text—The selected part of the query is executed, and the results are exported. This is the default action that takes place if text is selected and you click the Export button without using the drop-down arrow.

    3. Run & Export Current Statement—Only the current statement is executed, and the results of that statement are exported.

    4. Run & Export as Script—For SQL Server data sources only, the entire query is submitted and run as one script. This option should be used for SQL variables, volatile tables, and user-defined functions (UDFs).

  5. The query will begin processing, and the export file is downloaded to your computer when it’s done. A limited set of the results also appears in the Results tab, just like they do when running a query without exporting.

    Note

    Depending on your Alation version and configuration, you may get notifications in the bottom right corner of Compose when the export starts and ends along with periodic progress notifications.

Export Notifications

Starting in 2023.3 and later releases, Compose can show notifications indicating the status of the export. Compose checks with the data source for the status of the export every five seconds.

Notifications for Export Completion

Applies to 2023.3 and newer

Compose always shows a notification in the bottom right corner when an export finishes along with how many rows of data were exported.

Notifications for Export Start and Progress

Applies to 2023.3.1 and newer

You can configure Compose to show a notification when exports begin, as well as periodic progress notifications showing how many rows have been exported so far. Progress notifications appear every five seconds.

To enable the start and progress notifications:

  1. In Compose, click Settings in the top right corner.

  2. Click the Other tab.

  3. Enable the Show export Start/Progress notifications toggle.

Notifications for Export Stuck and Failed

Applies to 2023.3.1 and newer

Compose checks on the status of the export every five seconds. If the export stays at the same row count for three checks in a row, Compose displays a message indicating that the export appears to be stuck. After three more checks with no change, Compose stops the export and displays a message indicating the export has failed.