Setting up a Connector

Objectives

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

  • Explain the workflow for enabling and configuring a connector using the Configuration Manager..
  • Utilize the Connector Setup Wizard..

Enabling and Configuring

SAP Fieldglass supplies Connectors to align data for nearly every function of the application, making the list of standard Connectors quite large. To keep the list from becoming overwhelming, not all of the standard Connectors are activated and made available to users.

This means that a Connector must be enabled by a Configuration Manager User in order for other administrative users to be able to access the Connector.

Enabling a Connector simply makes it available for use. Connectors are enabled and configured using the options in the Integration Tools section of the Configuration Manager as well as through a dashboard shortcut button.

There are two steps involved in making a connector available and ready to use:

  1. Enabling, and
  2. Configuring

But before a connector can be enabled, the connector to enable needs to be determined. And how you get to that connector depends on whether or not you know which one you’d need.

The Integration Connector Wizard Function

If you know the data you need to integrate but aren’t sure which connector you should use, you can use the Connector Wizard tile from the tiles available within the Integration Tools category. It helps identify which connector will meet your business and/or technical needs.

It asks a series of targeted questions that directs you to enable the appropriate connector.

Screenshot of the Connector Wizard shortcut button highlighted on the Configuration Manager interface.

Utilizing the Connector Wizard

WorkingNet needs to integrate worker data with their Human Resource information system. You, as the designated Configuration Manager for WorkingNet, are responsible for this, but you don't know which connector to use.

You’d use the Connector Wizard shortcut to help determine the right connector. Here’s how you’ll do it:

ExerciseStart Exercise

Selecting the Connector

There might be instances where you already know the connector you need, so you don’t have to follow the wizard process to guide you to it.

In such cases, you can select the Connector Catalog shortcut button below the welcome message on the main dashboard.

This will bring up the Connector List page, defaulting on a tab entitled Connector Catalog, which reflects a list of all available connectors to review and/or enable, with a second tab entitled Company Connectors, which allows you to view the connectors currently enabled for the organization. The list view includes run count, last run dates, versions, status and activity. From here you can also access the connector set up and edit the standard connectors.

Screenshot of the Connector Catalog button highlighted on the Configuration Manager interface

Browse Connector Catalog

Here’s how you could use the Connectors tile and the Connector Catalog tab to enable the Active Worker Single Line Download connector for WorkingNet.

ExerciseStart Exercise

The Connector Setup Wizard

Clicking the Enable button on a connector was just the first step. Remember, you now need to configure it. You do that through the Connector Setup Wizard, which appears immediately after clicking the Enable button.

This setup wizard guides you through the steps required to enable and configure the connector. After opening the wizard, you must complete the mandatory fields on any current page before you can navigate to a different page.

It’s important to know that the pages and options that are available in the Wizard depend not only on whether you’re enabling an upload or a download connector, but also on the specific type of connector you’re enabling.

Screenshot of the Connector Wizard Welcome page with highlighted elements
1Progress Bar =A progress bar at the top of the page indicates the completion status of the required steps.
2Welcome =The Welcome step is the starting point for enabling and configuring a connector in the setup wizard.
3Setup Sections Menu =The setup sections display in the pane on the left side.
4Start =You would click the Start button to begin the process. 

Once the setup process has started for the connector, a number of configuration steps are then required for completion.

Screenshot of Connector Wizard with Configuration Step highlights
1Configure =The Configure section describes how to enable a connector in the Connector Setup Wizard, define connector specifications, and set up header values and security.The Enable and Setup steps are required to successfully enable a connector for use with the minimum specifications. After these are completed and you determine you don’t need to add any additional information, you can bypass the other optional sections by selecting the Finished section in the menu.Depending upon the connector, other options such as Header Values may be available.
2Enable =In this step you turn on (enable) a connector, configure the connector details, and make it ready to use in your company. The wizard guides you through the steps required to complete the process.
3Setup =In this required step you can customize delimiters (field separators), volume thresholds, and success/failure email notifications for file uploads and downloads.
4Security =In this step you can make additional selections to define whether or not data encryption is required for the connector and if data is deemed sensitive or requiring archiving. 

Additional steps are then available to further customize the connectors, as well as establish the technical delivery format for the integration.

Screenshot of the Connector Wizard Customization and Connectivity steps highlighted
1Customize =Describes how to configure fields and custom features in a download file, and how to upload column transforms in an upload file.You can customize a connector to add fields to the file, rename individual field names, drag and drop to change the column sort order, and apply custom features and templates that modify the data in the file. The custom options are based on the connector type.
2Connectivity =This optional section describes how to create an end point and subscription for SFTP and/or how to set up Web Services transfer methods.The transfer method defines the technical details for how an integration file is transferred between SAP Fieldglass and the third-party systems you manage.
3Finished =The Finished step confirms that the connector is enabled with the minimum requirements and any optional setup, if selected. You can begin using the connector.

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