Integrating applications by using process connector elements

From Process designer in BMC Helix Innovation Studio, use the Connector element to integrate your application with a third-party service or application. Connector element invokes the actions defined for a connector.

An action can be creating or updating an event or a task in your target application or using a query expression to fetch data from your target application. You add one or more actions to a process, but each action is defined by a single Connector element.

For information about the connector development process and out-of-the box connectors, see Connectors overview.

To add connector in a process

1. Log in to BMC Helix Innovation Studio and navigate to the Workspace tab.
2. Select the application in which your process exists.
3. In the application, click Processes.
4. Click the process name where you want to add connectors.
   The system opens the Process designer and displays the process diagram on the canvas.

5. As per your requirements, add the input and output variables required for the process. 

   For information about adding input and output process variables, see Adding variables to processes.

6. Drag the Connector element to the canvas and place it where you want to add it in the process and provide the input and output connections.
   Select the Connector element and enter the values for the following properties:

   Property	Description
   GENERAL
   Label	Enter the label for the Connector element.
   Description	Describe the details about the connector, such as the applications which will be integrated by using this connector, other properties, and so on.
   Connection Name	Enter the same name as entered for the Connection tab for this connection.
   INPUT MAP
   Connection	Select the name from the list. The list includes all the connectors that are configured in Connector Configurations from the Administration tab.
   Use as alias	Enable the option if you want to use the connector element as an alias. For more information about processes related to aliases, see Adding connector configurations and Mapping an alias to connector configuration
   Action	Select the action that you want to perform for the Connector element. Action—To create or update an event or a task in your target application, select the action . Query—To fetch data from your target application, use a query expression .
   Retrieve	Select one of the following options to specify the number of records that should be returned if the query condition is met. (Default) First Matching Record—Returns only the first matching record after the query condition is met. All Matching Records—Returns all the matching records after the query condition is met.
   OUTPUT MAP
   Name	Select the process output from the list and map it with the action output. The process output is already created as a part of process.
   Source	Enter the value based on the Action you choose in the INPUT MAP. The value in this field varies depending upon the Action you select.
   MULTI INSTANCE LOOP
   Loop Type	Select Parallel or Sequential from the list. For information about Multi instance loop, see Creating process steps or activities.

7. Enter the values for the parameters as described in the table above.
   You can add the optional parameters by using the Add/Remove Parameters property.

8. Save the process.

Example: Process to create record instance for a JIRA issue by using JIRA connector

The following process integrates an application with JIRA services. The process adds a comment to a JIRA issue, creates a new record instance, and adds the comment to the Description field of the record instance. The process consists of a Connector element, a Create Record element, and a process input variable inputComment.

When you run the process, the process performs the following tasks:

1. The process variable inputComment (input parameter of the process) provides input to the JIRA Connector.
2. JIRA Connector adds the comment to the JIRA issue by using the parameter Issue Key. 
   The inputComment details are added as a comment in the JIRA issue.
3. JIRA Connector passes the inputComment details to the Create Record element.
4. Create Record element creates a new record instance of the selected record definition and populates the Description field with the inputComment details.

General properties sample values

The following table illustrates sample values for the General properties in the process example:

JIRA connector sample values

Create Record sample values

Related topics

Integrating applications by using rule connector elements

Troubleshooting integration service connection issues

Process designer elements