Connections

Connections are configurations that enable integration with external systems and data sources. They store authentication credentials and connection details needed to access external APIs, databases, cloud storage, and other services.

What are Connections?

Connections provide secure, reusable configurations for:

• Data Sources: S3, FTP, Databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle), Salesforce, Athena, QuickSight
• Payment Providers: Stripe, Airwallex
• Email Providers: SendGrid, SMTP, SES
• Tax Engines: Vertex, Avalara, M360 Tax
• General Ledger: Xero, QuickBooks
• External APIs: REST API connections with various authentication methods

Connection Types

Data Source Connections

• S3: AWS S3 bucket access with credentials or IAM roles
• DB: Database connections (PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle) with host, port, credentials
• REST_API: External API connections with authentication (Basic, API Key, OAuth2, OAuth1)
• FTP: File Transfer Protocol connections
• Salesforce: Salesforce API integration
• Athena: AWS Athena query access
• QuickSight: AWS QuickSight integration

Payment Provider Connections

• Stripe: Stripe payment processing with API keys
• Airwallex: Airwallex payment processing with OAuth2

Email Provider Connections

• SendGrid: SendGrid email service
• SMTP: Standard SMTP email server
• SES: AWS Simple Email Service

Key Features

Connection Configuration

Each connection type has specific configuration requirements:

• S3: Bucket name, region, AWS credentials or IAM role
• DB: Database type, host, port, credentials, connection URL
• REST_API: API endpoint, HTTP method, headers, authentication details
• Stripe/Airwallex: API keys, OAuth credentials, webhook URLs

Connection Testing

Test connections before use to verify credentials and connectivity.

Schema Import

Import schema from connections to understand available data structures and fields.

Security

Connections securely store credentials and support various authentication methods including OAuth2, API keys, and basic authentication.

Using Connections in Workflows

Connections are used by workflow functions to access external data:

• S3DataLoad: Load data from S3 buckets
• DbDataLoad: Load data from external databases
• CallExternalApi: Make API calls to external REST APIs

Getting Started

1. Creating Connections: Learn how to create S3, Database, REST API, Stripe, and Airwallex connections
2. Test Connections: Verify credentials and connectivity
3. Importing Schema: Import database schemas and create Objects automatically
4. Use in Workflows: Reference connections in workflow functions

Related Introduction

• Creating Connections - Step-by-step guide to creating connections
• S3DataLoad - Load data from S3 connections
• DbDataLoad - Load data from database connections
• Workflows - Learn about workflow creation and management