This document describes to the process to create Bizweaver global connections. Global connections define connection information to allow other Bizweaver tools to interact with SQL Server databases, SAP HANA databases, SAP Business One DI Server, SAP Business One DI API, SMTP (Email), Exchange, and REST web services (including SAP Service Layer). These connections are defined once in this function and then can be used in any workflow.

Global connections will require technical information such as authentication (login) information, server names, database names, and possibly connection port names. Review the information provided in this document to determine what information you will need. Contact your system administrator for the information if necessary.

• Each connection must have a unique Name.
  • The name is what is shown in connection listings in other Bizweaver tools. It should be something that helps the user understand its purpose.
    • A good connection name might include the connection type and server name or database name.
      • For connections (like SQL) where you may have databases on multiple servers, you may want to include the server name as well.
    • The name cannot have spaces or special characters other than an underscore (_).
      • This value cannot be changed once a connection has been created.
    • Examples
      • SQL_SBODemoUS (SQL to database SBODemoUS)
      • SQL_MainServer_SBODemoUS (SQL to database SBODemoUS on server MainServer)
      • HANA_SBODemoUS (HANA to database SBODemoUS)
      • DIS_SBODemoUS (DI Server to database SBODemoUS)
      • DIAPI_SBODemoUS (DIAPI to database SBODemoUS)
      • SMTP_MailServer (SMTP to server MailServer)
      • REST_BigCommerce (REST connection to Big Commerce webstore)
• Description is used to capture additional information about the connection. Including a description is optional.

The Global Configurations function is started by clicking on the appropriate icon in the toolbar as shown below.

1. The area at the top of the page lists all connections that are currently defined.
   1. The “Type” column indicates the type of connection.
2. Click on the appropriate button in the “New Connections” section to define a new connection.
   1. The connection configuration area changes to show the fields for the selected type and all information is cleared.
3. Double-click on an item to open it for editing.
   1. The existing configuration information is displayed.
   2. You will need to re-enter user/password information when making a change.
4. See Delete a Global Connection for more information on removing a global connection.
5. Click [Validate & Save] to save new/updated information.
   1. The application will try to validate things like server, database, and authentication information by completing the connection.
   2. If any errors are reported the connection will not be saved.
6. Click [Close] to close the entry without saving changes.

SQL connections are used to connect Bizweaver to Microsoft SQL Server databases.

• Enter the Server name to which you are connecting.
  • This is the SQL Server instance name, not just the physical server network name.
• Enter the name of the Database to which you are connecting.
• Enter the SQL Username and Password to access the SQL Server database.
  • Creating a SQL user specifically for Bizweaver connections is recommended (although it is not required) as it can aid in troubleshooting connection issues.

• Enter the SQL Timeout period
  • The value is expressed in seconds.
  • The default value of 30 is appropriate for most installations.
  • This value is set on each database connection, so it can be different for each database if needed.
  • Increase the value if you see SQL timeouts occurring in Bizweaver, SQL Server, or Windows logs.

HANA connections are used to connect Bizweaver to SAP HANA databases.

• Enter the Server name to which you are connecting.
  • This will typically be a server/IP address & port number.
  • The standard port number for HANA databases is 30015.
• Enter the name of the Database to which you are connecting.
• Enter the HANA Username and Password to access the SQL Server database.
  • Creating a HANA user specifically for Bizweaver connections is recommended (although it is not required) as it can aid in troubleshooting connection issues.
• Enter the HANA Timeout period
  • The value is expressed in seconds.
  • The default value of 30 is appropriate for most installations.
    • This value is set on each database connection, so it can be different for each database if needed. The timeout value is used when the workflow is executed on a schedule or using the “Run now” option.
  • Increase the value if you see SQL timeouts occurring in HANA logs.

DI Server connections are only used in SAP Business One environments. They are used to connect Bizweaver to the SAP Business One DI Server application. The DI Server is a tool that interacts with SAP Business One to add and update data in the SAP Business One company database.

• Server is the server (SQL or HANA) name where the SAP Business One database is found. If named instances are being used (e.g. ServerName\InstanceName) then the full instance name should be entered.
  • This information is displayed on the SAP Business One “Choose Company” screen.
  • Database is the specific company database to be accessed by the DI Server.
    • A given Server may have multiple company databases that are used in Bizweaver workflows. Each database will have its own configuration entry.

• Type is the database version in use. Supported versions can be selected from the drop-down list.
• SBO Username and Password for the user needed to logon to the SAP Business One company.
  • This user must have a valid license assigned.
  • In most cases the license will be an “Indirect” user license.
• Language is language in use for the SAP Business One company.
• License Server is the server and port where the DI Server will connect to get its license information.
  • The format is Servername:PortNumber (e.g. Server1:30000).
  • The default port for SAP Business One license server is 30000. This should be used unless otherwise advised by Third Wave support.

DI API connections are only used in SAP Business One environments. They are used to connect Bizweaver to the SAP Business One DI API. The DI API is a tool that interacts with SAP Business One to add and update data in the SAP Business One company database.

• Server is the server (SQL or HANA) name where the SAP Business One database is found. If named instances are being used (e.g. ServerName\InstanceName) then the full instance name should be entered.
  • This information is displayed on the SAP Business One “Choose Company” screen.
• Database is the specific company database to be accessed by the DI API.
  • A given Server may have multiple company databases that are used in Bizweaver workflows. Each database will have its own configuration entry.

• Type is the database version in use. Supported versions can be selected from the drop-down list.
• SBO Username and Password for the user needed to logon to the SAP Business One company.
  • This user must have a valid license assigned.
  • In most cases the license will be an “Indirect” user license.
• DB (database) Username and Password for the user needed to logon to the SAP Business One company.
  • This will typically be the same user defined for SQL and HANA connections
• Language is language in use for the SAP Business One company.
• License Server is the server and port where the DI Server will connect to get its license information.
  • The format is Servername:PortNumber (e.g. Server1:30000).
  • The default port for SAP Business One license server is 30000. This should be used unless otherwise advised by Third Wave support.

SMTP connections are used to provide connection information for the server(s) that handle email. Most installation will only have one SMTP connection. However, there is no technical restriction on the number of connections that are defined.

1. Server is the server where your SMTP application is found
2. Port Number is the specific communication port used to connect to the SMTP application. Port 25 is the most common when connecting to an internal server. Port 465 or 567 are common when SSL is in use. Contact your system administrator if you are not sure of what value to use.
3. Enable SMTP Credentials (Username & password)
   

   Your installation may not require SMTP credentials to send mail from Bizweaver. However, identifying a valid user in this step is required to use the error handling functions of Bizweaver.

4. The connection information is saved but is not validated. Any connection errors will only be shown when the connection is used in a workflow.

Exchange connections are used to access a Microsoft Exchange server directly. This is different from the SMTP connection, even if you use Exchange as your SMTP server. This allows you to read incoming email and create appointments (meetings) for other users. Defining this type of connection does not apply if you do not use an Exchange server.

1. Select the Exchange Version from the drop-down list.
2. Enter the Username and Password for a user that can access Exchange.
3. Enter the Domain name of which the Exchange service is a member.
4. Enter the Email of the mailbox to be monitored.
5. The connection information is saved but is not validated. Any connection errors will only be shown when the connection is used in a workflow.

REST is one of two primary methods (the other being SOAP) of accessing application programming interfaces (API). Application vendors provide these interfaces to support external access to their data structures and business logic. REST is the only method supported by Bizweaver.

REST global connections can be used when the authentication method used by the target API is either basic or oAuth 2. If the target API does not use either of these methods then the authentication method will be included directly in the web service call.

1. Select the Basic Authentication radio button.
2. Enter the appropriate username & password.
3. The connection information is saved but is not validated. Any connection errors will only be shown when the connection is used in a workflow.

1. Select the oAuth 2 Authentication radio button.
2. Select the Grant Type from the drop-down list.
   1. The Grant Type will be defined in the API’s documentation.
   2. The remaining fields that can be accessed will change based on the Grant Type.
   3. Again, the API documentation should provide instructions on how to obtain the various authorization elements.
3. The Redirect URI can generally be anything you like (e.g. https://mysite.com). This function is typically used for a website as opposed to an API. However, some APIs still require a value of some sort. Check with the API author if you have problems with this setting.
4. The connection information is saved but is not validated. Any connection errors will only be shown when the connection is used in a workflow.

When a Global Connection is deleted, a consistency check is performed to ensure that any workflows using the connection are updated. A list of associated workflows and steps are listed in the lower area of the window. Replacement connections must be specified or the deletion process will not continue.

1. Option 1 is to use the “Replace all” option to update all listed workflow (Task) steps with a new connection.
   1. Use the drop-down to select a connection from the list presented.
   2. The “New Connection” value for all rows is set automatically.
2. Option 2 is to update each workflow/step individually.
   1. Use the drop-down in each row to select a connection from the list presented.
3. Option 3 is use options 1 and 2 together.
   1. Use option 1 to update the “New Connection” value for all rows.
   2. Use option 2 to update individual rows to a different connection as needed.
4. Click [Replace and Save] to complete the update.
5. Click [Close] to exit without saving any changes.

There are three different options for using Microsoft Office365 as your SMTP connector to send email from Bizweaver. Fortunately, the simplest, and recommended, option works quite well. The following information is from Microsoft.

Option 1 (recommended): Authenticate your device or application directly with an Office 365 mailbox, and send mail using SMTP client submission

This option supports most usage scenarios and it's the easiest to set up. Choose this option when:

• You want to send email from a third-party hosted application, service, or device.
• You want to send email to people inside and outside your organization.

To configure your device or application, connect directly to Office 365 using the SMTP client submission endpoint smtp.office365.com.

Each device/application must be able to authenticate with Office 365. It can have its own sender address, or all devices can use one address, such as printer@contoso.com.

How to set up SMTP client submission

Enter the following settings directly on your device or in the application as their guide instructs (it might use different terminology than this article). As long as your scenario meets the requirements for SMTP client submission, the following settings will enable you to send email from your device or application.

The following image shows how this setup is implemented as a Bizweaver Global Connection.