CONNECT flows terminology and concepts

The following list describes key terms and concepts in CONNECT flows.

Credentials

An encrypted repository to store sign-in credentials (username, password, access keys) to different systems and applications. Stored credentials simplify access when building, deploying, and monitoring flows.

Flows

A repeated process deployed to address a specific use case. Flows are constructed of pre-defined modules, and built in Flow Studio using modules or custom code. Once tested, flows can be deployed to one or more flow runtime environments.

Flow manager

The main working area of CONNECT flows. Flow manager is where flows and other components are built, deployed, monitored, and managed.

Flow Studio

A component of Flow manager that offers a low-code, visual development studio. This is where you design and build flows by connecting different modules together in a workflow that represents a data pipeline. Flow Studio is also used to test and deploy flows.

Flow templates

A working flow saved as a template that can be reused to build new flows.

Flow runtime

A hardware-agnostic and use-case independent real-time execution environment for flows. Flow runtimes collect and process data by running flows on remote nodes.

A flow runtime can be installed on a node as a single Docker container (preferred), or as a Windows Service. The flow runtime communicates outbound via HTTPS to flow manager, which allows full control over every flow runtime in your environment.

Labels

Labels are used to group flow runtimes, making it easy to deploy the same flow to an unlimited number of flow runtimes in one operation.

Modules

A library of over 100 building blocks for collecting, analyzing, and acting on data. New modules are added continuously by customer request, and you can develop your own modules and deploy them to the Module library.

Parameters

Saved settings that can be reused in multiple flows. Parameters are useful for parallel flows that require unique settings, such as an IP address or stored credential.

Resources

A library of elements that are used when configuring modules in flows. Examples of resources include:

• OPC UA tag lists

• Modbus register mappings

• Custom scripts

• Machine learning (ML) models

• Any additional files you want to download and deploy into a flow runtime for a flow.

Universal Connectors

Specialized modules used to connect to REST APIs that facilitate and accelerate connection to external data sources from flows.