How to Connect to a Source System

 

About Connections

Connection defines how to connect to a content source, and includes identifying elements such as:

  • Servers
  • User Accounts and Credentials
  • Database information (for database connectors)

Connections and Content Sources can also be imported and exported.

The following connection types are available in the Connectivity Hub:

  • SQL connection
  • Web service connection

Note: As you add your information, click  See the Save button. to see the tabs that require field entry information.

Setup a Connection to the Data Source to be Indexed

Use the following steps to set up a connection to the data source you wish to index.

  1. From the BA Insight Connectivity Hub, click the Connections link from the top navigation.

  2. Click New > Web Service connection.


  3. The Connect to web service pop-up window appears.

    1. By default web services are configured for anonymous access and require no authentication.
      1. Authentication mode:
        1. "Use Service Account" uses your machine service account and requires no further action.
        2. "Specify User Account" requires a user name and password. See "Advanced Web Service Connection Options (Optional)" below for more information.


  4. Click Connect.

  5. IF you have special authentication requirements, see the advanced connection options below.

    When you place your cursor in the Web service URL field, a list of previously-entered web service URLs may appear, if this information has been entered into this browser before (Chrome browser is shown in the graphic below).

Advanced Web Service Connection Options (Optional)

  1. Web service URL (required): 
    • https://: Secure through SSL. This data is encrypted.
      You can choose to provide an https:// site that is:
      • Provided by an outside authority
      • Self-certified: You might choose to use a self-certified certificate when you access a Web Service on your own intranet.
    • http://:  Not secure through SSL. This data that is transmitted between Connectivity Hub and the web service, using this format, is not secure because this data is not encrypted
  2. Authentication mode: By default web services are configured for anonymous access and require no authentication.
    1. Login (user name) and password are required in special cases where customer policy requires authentication: see the table below.
  3. Click the Connect button to complete the process.
  4. Configure the authentication manually in IIS for the web service. For more information, go to Configure Basic Authentication (IIS 7). 

Use the following table to determine which Web service and Authentication mode works best for your organization:

Authentication Description Web Service Data
Service account

Also known as Windows Authentication: Your application pool account is used to connect to the web service.

  • Your web service can be installed on a different machine, but that machine should be in the same domain.
  • If the second machine is in a different domain, you must set up a trust relationship between the two domains.
 Secure through SSL Data is encrypted and access to services is only through Windows authentication.
Not secure through SSL Data is sent over the network unsecured and the web service might be exposed
Specify User Account Basic Authentication: If you deployed your Web Services Connector to a remote domain, select Specify User Account and enter a user account and password. Secure through SSL Data is encrypted and access to services is only through Basic authorization.
Not secure through SSL Password is transmitted in clear text. This method is not secure.

Enter the Basic Connection Information for Your Connector

Specify the Connection Information

Note: When you select another tab within the user interface, the information in your current tab is not lost.
  1. From the Connections page select <your web service Connector> > See the gear icon. > Edit
  2. Select the Connection Info tab.
    The Connection Info page appears.

    See the Connection Info page.

  3. Enter your connection name in the Title field. save any changes.
  4. Web service URL: The Web Service Connector URL.
    You can find this URL using the following steps:
    1. Open IIS
    2. Selecting your Connector from the Sites list.
    3. Select the Content View tab from the bottom middle of the window.
    4. "Browse" the file DataConnector.asmx, shown below to see your web service URL in a web browser:

General Settings Tab

  1. To specify settings in the General Settings tab and any tab before the Security tab, see the specific documentation for the Connector that you installed.
  2. Click the Save button after completing the required fields in all tabs.
  3. Next, secure your content to be indexed.