Connection Templates are allow the central storage of connections for simpler maintenance and re-usability.
Description
Each Connection Template consists of these basic properties, see screenshot below:
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Name: A unique name that identifies the Template
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Description: Further information that e.g. describes the purpose or usage of the Template
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Type: The type of system that utilizes this Template
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Credential: The Credential that is used by the Template. This selection is limited to the Credentials of the selected connection type
The section Connection properties defines the additional information specific to the selected connection type and can be edited in the grid by double clicking the value.
Usage of a Connection Template
Each extension (Task Deployment, Adapter, Activity, Event, …) that supports Connection Templates to access a third-party system allows the creation of Connection Templates from the form that has been filled out. See the SharePoint Task Lists wizard for an example:
Create a Template
To create a new Template, simply fill out the desired data fields and click the Create new button. This opens the Connection Template window as shown above, where you can enter additional descriptive information and verify your Template.
A Connection Template can consist of all the information needed for a successful connection, leaving the rest of the properties empty.
Edit a Template
To edit a Template, select a Template from the drop-down box and click the Edit template button. This opens the Connection Template window. If you made changes in the form using the Template, those changes are highlighted in the Connection Properties table at the bottom.
Select a template
If a Template is selected from the drop-down box, all the properties that are stored within a Template will be filled out automatically using form.
If you use a Template during the creation of a connection in any extension enabled for Connection Templates, only the differences with the Template are stored. If the Template values are changed later on, all the connections that are using this Template will use the new values of the Template immediately (e.g., Credential change).