External Database Integration
  • 24 Nov 2023
  • 3 Minutes to read
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External Database Integration

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Article summary

Overview

Decisions allow users to integrate with external databases. The workflow engine doesn't mandate storing any of its data locally. Instead, it can be integrated with existing databases to enable reading and writing data. This flexibility helps to use the data within Designer Elements (Flow, Forms, Rules, Reports, etc.) to perform CRUD(Create, Read, Update, and Delete) actions on the connected database. The following document explains the various options and settings involved in configuring a connection to an existing database. 

Following are types of Database that can be integrated:


Configuration

Alternative Method to Create Database Integration
Users can also create a database connection with the folder actions on the Designer Folder by right-clicking > CREATE DATATYPES/INTEGRATION and selecting Database Integration.
  1. In Decisions Studio, navigate to System > Integrations > Databases and click CREATE CONNECTION.

  2. In the Database Integration window, complete the fields required for integrating with the desired external database type. 
    Configuration OptionDescription
    Connection Name
    This will be the name of the Connection
    Database Type
    The type of database that will be integrated with (MSSQL, MYSQL, ORACLE, AZURE (SQL), POSTGRES, ODBC, AZURESYNAPSE)
    Use Agent
    Check this setting to get Decisions' integration settings from a database Agent. For more information, refer to Database Integration via Agent.
    Use Custom Connection String
    Allows users to connect to a database via a custom connection string.
    Server Name
    The DNS name or IP of the server running the database.
    Database NameName of the database
    Windows Authentication
    Checking this box will use the windows logon to access the database.
    SQL Authentication
    • User Name
    Username of the SQL account used to access the database.
    • Password
    The password of the SQL account access the database.
    • Use an Encrypted Connection
    When enabled, the connection between the client and server will be encrypted only if the Root SSL certificate is installed. For more information, refer to Microsoft's official document.
    • Trust Server Certificate
    When enabled, the transport layer will use SSL to encrypt the channel and bypass walking the certificate chain to validate trust. For more information, refer to Microsoft's official document.
    Using Azure Service Principal Authentication
    • App ID
    This is the Application (client) ID of the registered app under Entra ID (formerly known as Azure AD).
    • Client Secret
    This is the value of the Secret ID generated for the registered App under Entra ID (formerly known as Azure AD).
    • Tenant ID
    This is the Directory (tenant) ID  of the registered app under Entra ID (formerly known as Azure AD). Refer to Installing Decisions "Using Azure Service Principal" for reference.
    Using SSL for Postgres
    • Disable, Allow, Prefer and Require
    Refer to Postgres' official documentation for a description.
    Oracle
    • Use TNS
    When enabled, the connection will follow the OCI(Oracle Call Interface) connection string.
    • Host Name
    Host name of the Oracle server
    • Port
    The port on which the server is running
  3. After filling in all the details. Click on Test to validate the connection to the Database. A Status field will appear in the bottom right corner.

  4. Check for the Status. If the Status indicates 'success', it means that the connection was established successfully. In case of a failed connection, the Status will provide validation which can be used as a reference to troubleshoot the issue. Refer to the following image.

Creating Tables using External Database
To add tables from the external database into Decisions, refer to Integrate with Database Table.

Updating External Connection String

Users can update the connection string of the already integrated external database. The primary use case of this might be to update the connection string of an external database when migrating from a development environment to a production environment.

Before updating the connection string, have the original connection string documented and stored in case the connection string must change back to the original.
  1. Navigate to System > Integrations > Databases. Right-click the desired entity and select Edit Database Definition [Advanced].
  2. Unselect Use Current Database and paste the updated connection string in the Connection String field.
  3. Click SAVE.

For further information on Integrations, visit the Decisions Forum.

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