Manage flow resources, credentials, and parameters

CONNECT flows support resources, credentials, and parameters to configure and run flows across different environments.

• Resources provide files and configuration data used by modules.

• Credentials store authentication data for external services.

• Parameters allow reusable and environment-specific settings.

These features allow you to reuse flows, maintain consistency, and update configurations efficiently.

Resources

Flows support the use of centrally managed resources. Resources are centrally managed items used to configure flow modules or provide files at runtime. Some examples are:

• OPC UA tag lists

• Modbus register mappings

• Python libraries

Modules access resources during execution on a flow runtime. Examples include the following:

• Python or C# scripts that are imported into the respective Code modules

• Machine learning (ML) models that are used inside a Code module

• A CSV file with static data that is accessed with the CSVReader module

Credentials library

The Credentials library stores authentication data required to access external services. See Credential types and examples.

Key points

• Credentials are stored securely in encrypted form

• Only credential managers can view sensitive values

• You reference credentials by name in modules

Examples

• Username and password

• API keys

Flow parameters

Flow parameters define reusable settings for flows.

Use cases

• Run the same flow on multiple environments with different values

• Update shared settings across multiple flows

Example

Use a parameter to store a credential value that changes periodically instead of updating every flow.

For more information, see Create and assign a flow parameter for reuse.