PhixFlow Help

HTTP Datasource

Owned by Former user (Deleted)
Last updated: May 18, 2018 by Eleanor Brodie
3 min read

An HTTP Datasource defines a web site, a web service or some other target that allows XML, HTTP or text data to be collected from it, or exported to it, over HTTP. Data is collected from an HTTP Datasource using an HTTP Collector, and exported to an HTTP Datasource using an HTTP Exporter.

Form: HTTP Datasource Details

The form provides the standard form icons.

Configure the following fields to set up an HTTP Datasource:

FieldDescription
NameName of the HTTP Datasource.
EnabledTick when the configuration is complete and the HTTP datasource is ready to be used.
Allow Anonymous ExportYou should tick this flag if either:
  • no authentication is required when exporting to this HTTP Datasource, or
  • this HTTP Datasource requires authentication, and you want to export to the datasource from a scheduled task.
For a datasource that requires authentication, if this flag is not ticked you will only be able to export to the datasource interactively, i.e. when someone is logged in (see Use User Credentials on Export below). For a datasource that requires authentication, if this flag is ticked it is possible to export to the datasource from a scheduled task. When exporting to this datasource interactively, the credentials of the user running the export will be used. When exporting under a scheduled task, the anonymous username and password defined in one of the HTTP Datasource Instances defined for this datasource will be used. See Use User Credentials on Export below for further details.
Use User Credentials on ExportWhen this flag is ticked, the current logged-in user's own PhixFlow username and password will be used to connect to the target http datasource when an exporter is used interactively. Note that this means that the username/password must exist on the target system. There are two other configuration items that affect http datasource behaviour:
  • Privilege 'Allow anonymous updates on datasources'. Only a user with this privilege can modify the 'Anonymous export allowed' flag on an httpdatasource.
  • System Configuration parameter 'Allow anonymous export by default'. This causes the 'Anonymous export allowed' to be true by default on all new http datasources.
Protect during importTick this field to prevent this HTTP datasource being updated or deleted during import.
Connection TypeChoose from one of:
  • http: the data will be transferred using standard HTTP (not encrypted).
  • https: the data will be transferred using HTTPS, a secure form of HTTP (encrypted).
The following options are only available when Connection Type = https
Check Certificate

Tick if you want to validate the web site's security certificate.

This will check that the web site's certificate matches the web site address, is signed by a valid certification authority, and has not expired.

SSL Protocol

If you are not familiar with SSL Protocol settings, leave this field blank.

The SSL Protocol selects a list of actual protocols that are supported, and enables a sub-set of that list.

If this field is blank, PhixFlow will select a default value which will work in almost all cases.

Valid settings depend on the version of Java that PhixFlow is running under.

These are the allowed values for Oracle's Java 8: TLS, TLSv1, TLSv1.1, TLSv1.2

SSL Protocols Enabled

If you are not familiar with SSL Protocol settings, leave this field blank.

This field specifies the SSL Protocols that should be enabled (as a comma-separated list).

E.g. SSLv3,TLSv1,TLSv1.1,TLSv1.2

If this field is blank, the SSL Protocol (above) determines the Protocols that are enabled.

Datasource Instance Details

HTTP Datasource Instances define the connection details to an HTTP target. A number of instances can be defined to allow for several connections under a single HTTP Datasource. At least one HTTP Datasource Instance must be defined for each HTTP Datasource.

NameName of the HTTP datasource instance. This must be unique, although one instance may be named "Default". Typically, if a datasource has only one instance then it usually named "Default".
UsernameThe anonymous username configured to access the HTTP datasource instance.
PasswordThe password for the anonymous username configured to access the HTTP datasource instance.
URL

URL of the HTTP target for this instance, without the leading http:// prefix. E.g. rss.slashdot.org/Slashdot/slashdot

This field is made available as the _url internal variable in the Collector or Exporter Url Expression.

DescriptionOptional: description of this datasource instance.
Description
DescriptionOptional: description of this datasource.

See Also


Please let us know if we could improve this page feedback@phixflow.com