This article provides detailed design information about the Connected System design object and its configuration options. A connected system represents an external system that is integrated with Appian. Connected systems allow you to share base URL and authentication details across multiple integrations. You can also upload a logo image to visually identify the system.
Note: Below are details of an HTTP connected system. The following screens will change depending on the selected connected system template.
Each HTTP connected system has the following properties.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | The name of the connected system. Use a name that will uniquely identify this connection to the external system. |
| Description | Supplemental information about the connected system that is displayed when selecting the system in the integration designer and in the application contents grid. |
| System Logo | An image document used to visually represent the external system or service being connected to. The logo is displayed in the integration designer and in the process modeler on integrations that connect to this system (using the Call Integration Smart Service). If no document is selected a default logo will be used instead. |
| Base URL | A consistent prefix for the URLs of this connected system's integrations. This value supports environment specific configuration for variation across environments. |
| Authentication | The type of authentication to use for the integrations that use this connected system.
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Integrations created from a connected system can inherit its base URL. The designer can then use this base URL in conjunction with an expressible relative path to construct the full URL for an integration.
There are several authentication options available for connected systems.
The following properties are available for configuration when HTTP Basic Authentication is selected as the authentication type:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Username | The username to use for authentication. This value is encrypted and supports environment specific configuration. |
| Password | The password to use for authentication. This value is masked, encrypted, and supports environment specific configuration. |
| Send credentials preemptively instead of waiting for a 401 authentication challenge | Determines whether or not authentication credentials are sent only after a 401 Not Authorized response or, when selected, before the system has challenged. |
The following properties are available for configuration when OAuth 2.0 is selected as the authentication type:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Callback URI | Required (in the other system). This URI provided within the instructions of the configure authorization box. Follows the format: http:// |
| Authorization Endpoint | Required. The endpoint specified in the third-party system's documentation to the authorization server. Allows Appian to connect to the authorization server. |
| Client ID | Required. ID provided by the third-party system during the registration process. |
| Client Secret | Required. The password provided by the third-party system during the registration process. This field is masked to prevent unauthorized users from seeing and should be treated as a password. |
| Scope | Optional. Defines what resources are available from the resource server. Depending on what system Appian is connecting to, scope may be set from the connected system or within the third-party system directly. |
| Token Request Endpoint | Required. The endpoint specified in the third-party system's documentation to send the token to the resource server. |
Although API keys can be configured in the integration headers or parameters, the only way to securely configure an API key for an integration is by using the connected system object. The following properties are available for configuration when API key is selected as the authentication type:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Send As | Required. This field specifies whether the API key should be sent as an http header or a query parameter. |
| Header/Parameter Name | Required. The key identifier of the API key. |
| Value | Required. The key value of the API key. This value is masked to prevent unauthorized users from seeing and should be treated as a password. |
The security rolemap of the connected system controls who can see or modify the connected system properties.
Connected systems can be used when calling an integration by any user regardless of their defined role in the security rolemap.
The following actions can be completed by each role:
| Actions | Administrator | Editor | Viewer | Deny |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evaluate integrations that use this connected system | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Select this connected system when creating an integration | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| View properties/definition | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Update properties/definition | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| View security | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Update security | Yes | No | No | No |
| Delete object | Yes | No | No | No |
