REST Service

The REST Service origin is a multithreaded origin that processes all authorized REST API requests. The origin can also send records with status codes back to the originating REST API client when used with one or more Send Response to Origin destinations in the same pipeline.

By default, the REST Service origin listens at an HTTP endpoint for requests. You can configure the origin to use Data Collector as an API gateway, which enables using the Data Collector URL as an API endpoint.

Use the REST Service origin to create a REST-based microservice. In a microservice pipeline, the REST Service origin works with one or more microservice destinations that specify the HTTP response code to pass back to the originating REST API client.

The REST Service origin generates a batch for each request that it receives. The REST Service origin can use multiple threads to enable parallel processing of requests from multiple clients. The origin can also read requests containing messages with no compression or with the Gzip or Snappy compression format.

When using the REST Service origin, you must configure the REST API clients to send data to the pipeline. The required client configuration depends on how you configure the origin.

When you configure the REST Service origin, you decide if you want to use a listening port or an API gateway to receive requests. To use a listening port, you specify the HTTP listening port. To use an API gateway, you specify the service name and whether to require gateway authentication.

When not using gateway authentication, you can enable Kerberos authentication using SPNEGO, or SSL/TLS with basic authentication.

For additional security, you can require each request to include a valid application ID by listing valid application IDs in the origin. And you can indicate if the application ID will be in the URL instead of the request header.

You can configure the maximum number of concurrent requests to determine how many threads to use. You also configure the format of generated responses.

When you start the pipeline, Data Collector displays the endpoint that the pipeline uses in monitor mode.

HTTP Listening Port

By default, the REST Service origin listens for requests at an HTTP endpoint and processes all authorized requests. You can specify the port number that the origin listens at. By default, the origin uses port number 8000.

The specified listening port should be used by a single pipeline, unless you use application IDs to differentiate between the requests to be processed by different pipelines.

API Gateway

You can configure the origin to use Data Collector as an API gateway instead of listening for messages at an HTTP endpoint.

When you enable Data Collector as an API gateway, you specify a service name for the pipeline, which Data Collector uses to route requests to the pipeline. Then, you configure REST API clients to send requests to the specified service name.

Gateway Authentication

When the REST Service origin uses Data Collector as an API gateway, you can also configure the origin to require gateway authentication.

When you require gateway authentication, the user in each request must be an authenticated Control Hub user. This leverages the authentication method configured for Control Hub. When you enable gateway authentication, the origin ignores other user authentication options configured in stage properties.

REST API URLs

Data Collector provides a secure REST API and a public REST API. The API that you use for requests depends on whether the origin requires gateway authentication:
Secure API
Use the secure REST API when the origin requires gateway authentication.
To pass requests to the secure API, the user in the request must have the read permission on the pipeline and the appropriate roles to use the REST API:
  • For a Data Collector registered with Control Hub, the user must have the Engine Administrator or Engine Manager Control Hub role.
Use the following gateway URL for the secure API:
http://<Data Collector URL>/rest/v1/gateway/<service name>
Public API
Use the public REST API when the origin does not require gateway authentication. The public API can be accessed by any user, but to pass requests to the pipeline, the user must have read permission for the pipeline.
Use the following gateway URL for the public API:
http://<Data Collector URL>/public-rest/v1/gateway/<service name>

For more information about constructing the URL, see REST API Client Requirement.

Required Request Header

When you use Data Collector as an API gateway, you must include the following header in POST, PUT, and DELETE requests:
"X-Requested-By:<user-defined string>"

This header is used by the pipeline to provide additional security. The user-defined string can be any string value.

For example, the following request passes a name to the userService gateway service using client as the requestor:
curl -i -X POST http://localhost:18630/public-rest/v1/gateway/userService/user 
--header "X-SDC-APPLICATION-ID:microservice" --header "X-Requested-By:client" -d ‘{"Name": "Joe"}’

Security

The REST Service origin provides the following security options:
Application ID
When you specify a list of application IDs, the origin processes only incoming requests that include one of the specified application IDs.
For more information, see Using Application IDs.
Gateway authentication
When the origin requires gateway authentication, the origin uses the Data Collector SSL/TLS properties, if configured. The origin also requires requests to use the secure REST API.
You can enable gateway authentication when you use Data Collector as an API gateway. For more information, see Gateway Authentication.
When you enable gateway authentication, the Kerberos with SPNEGO authentication and SSL/TLS basic authentication properties are ignored.
Kerberos with SPNEGO
The origin can authenticate using Kerberos with SPNEGO web authentication. You can use this option when your environment is enabled to perform Kerberos authentication over HTTP.
Kerberos with SPNEGO provides Kerberos authentication for the origin without requiring Data Collector to use Kerberos.
When you enable Kerberos with SPNEGO, you specify the Kerberos realm where the service is located. You also specify the Kerberos principal and the location of the keytab. The keytab must be local to Data Collector.
If Data Collector is Kerberos-enabled, you can use the same principal and keytab configured for Data Collector.
You can use Kerberos with SPNEGO with SSL/TLS. However, the SSL/TLS basic authentication properties are ignored. When gateway authentication is enabled, the Kerberos with SPNEGO properties are ignored.
SSL/TLS with additional options
When you enable SSL/TLS in the origin, you can also enable the following additional security measures:
  • Client authentication - Requires mutual authentication of each REST API client before accepting requests.
  • Basic authentication - Requires incoming requests to include one of the user accounts specified in the origin.

    You can use basic authentication when other authentication methods, such as gateway or Kerberos with SPNEGO authentication, are not enabled. When other authentication methods are enabled, basic authentication properties are ignored.

Using Application IDs

You can configure the REST Service origin to only process requests that include a valid application ID. To require application IDs in the requests, define a list of valid application IDs in the REST Service origin.

When you configure application IDs for the origin, you must configure the REST API clients to include one of the listed application IDs in each request.

You might use application IDs to provide additional security or to enable multiple pipelines to listen at the same port. That is, if you specify a different application ID for each pipeline, multiple pipelines can safely share the same port.

Include the application ID for each request in one of the following ways:

In request headers
Add the following information to the HTTP request header for all requests that you want the origin to process:
X-SDC-APPLICATION-ID: <application_ID>
For example:
X-SDC-APPLICATION-ID: sdc_microservice
In a query parameter in the URL
If you cannot configure the client request headers - for example if the requests are generated by another system - then configure each REST API client to send data to a URL that includes the application ID in a query parameter.
To include the application ID in a query parameter, enable the Application ID in URL property when you configure the origin. Then, include the application ID in a URL query parameter using the following format: 
sdcApplicationId=<application_ID>
For example, the following URL sends a request to a microservice pipeline listening at port 8000 using sdc_microservice as the application ID: 
https://localhost:8000/?sdcApplicationId=sdc_microservice

REST API Client Requirement

To enable the REST Service origin to process data, you must configure the REST API clients to send data to the pipeline. The URL that you use depends on how you configure the origin.

You can configure the origin to listen at a port or to use Data Collector as an API gateway:
Listening port
When the origin is configured to listen for data at a specified port, you must configure each client to send data to a URL that includes the listening port number.
Note: No other pipelines or processes can already be bound to the listening port. The listening port can be used only by a single pipeline.
Use the following format for the URL:
<http | https>://<sdc_hostname>:<listening_port>/<path>?<queryString>&sdcApplicationId=<application_ID>
The URL includes the following components:
  • <http | https> - Use https for secure HTTP connections.
  • <sdc_hostname> - The Data Collector host name.
  • <listening_port> - The port number where the origin listens for data.
  • <path> - Optional. The path of the URL.
  • <queryString> - Optional. The parameters of the URL that come after the path.
  • <application_ID> - Optional application ID if not passed in the request header.

For example: https://localhost:8000/ or https://localhost:8000/rest/v1/user.

API gateway
When the origin is configured to use Data Collector as an API gateway, you specify a service name to use and indicate if authentication is required.
To pass data to the pipeline, configure each REST API client to send data to a URL that includes the Data Collector URL and the specified service name.
Use the following format for the URL:
<http | https>://<sdc_URL>/<rest | public-rest>/v1/gateway/<service name><path>?<queryString>&sdcApplicationId=<application_ID>
The URL includes the following components:
  • <http | https> - Use https for secure HTTP connections.
  • <sdc_URL> - The Data Collector URL.
  • <rest | public-rest> - Use rest when requiring gateway authentication. Use public-rest when no authentication is required. For more information, see
  • <service name> - Service name specified in the origin.
  • <path> - Optional. The path of the URL.
  • <queryString> - Optional. The parameters of the URL that come after the path.
  • <application_ID> - Optional application ID if not passed in the request header.
For example, the following URL sends data to a local Data Collector using the default port number. Data Collector routes the data to the microservice pipeline with the checkUser service name: 
https://localhost:18630/rest/v1/gateway/checkUser

Multithreaded Processing

The REST Service origin performs parallel processing and enables the creation of a multithreaded pipeline.

The REST Service origin uses multiple concurrent threads based on the Max Concurrent Requests property. When you start the pipeline, the origin creates the number of threads specified in the Max Concurrent Requests property. Each thread generates a batch from an incoming request and passes the batch to an available pipeline runner.

A pipeline runner is a sourceless pipeline instance - an instance of the pipeline that includes all of the processors, executors, and destinations in the pipeline and handles all pipeline processing after the origin. Each pipeline runner processes one batch at a time, just like a pipeline that runs on a single thread. When the flow of data slows, the pipeline runners wait idly until they are needed, generating an empty batch at regular intervals. You can configure the Runner Idle Time pipeline property to specify the interval or to opt out of empty batch generation.

Multithreaded pipelines preserve the order of records within each batch, just like a single-threaded pipeline. But since batches are processed by different pipeline runners, the order that batches are written to destinations is not ensured.

For example, say you set the Max Concurrent Requests property to 5. When you start the pipeline, the origin creates five threads, and Data Collector creates a matching number of pipeline runners. Upon receiving data, the origin passes a batch to each of the pipeline runners for processing. In the batch, REST Service includes only the REST API requests with the specified application ID.

Each pipeline runner performs the processing associated with the rest of the pipeline. After a batch is written to pipeline destinations, the pipeline runner becomes available for another batch of data. Each batch is processed and written as quickly as possible, independent from other batches processed by other pipeline runners, so batches may be written differently from the read order.

At any given moment, the five pipeline runners can each process a batch, so this multithreaded pipeline processes up to five batches at a time. When incoming data slows, the pipeline runners sit idle, available for use as soon as the data flow increases.

For more information about multithreaded pipelines, see Multithreaded Pipeline Overview.

Generated Response

In a microservice pipeline, the REST Service origin can send a response back to the originating REST API client.

The generated response contains:
  • Records received from microservice destinations
  • Pipeline error records received when the pipeline is configured to use the Send Response to Origin pipeline error handling

The origin generates a single response for each batch of records received. The origin can generate the response in JSON or XML format. The response can include an envelope or only raw data.

Responses with an Envelope

When configured to send a response with an envelope, the origin generates a response that includes the status code, data from microservice destinations, error records from the pipeline, and the first error message. The generated response includes the following JSON keys or XML elements:
Response Key or Element Value
httpStatusCode The status code associated with the records in the response.

If the records in the generated response share the same status code, the code is written to the httpStatusCode key or element. If the records have different status codes, the httpStatusCode is set to 207 for multiple statuses.

data A list of records passed to the origin by the microservice destinations used in the pipeline.
error A list of pipeline error records passed to the origin by the Send Response to Origin pipeline error handling.
errorMessage The error message associated with the first error record in the response.

Used only when the response includes error records.

For example, in JSON format, generated responses with envelopes have the following structure: 
{
"httpStatusCode":<status code>,
"data":[<list of success records>],
"error":[<list of error records>],
"errorMessage": <error message, if any>
}

Raw Responses

When configured to send a raw response, the origin generates a response that contains either the list of records passed from the microservice destinations or the list of error records passed by the Send Response to Origin pipeline error handling. If the origin receives data records from destinations and error records from the pipeline, then the origin includes only the error records in the response. If the origin receives no data records from destinations and no error records from the pipeline, then the origin generates an empty response.

Sample Responses

The following samples in JSON format show responses with an envelope and raw responses without an envelope when the origin receives single records and multiple records:
Single record
The origin receives a single record from the Send Response to Origin destination. The destination is configured to use the 200 status code.
For a response with an envelope, the origin sends the following response: 
{
"httpStatusCode":200,
"data":[{"ID":"103","NAME":"Jack","AGE":"37","STATE":"MD"}],
"error":[],
"errorMessage":null
}
For a raw response, the origin sends the following response: 
{"ID":"103","NAME":"Jack","AGE":"37","STATE":"MD"}
Multiple data and error records
The origin receives several records, data and error. Because each record has a different status code, the response uses status code 207 for multiple statuses. The errorMessage key includes the error associated with the first record which has a missing ID. The origin is configured to present multiple records as multiple JSON objects.
For a response with an envelope, the origin sends the following response:
{
"httpStatusCode":207,
"data":[{"ID":"248","NAME":"Pina","AGE":"24","STATE":"RI"}],
"error":[{"NAME":"Liz","AGE":"37","STATE":"DE"}, {"ID":"302","NAME":"Roco","AGE":"","STATE":"CA"}],
"errorMessage":"COMMON_0001 - Stage precondition: CONTAINER_0051 - Unsatisfied precondition(s) '${record:exists('/ID')}'"
}
For a raw response, the origin sends the following response: 
{"NAME":"Liz","AGE":"37","STATE":"DE"}, {"ID":"302","NAME":"Roco","AGE":"","STATE":"CA"}

Record Header Attributes

The REST Service origin creates record header attributes that include information about the requested URL.

You can use the record:attribute or record:attributeOrDefault functions to access the information in the attributes. For more information about working with record header attributes, see Working with Header Attributes.

The REST Service origin creates the following record header attributes:
  • method - The method for the request, such as GET, POST, or DELETE.
  • path - The path of the URL.
  • queryString - The parameters of the URL that come after the path.
  • remoteHost - The name of the client or proxy that made the request.

The REST Service origin also includes HTTP request header fields – such as Host or Content-Type – in records as record header attributes. The attribute names match the original HTTP request header field name.

Data Formats

The REST Service origin processes data differently based on the data format that you select. The origin processes the following types of data:

Avro
Generates a record for every Avro record. The origin includes the Avro schema in the avroSchema record header attribute. It also includes a precision and scale field attribute for each Decimal field.
The origin expects each file to contain the Avro schema and uses the schema to process the Avro data.
The origin reads files compressed by Avro-supported compression codecs without requiring additional configuration.
Binary
Generates a record with a single byte array field at the root of the record.
When the data exceeds the user-defined maximum data size, the origin cannot process the data. Because the record is not created, the origin cannot pass the record to the pipeline to be written as an error record. Instead, the origin generates a stage error.
Datagram
Generates a record for every message. The origin can process collectd messages, NetFlow 5 and NetFlow 9 messages, and the following types of syslog messages:
  • RFC 5424
  • RFC 3164
  • Non-standard common messages, such as RFC 3339 dates with no version digit
When processing NetFlow messages, the stage generates different records based on the NetFlow version. When processing NetFlow 9, the records are generated based on the NetFlow 9 configuration properties. For more information, see NetFlow Data Processing.
Delimited
Generates a record for each delimited line.
The CSV parser that you choose determines the delimiter properties that you configure and how the stage handles parsing errors. You can specify if the data includes a header line and whether to use it. You can define the number of lines to skip before reading, the character set of the data, and the root field type to use for the generated record.
You can also configure the stage to replace a string constant with null values and to ignore control characters.
For more information about reading delimited data, see Reading Delimited Data.
JSON
Generates a record for each JSON object. You can process JSON files that include multiple JSON objects or a single JSON array.
When an object exceeds the maximum object length defined for the origin, the origin processes the object based on the error handling configured for the stage.
Protobuf
Generates a record for every protobuf message. By default, the origin assumes messages contain multiple protobuf messages.
Protobuf messages must match the specified message type and be described in the descriptor file.
When the data for a record exceeds 1 MB, the origin cannot continue processing data in the message. The origin handles the message based on the stage error handling property and continues reading the next message.
For information about generating the descriptor file, see Protobuf Data Format Prerequisites.
SDC Record
Generates a record for every record. Use to process records generated by a Data Collector pipeline using the SDC Record data format.
For error records, the origin provides the original record as read from the origin in the original pipeline, as well as error information that you can use to correct the record.
When processing error records, the origin expects the error file names and contents as generated by the original pipeline.
XML
Generates records based on a user-defined delimiter element. Use an XML element directly under the root element or define a simplified XPath expression. If you do not define a delimiter element, the origin treats the XML file as a single record.
Generated records include XML attributes and namespace declarations as fields in the record by default. You can configure the stage to include them in the record as field attributes.
You can include XPath information for each parsed XML element and XML attribute in field attributes. This also places each namespace in an xmlns record header attribute.
When a record exceeds the user-defined maximum record length, the origin skips the record and continues processing with the next record. It sends the skipped record to the pipeline for error handling.
Use the XML data format to process valid XML documents. For more information about XML processing, see Reading and Processing XML Data.
Tip: If you want to process invalid XML documents, you can try using the text data format with custom delimiters. For more information, see Processing XML Data with Custom Delimiters.

Configuring a REST Service Origin

Configure a REST Service origin to process REST API requests and pass responses back to the originating REST API client. Use the origin as part of a microservice pipeline.

  1. In the Properties panel, on the General tab, configure the following properties:
    General Property Description
    Name Stage name.
    Description Optional description.
    On Record Error Error record handling for the stage:
    • Discard - Discards the record.
    • Send to Error - Sends the record to the pipeline for error handling.
    • Stop Pipeline - Stops the pipeline.
  2. On the HTTP tab, configure the following properties:
    HTTP Property Description
    Use API Gateway Use Data Collector as an API gateway instead of listening at a port number for requests.
    Gateway Service Name Service name for the pipeline. Data Collector routes requests that include the specified service name to the origin.
    Require Gateway Authentication Requires the gateway to authenticate the user in each request.
    HTTP Listening Port Listening port to use. Not used when gateway authentication is enabled.

    When listening at a port, the port number must be included in the URL that the REST API client uses to pass data.

    For more information, see REST API Client Requirement.

    List of Application IDs Optional list of application IDs used to pass requests to the REST Service origin. When specified, REST API clients must pass one of the listed IDs in the request.

    The application ID can be passed in either the request header or a query parameter of the URL.
    Max Concurrent Requests Maximum number of REST API clients allowed to send messages to the origin at one time.

    If the origin reaches the configured maximum and receives additional requests from different clients, it processes those requests as slots become available.

    This property also determines how many threads the origin generates and uses for multithreaded processing. For more information, see Multithreaded Processing.
    Application ID in URL Enables reading the application ID from the URL. Use when REST API clients include the application ID in the URL query parameter instead of in the request header.

    For more information, see Using Application IDs.
    Max Request Size (MB) Maximum size of the request body that the origin can process.
    Use Kerberos with SPNEGO Authentication Performs Kerberos authentication over HTTP. Does not require Data Collector to be Kerberos-enabled.
    Kerberos Realm Kerberos realm where the SPNEGO service is located.
    HTTP-SPNEGO Principal Kerberos service principal defined in the keytab file. Should use the following format:
    HTTP/<fully qualified hostname>@<KerberosRealm>
    Keytab File Path to the keytab file that contains the specified Kerberos service principal.
  3. On the Data Format tab, configure the following property:
    Data Format Property Description
    Data Format Type of data to be processed. Use one of the following options:
    • Avro
    • Binary
    • Datagram
    • Delimited
    • JSON
    • Protobuf
    • SDC Record
    • XML
  4. For binary data, on the Data Format tab, configure the following properties:
    Binary Property Description
    Compression Format The compression format of the files:
    • None - Processes only uncompressed files.
    • Compressed File - Processes files compressed by the supported compression formats.
    • Archive - Processes files archived by the supported archive formats.
    • Compressed Archive - Processes files archived and compressed by the supported archive and compression formats.
    File Name Pattern within Compressed Directory For archive and compressed archive files, file name pattern that represents the files to process within the compressed directory. You can use UNIX-style wildcards, such as an asterisk or question mark. For example, *.json.

    Default is *, which processes all files.
    Max Data Size (bytes) Maximum number of bytes in the message. Larger messages cannot be processed or written to error.
  5. For datagram data, on the Data Format tab, configure the following properties:
    Datagram Properties Description
    Datagram Packet Format Packet format of the data:
    • collectd
    • NetFlow
    • syslog
    • Raw/separated data
    TypesDB File Path Path to a user-provided types.db file. Overrides the default types.db file.

    For collectd data only.
    Auth File Path to an optional authentication file. Use an authentication file to accept signed and encrypted data.

    For collectd data only.
    Convert Hi-Res Time & Interval Converts the collectd high resolution time format interval and timestamp to UNIX time, in milliseconds.

    For collectd data only.
    Exclude Interval Excludes the interval field from output record.

    For collectd data only.
    Record Generation Mode Determines the type of values to include in the record. Select one of the following options:
    • Raw Only
    • Interpreted Only
    • Both Raw and Interpreted

    For NetFlow 9 data only.
    Max Templates in Cache The maximum number of templates to store in the template cache. For more information about templates, see Caching NetFlow 9 Templates.

    Default is -1 for an unlimited cache size.

    For NetFlow 9 data only.
    Template Cache Timeout (ms) The maximum number of milliseconds to cache an idle template. Templates unused for more than the specified time are evicted from the cache. For more information about templates, see Caching NetFlow 9 Templates.

    Default is -1 for caching templates indefinitely.

    For NetFlow 9 data only.
    Charset Character encoding of the messages to be processed.
    Ignore Control Characters Removes all ASCII control characters except for the tab, line feed, and carriage return characters.
  6. For delimited data, on the Data Format tab, configure the following properties:
    Delimited Property Description
    Header Line Indicates whether a file contains a header line, and whether to use the header line.
    Delimiter Format Type Delimiter format type. Use one of the following options:
    • Default CSV - File that includes comma-separated values. Ignores empty lines in the file.
    • RFC4180 CSV - Comma-separated file that strictly follows RFC4180 guidelines.
    • MS Excel CSV - Microsoft Excel comma-separated file.
    • MySQL CSV - MySQL comma-separated file.
    • Tab-Separated Values - File that includes tab-separated values.
    • PostgreSQL CSV - PostgreSQL comma-separated file.
    • PostgreSQL Text - PostgreSQL text file.
    • Custom - File that uses user-defined delimiter, escape, and quote characters.
    • Multi Character Delimited - File that uses multiple user-defined characters to delimit fields and lines, and single user-defined escape and quote characters.

    Available when using the Apache Commons parser type.
    Multi Character Field Delimiter Characters that delimit fields.

    Default is two pipe characters (||).

    Available when using the Apache Commons parser with the multi-character delimiter format.
    Multi Character Line Delimiter Characters that delimit lines or records.

    Default is the newline character (\n).

    Available when using the Apache Commons parser with the multi-character delimiter format.
    Delimiter Character Delimiter character. Select one of the available options or use Other to enter a custom character.

    You can enter a Unicode control character using the format \uNNNN, where ​N is a hexadecimal digit from the numbers 0-9 or the letters A-F. For example, enter \u0000 to use the null character as the delimiter or \u2028 to use a line separator as the delimiter.

    Default is the pipe character ( | ).

    Available when using the Apache Commons parser with a custom delimiter format.

    Field Separator One or more characters to use as delimiter characters between columns.

    Available when using the Univocity parser.
    Escape Character Escape character.

    Available when using the Apache Commons parser with the custom or multi-character delimiter format. Also available when using the Univocity parser.
    Quote Character Quote character.

    Available when using the Apache Commons parser with the custom or multi-character delimiter format. Also available when using the Univocity parser.
    Line Separator Line separator.

    Available when using the Univocity parser.
    Allow Comments Allows commented data to be ignored for custom delimiter format.

    Available when using the Univocity parser.
    Comment Character

    Character that marks a comment when comments are enabled for custom delimiter format.

    Available when using the Univocity parser.
    Enable Comments Allows commented data to be ignored for custom delimiter format.

    Available when using the Apache Commons parser.
    Comment Marker Character that marks a comment when comments are enabled for custom delimiter format.

    Available when using the Apache Commons parser.
    Lines to Skip Number of lines to skip before reading data.
    Compression Format The compression format of the files:
    • None - Processes only uncompressed files.
    • Compressed File - Processes files compressed by the supported compression formats.
    • Archive - Processes files archived by the supported archive formats.
    • Compressed Archive - Processes files archived and compressed by the supported archive and compression formats.
    File Name Pattern within Compressed Directory For archive and compressed archive files, file name pattern that represents the files to process within the compressed directory. You can use UNIX-style wildcards, such as an asterisk or question mark. For example, *.json.

    Default is *, which processes all files.
    CSV Parser Parser to use to process delimited data:
    • Apache Commons - Provides robust parsing and a wide range of delimited format types.
    • Univocity - Can provide faster processing for wide delimited files, such as those with over 200 columns.

    Default is Apache Commons.
    Max Columns Maximum number of columns to process per record.

    Available when using the Univocity parser.
    Max Character per Column Maximum number of characters to process in each column.

    Available when using the Univocity parser.
    Skip Empty Lines Allows skipping empty lines.

    Available when using the Univocity parser.
    Allow Extra Columns Allows processing records with more columns than exist in the header line.

    Available when using the Apache Commons parser to process data with a header line.
    Extra Column Prefix Prefix to use for any additional columns. Extra columns are named using the prefix and sequential increasing integers as follows: <prefix><integer>.

    For example, _extra_1. Default is _extra_.

    Available when using the Apache Commons parser to process data with a header line while allowing extra columns.
    Max Record Length (chars) Maximum length of a record in characters. Longer records are not read.

    This property can be limited by the Data Collector parser buffer size. For more information, see Maximum Record Size.

    Available when using the Apache Commons parser.
    Ignore Empty Lines Allows empty lines to be ignored.

    Available when using the Apache Commons parser with the custom delimiter format.
    Root Field Type Root field type to use:
    • List-Map - Generates an indexed list of data. Enables you to use standard functions to process data. Use for new pipelines.
    • List - Generates a record with an indexed list with a map for header and value. Requires the use of delimited data functions to process data. Use only to maintain pipelines created before 1.1.0.
    Parse NULLs Replaces the specified string constant with null values.
    NULL Constant String constant to replace with null values.
    Charset Character encoding of the files to be processed.
    Ignore Control Characters Removes all ASCII control characters except for the tab, line feed, and carriage return characters.
  7. For JSON data, on the Data Format tab, configure the following properties:
    JSON Property Description
    JSON Content Type of JSON content. Use one of the following options:
    • JSON array of objects
    • Multiple JSON objects
    Compression Format The compression format of the files:
    • None - Processes only uncompressed files.
    • Compressed File - Processes files compressed by the supported compression formats.
    • Archive - Processes files archived by the supported archive formats.
    • Compressed Archive - Processes files archived and compressed by the supported archive and compression formats.
    File Name Pattern within Compressed Directory For archive and compressed archive files, file name pattern that represents the files to process within the compressed directory. You can use UNIX-style wildcards, such as an asterisk or question mark. For example, *.json.

    Default is *, which processes all files.
    Max Object Length (chars) Maximum number of characters in a JSON object.

    Longer objects are diverted to the pipeline for error handling.

    This property can be limited by the Data Collector parser buffer size. For more information, see Maximum Record Size.
    Charset Character encoding of the files to be processed.
    Ignore Control Characters Removes all ASCII control characters except for the tab, line feed, and carriage return characters.
  8. For protobuf data, on the Data Format tab, configure the following properties:
    Protobuf Property Description
    Protobuf Descriptor File Descriptor file (.desc) to use. The descriptor file must be in the Data Collector resources directory, $SDC_RESOURCES.

    For information about generating the descriptor file, see Protobuf Data Format Prerequisites. For more information about environment variables, see Java and Security Configuration.
    Message Type The fully-qualified name for the message type to use when reading data.

    Use the following format: <package name>.<message type>.

    Use a message type defined in the descriptor file.
    Delimited Messages Indicates if a message might include more than one protobuf message.
    Compression Format The compression format of the files:
    • None - Processes only uncompressed files.
    • Compressed File - Processes files compressed by the supported compression formats.
    • Archive - Processes files archived by the supported archive formats.
    • Compressed Archive - Processes files archived and compressed by the supported archive and compression formats.
    File Name Pattern within Compressed Directory For archive and compressed archive files, file name pattern that represents the files to process within the compressed directory. You can use UNIX-style wildcards, such as an asterisk or question mark. For example, *.json.

    Default is *, which processes all files.
  9. For SDC Record data, on the Data Format tab, configure the following properties:
    SDC Record Property Description
    Compression Format The compression format of the files:
    • None - Processes only uncompressed files.
    • Compressed File - Processes files compressed by the supported compression formats.
    • Archive - Processes files archived by the supported archive formats.
    • Compressed Archive - Processes files archived and compressed by the supported archive and compression formats.
    File Name Pattern within Compressed Directory For archive and compressed archive files, file name pattern that represents the files to process within the compressed directory. You can use UNIX-style wildcards, such as an asterisk or question mark. For example, *.json.

    Default is *, which processes all files.
  10. For XML data, on the Data Format tab, configure the following properties:
    XML Property Description
    Delimiter Element
    Delimiter to use to generate records. Omit a delimiter to treat the entire XML document as one record. Use one of the following:
    • An XML element directly under the root element.

      Use the XML element name without surrounding angle brackets ( < > ) . For example, msg instead of <msg>.

    • A simplified XPath expression that specifies the data to use.

      Use a simplified XPath expression to access data deeper in the XML document or data that requires a more complex access method.

      For more information about valid syntax, see Simplified XPath Syntax.
    Compression Format The compression format of the files:
    • None - Processes only uncompressed files.
    • Compressed File - Processes files compressed by the supported compression formats.
    • Archive - Processes files archived by the supported archive formats.
    • Compressed Archive - Processes files archived and compressed by the supported archive and compression formats.
    File Name Pattern within Compressed Directory For archive and compressed archive files, file name pattern that represents the files to process within the compressed directory. You can use UNIX-style wildcards, such as an asterisk or question mark. For example, *.json.

    Default is *, which processes all files.
    Preserve Root Element Includes the root element in the generated records.

    When omitting a delimiter to generate a single record, the root element is the root element of the XML document.

    When specifying a delimiter to generate multiple records, the root element is the XML element specified as the delimiter element or is the last XML element in the simplified XPath expression specified as the delimiter element.
    Include Field XPaths Includes the XPath to each parsed XML element and XML attribute in field attributes. Also includes each namespace in an xmlns record header attribute.

    When not selected, this information is not included in the record. By default, the property is not selected.
    Namespaces Namespace prefix and URI to use when parsing the XML document. Define namespaces when the XML element being used includes a namespace prefix or when the XPath expression includes namespaces.

    For information about using namespaces with an XML element, see Using XML Elements with Namespaces.

    For information about using namespaces with XPath expressions, see Using XPath Expressions with Namespaces.

    Using simple or bulk edit mode, click the Add icon to add additional namespaces.
    Output Field Attributes Includes XML attributes and namespace declarations in the record as field attributes. When not selected, XML attributes and namespace declarations are included in the record as fields.

    By default, the property is not selected.
    Max Record Length (chars)

    The maximum number of characters in a record. Longer records are diverted to the pipeline for error handling.

    This property can be limited by the Data Collector parser buffer size. For more information, see Maximum Record Size.
    Charset Character encoding of the files to be processed.
    Ignore Control Characters Removes all ASCII control characters except for the tab, line feed, and carriage return characters.
  11. To use SSL/TLS, click the TLS tab and configure the following properties:
    Note: If the origin requires gateway authentication and Data Collector is already enabled for SSL/TLS, then these properties are used only for the connection between the gateway and the origin.
    TLS Property Description
    Use TLS Enables the use of TLS.
    Require Client Authentication Requires mutual SSL/TLS authentication.
    Use Remote Keystore Enables loading the contents of the keystore from a remote credential store or from values entered in the stage properties. For more information, see Remote Keystore and Truststore.
    Private Key Private key used in the remote keystore. Enter a credential function that returns the key or enter the contents of the key.
    Certificate Chain Each PEM certificate used in the remote keystore. Enter a credential function that returns the certificate or enter the contents of the certificate.
    Keystore File

    Path to the local keystore file. Enter an absolute path to the file or enter the following expression to define the file stored in the Data Collector resources directory:

    ${runtime:resourcesDirPath()}/keystore.jks

    By default, no keystore is used.

    Keystore Type Type of keystore to use. Use one of the following types:
    • Java Keystore File (JKS)
    • PKCS #12 (p12 file)

    Default is Java Keystore File (JKS).

    Keystore Password

    Password to the keystore file. A password is optional, but recommended.

    Tip: To secure sensitive information such as passwords, you can use runtime resources or credential stores.
    Keystore Key Algorithm

    Algorithm to manage the keystore.

    Default is SunX509.
    Use Remote Truststore Enables loading the contents of the truststore from a remote credential store or from values entered in the stage properties. For more information, see Remote Keystore and Truststore.
    Trusted Certificates Each PEM certificate used in the remote truststore. Enter a credential function that returns the certificate or enter the contents of the certificate.

    Using simple or bulk edit mode, click the Add icon to add additional certificates.
    Truststore File

    Path to the local truststore file. Enter an absolute path to the file or enter the following expression to define the file stored in the Data Collector resources directory:

    ${runtime:resourcesDirPath()}/truststore.jks

    By default, no truststore is used.

    Truststore Type
    Type of truststore to use. Use one of the following types:
    • Java Keystore File (JKS)
    • PKCS #12 (p12 file)

    Default is Java Keystore File (JKS).

    Truststore Password

    Password to the truststore file. A password is optional, but recommended.

    Tip: To secure sensitive information such as passwords, you can use runtime resources or credential stores.
    Truststore Trust Algorithm

    Algorithm to manage the truststore.

    Default is SunX509.
    Use Default Protocols Uses the default TLSv1.2 transport layer security (TLS) protocol. To use a different protocol, clear this option.
    Transport Protocols TLS protocols to use. To use a protocol other than the default TLSv1.2, click the Add icon and enter the protocol name. You can use simple or bulk edit mode to add protocols.
    Note: Older protocols are not as secure as TLSv1.2.
    Use Default Cipher Suites Uses a default cipher suite for the SSL/TLS handshake. To use a different cipher suite, clear this option.
    Cipher Suites Cipher suites to use. To use a cipher suite that is not a part of the default set, click the Add icon and enter the name of the cipher suite. You can use simple or bulk edit mode to add cipher suites.

    Enter the Java Secure Socket Extension (JSSE) name for the additional cipher suites that you want to use.

    Basic Authentication Users

    List of user names and passwords that can be used for the connection. When listed, each request must include one of the specified user names and passwords.

    You can use simple or bulk edit mode to configure this property.

    This property is ignored when gateway authentication or Kerberos with SPNEGO is enabled.

  12. On the HTTP Response tab, configure the following properties:
    HTTP Response Property Description
    Send Raw Response Enables the origin to send a response without an envelope.
    Data Format Data format of the payload. Select one of the following options:
    • JSON
    • XML
    JSON Content Method used to present multiple records in a JSON response:
    • JSON array of objects
    • Multiple JSON objects

    Available for the JSON data format.
    Charset Character set of the request body in a JSON response. Available for the JSON data format.
    Pretty Format Enables the origin to write XML responses with human readable indentation. Available for the XML data format.
    Validate Schema Enables the origin to validate XML responses against the provided schema. Available for the XML data format.
    XML Schema Schema that the origin uses to validate XML responses. Available when validating schemas for the XML data format.