Integrating applications by using process connector elements


Use the Connector element from the Process designer in BMC Helix Innovation Studio to integrate your application with a third-party service or application. The Connector element invokes an action 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. Each Connector element defines one action, and a process can have one or more actions.

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. 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 this 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 one of the following actions 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 Connector action symbol.png.
    • Query—To fetch data from your target application, use a query expression Connector query symbol.png.

    Retrieve

    Select one of the following options to specify the number of records that must 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 the process.

    Source

    Enter the value based on the action you selected 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 the Multi-instance loop, see Creating-process-steps-or-activities.

  7. Enter the values for the parameters as described in the preceding table.
    You can add 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.

22_1_Sample process using connector.jpg

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.
    The 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:

Property

Sample value

GENERAL

Name

Demo Rule

Description

Example - Rule to create a JIRA issue

Enabled

Selected

Run as

Administrator

RECORD DEFINITIONS

Add/Remove Record Definitions

Demo Record (primary record definition)

PERMISSIONS

Edit

Demo Set

JIRA connector sample values

Property

Sample value

GENERAL

Label

JIRA Connector

Description

Example - The process to create a JIRA issue

Connection Name

JIRA Configuration

INPUT MAP

Connection

JIRA Configuration

Action

Connector action symbol.pngCreate Change

OUTPUT MAP

Name

From the list

Source

Action specific

MULTI INSTANCE LOOP

Loop Type

Parallel

Create Record sample values

Property

Sample value

GENERAL

Action Type Name

Create Record

Label

Create Record

Description

Record specific

Run as

Current user

INPUT MAP

Record Definition Name

Task

OUTPUT MAP

Name

From the list

Source

Action specific

MULTI INSTANCE LOOP

Loop Type

Parallel


 

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