Creating connections in an IBM App Connect Dashboard

Create connections in an IBM® App Connect Dashboard.

1. In the IBM App Connect Dashboard, click Deployment locations to go the Deployment locations view.
2. Click Create connection to open the Create connection dialog box.
3. Click in the Select a connection type field to open the menu.
4. Select one of the following connection types:
   • Switch
   • Independent server
   • Integration node

   If you want to connect to a local integration node or a remote integration node, select Integration node.

   If you want to connect to a local independent integration server, or a remote independent integration server, select Independent server.

   If you want to connect to an integration server that runs behind a firewall, or in a container, select Switch.

5. Complete the Name field. If you want to include a description, you can complete the Description field for your connection.
   1. In the Name field, type a name for your new connection. If you are connecting to an integration node, or an independent integration server, the connection can have the same name as the integration node or integration server. Alternatively, you can give the connection any name that is not in use for a connection. Valid characters to use for a connection are A-Z, a-z, 0-9, -, and _.
      For example, if you want to create a connection to a local integration node named myNode, you can name the connection myNode.
   2. Optional: In the Description field, type a description.
      For example, Local integration node.

If you selected Integration node or Integration server at Step 4, you must complete Step 6. If you selected Switch at Step 4, you must complete Step 7.

6. Optional: Enter the connection values for an integration node, or an independent integration server.
   1. You must complete the address field. In the address field, type the URL for the local or remote integration node or the local or remote integration server with the format, protocol://hostname:port.
      • protocol is either http or https.
      • hostname is for the host of the target integration server you are trying to connect to.
      • port is the port (on the hostname) of the admin RESTAPI of the target integration node or integration server that you are trying to connect to.
      For example, http://localhost:4414
   2. Optional: If you enabled security, you must complete the Username field. Type the username that you authorized for access.
   3. Optional: If you enabled security, you must complete the Password field. Type the password for the username that you entered in substep b.
   4. If the address field URL protocol is https, you can complete the following fields. These fields are visible only when you input a URL with a protocol of https into the address field.
      • PEM-formatted CA file. If the server certificate is from a non-default CA, complete this field. Alternatively, you can update the --work-dir/dashboard.conf.yaml file parameter rejectUnauthorized to false.

        
        Connections:
          Https:
            # Reject connections to TLS endpoints presenting a certificate not signed by a trusted CA (i.e. self-signed certificates)
            rejectUnauthorized: false

      • PKCS12 keystore file. If you need to provide a client certificate for client authentication, complete this field.
      • Keystore passphrase. If you provide a PKCS12 Keystore file, complete this field.
   5. In the Create Connection dialog box, click Connect. The new connection appears in the list of connections in the Deployment locations view.
7. Optional: If you are connecting to a switch server, you must import an agentA file. You can obtain an agentA file, as described in Configuring an integration server to connect to an IBM App Connect Dashboard.
   1. In the Create connection dialog box, click Click to select an agentA file in the AgentA file field to open a file explorer window.
   2. In the file explorer window, go to the directory where your agentA file is located, and select the file.
   3. In the file explorer window, click Open to select the file. The field File imported appears in the Create connection dialog box. The field is populated with the name of the file that you selected.
   4. In the Create Connection dialog box, click Connect. The new connection appears in the list of connections in the Deployment locations view.

   If you connect to an integration server by using a Switch Server, you must be aware of the properties of the integration server that you connect to.

   If you connect to an independent integration server that is running on a virtual machine, and the integration server is stateful, any changes that you make from the IBM App Connect Dashboard are persistent. If the integration server is stateless, the changes are not persistent, and they are lost if the virtual machine crashes.

   If the integration server is running in a container, then it was created declaratively, and has ephemeral storage. If you change the integration server from the IBM App Connect Dashboard, for example, by deploying a BAR file, that change is performed. However, if multiple replicas of the integration server exist, the change is only performed on one of the replicas. If the container crashes, the changes are lost.