Integration Builder
An integration is a packaging of the resources needed to move data from one external system to another. An integration product is a reusable integration that multiple customers can purchase and use in different workspaces.
The Integration Builder defines the integration product and its resources, which include connectors, services, shared flows, flow templates, and jobs / schedules.
Since an integration product can be registered to any number of customer workspaces, the integration builder provides a single entry point for someone to manage and support all registrations of a given integration.
Integration Types
There are three types of integrations, however, you create only standard integrations using the integration builder. Create custom and project-based integrations in the unique workspace to which they belong.
Standard: Integration that can be configured across multiple customers and workspaces.
Automates the data flow between two or more systems that a company uses.
Intended to be configurable and reusable across many different workspaces.
Custom: Integration that is specific to a single customer workspace.
Automates the data flow between two or more systems that a company uses.
Cannot be used across multiple workspaces.
Project-Based: Integration that is used by multiple companies collaborating on a project.
If you have a Project workspace, the only kind of integration you can add is a project-based integration.
Integration Builder Components
The Integration Builder is made up of several components.
Connectors
Connectors communicate and exchange data between the external system and the App Xchange platform in an integration.
Features
Features are a set of functionalities that a customer can enable or disable based on the requirements for their integration. The feature groups the functionalities with the ways that customers use the integration.
Services
Services are added to a feature and are specific to a particular connector. Services identify how data will move between systems. You can configure a service and even make it into a template for customization across different workspaces.
Configurations
Configurations (configs) allow for customization of each integration to fit the unique needs of each customer. For example, configurable components could include support email addresses, or specific data table names in a third-party system.
Integration configs are mapped to flow configs.
Jobs / Schedules
Jobs are a way to group flows / services and run them on a specific schedule. Jobs allow for grouping cache writers and action processors. You can set the sequence of flows / services within a particular job to dictate the order that they complete.
Activity Log
The Activity Log is a record of all the changes that were made to an integration.
Workspaces
Workspaces are where data is stored. The integration builder houses the integration definition, but the workspace is where that integration moves data. An integration must be registered to a workspace for it to move data—this means syncing the integration definition with a particular workspace. There are two types of workspaces:
Development Workspaces: Used for testing with sample data. This workspace is automatically created when you first create a new integration.
Workspaces: Used for moving your actual data according to the integration definition. You can register multiple workspaces to a standard integration.