DCM Connection Handling
Large enterprises often run multiple Alteryx Server instances (dev, test, production) and want to manage access to each environment, control which workflows can run, and most importantly which connections are used. This is especially important for production environments where limited user access is expected and production data processing happens.
DCM Environment Connection Handling rules allow you to define what connections present on the Server should be used instead of workflow connections when executing workflows on the Server.
For every environment, you can define a list of Connection Ids that should be replaced by a different connection when found in workflow during execution. This means that for such an environment, each of the source Connection Ids (present in the workflow) will be resolved as the target connection (defined by Connection Id) at engine runtime.
DCM handles connection replacement dynamically at the execution, without updating the YXMD workflow.
Permissions to Access DCM Environment Connection Handling Rules
All Server Curators can access and manage DCM Environment Connection Handling rules under the Alteryx Server Admin UI.
For more information about permissions, go to User Roles and Permissions.
Workflow Execution
All Server users executing the workflow on the Server need to have access to the target DCM connection used—they either have to be the owners of the connection or have to have it shared for execution or collaboration.
This applies both for manual and scheduled workflow execution.
If the target connection is shared for collaboration, the version of the connection available to the user is used when executing the workflow. That is, user’s credentials are used.
If the target connection is shared both for collaboration and execution (concurrent sharing), the one shared for execution is required, as is designed for concurrent sharing. It means the executing user has to have the connection shared for execution to run the workflow, regardless of the collaboration sharing status.
For example, if the connection is shared for both collaboration and execution, but you only have the connection shared for collaboration, you won’t be able to execute the workflow.
If the target connection uses an external vault, the external vaults are available for everyone when a vault-based connection is shared for execution.
Create a DCM Environment Connection Handling Rule
To create a DCM Environment Connection Handling rule:
Go to Admin > DCM Connection Handling.
Select + New in the upper right corner next to the Search field.
In the Create Rule window:
Enter Source Connection Id - the Connection Id present in the workflow. It doesn’t have to be present on the current environment. It can’t be used in any other rule as either source or target connection.
Specify Source Connection Name - a custom name used only for better navigation.
Select Target Connection - an existing connection on the current environment that will be used during execution. The target connection can’t be used as a source connection in any other rule on the same environment. Multiple rules can however reference the same target connection (multiple references would then be executed using the same connection).
Select Create.
Import DCM Environment Connection Handling Rules
To import DCM Environment Connection Handling rules, you need a JSON file with exported DCM connections. For more information on how to export DCM connections, go to Export DCM Connections.
Go to Admin > DCM Connection Handling.
Select Import in the upper right corner next to the Search field.
In the Import Rules window, select Upload File. Select the JSON file to upload. The same validations for source and target connections are applied as if creating a new rule.
Select Import.
By default, the exported file only contains the source connections, with no target connections defined. Those can be specified by editing the rule in the UI after the import. Rules with no target connection defined are ignored at execution, and the original workflow reference is therefore used.
Optionally, you can manually edit the source file. Either by customizing the list of connections to be imported, or by filling in target connections to the JSON file prior to import. The target connections can be defined by adding a targetConnection object containing only a connectionId reference to an existing connection on the environment, as seen on the example below.
Example
Exported file: Refer to the DCM Connections page for an example of an exported JSON file.
Imported file: Example of an import file with target connections defined:
{
"apiVersion": 5,
"connections": [
{
"sourceConnection": {
"connectionId": "c.cid.123b5925-e1e5-4568-a2cc-83c74eee8a6e",
"connectionTitle": "Snowflake TEST - read_access (john.doe@alteryx.com)"
},
"targetConnection": {
"connectionId": "c.cid.b36bd9b6-23a1-43ba-a4a4-c68c488d7f8c"
}
},
{
"sourceConnection": {
"connectionId": "c.cid.456936dd-d0fd-4498-bc74-e550ea6a22c6",
"connectionTitle": "SQL Server DEV - mssql read (john.doe@alteryx.com)"
},
"targetConnection": {
"connectionId": "c.cid.9893e798-1324-489a-a036-83ed4fc1ec55",
}
}
]
}Edit a DCM Environment Connection Handling Rule
To edit an existing DCM Environment Connection Handling rule:
Go to Admin > DCM Connection Handling.
Select the 3-dot menu for an existing DCM connection rule you want to edit.
Select Edit. An Edit Rule window opens.
In the Edit Rule window, update the selected DCM connection handling rule. The same validations for source and target connections are applied as if creating a new rule.
Select Edit.
Delete a DCM Environment Connection Handling Rule
To delete an existing DCM Environment Connection Handling rule:
Go to Admin > DCM Connection Handling.
Select the 3-dot menu for an existing DCM Environment Connection Handling rule you want to delete.
Select Delete.