Validate Connector
Version 23.3.8698
Version 23.3.8698
Validate Connector
Validate connectors perform an XML or message header validation step in order to catch invalid XML or message headers before they cause an error later in the flow.
Overview
Validate connectors are configured with one or more rules that determine whether input XML or message headers are considered valid. Valid input successfully passes through the connector, while XML files or message headers that fail validation throw an error and are not passed along in the flow.
For each configured rule, the connector checks the value from the input XML or message header against the target value to see if it is considered valid. See Validation Rules for details.
Connector Configuration
This section contains all of the configurable connector properties.
Settings Tab
Connector Settings
- Connector Id The static, unique identifier for the connector.
- Connector Type Displays the connector name and a description of what it does.
- Connector Description An optional field to provide a free-form description of the connector and its role in the flow.
- Sample File (optional) A file that represents the structure of the XML being validated. If you upload a sample file, the rules editor displays a tree representation of the document so you can easily find the XPath you need.
Validation
Use the Validation section to add and configure rules and groups of rules. Input XML and message headers are considered valid if they conform to all of the configured rules. See Validation Rules for instructions on defining rules.
Advanced
- Processing Delay The amount of time (in seconds) by which the processing of files placed in the Input folder is delayed. This is a legacy setting. Best practice is to use a File connector to manage local file systems instead of this setting.
Message
Message settings determine how the connector searches for messages and manages them after processing. You can save messages to your Sent folder or you can group them based on a Sent folder scheme, as described below.
- Save to Sent Folder A toggle that instructs the connector to keep a copy of sent messages in the Sent folder.
- Sent Folder Scheme Instructs the connector to group files in the Sent folder according to the selected interval. For example, the Weekly option instructs the connector to create a new subfolder each week and store all sent files for the week in that folder. The blank setting instructs the connector to save all files directly in the Sent folder. For connectors that process many transactions, using subfolders can help keep files organized and improve performance.
Logging
- Log Level The verbosity of logs generated by the connector. When you request support, set this to Debug.
- Log Subfolder Scheme Instructs the connector to group files in the Logs folder according to the selected interval. For example, the Weekly option instructs the connector to create a new subfolder each week and store all logs for the week in that folder. The blank setting tells the connector to save all logs directly in the Logs folder. For connectors that process many transactions, using subfolders helps keep logs organized and improves performance.
- Log Messages Check this to have the log entry for a processed file include a copy of the file itself. If you disable this, you might not be able to download a copy of the file from the Input or Output tabs.
Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous settings are for specific use cases.
- Other Settings Enables you to configure hidden connector settings in a semicolon-separated list (for example,
setting1=value1;setting2=value2
). Normal connector use cases and functionality should not require the use of these settings.
Automation Tab
Settings related to the automatic processing of files by the connector.
- Send Whether messages arriving at the connector are automatically processed.
Performance
Settings related to the allocation of resources to the connector.
- Max Workers The maximum number of worker threads consumed from the threadpool to process files on this connector. If set, this overrides the default setting on the Settings > Automation page.
- Max Files The maximum number of files sent by each thread assigned to the connector. If set, this overrides the default setting on the Settings > Automation page.
Validation Rules
You can build complex validations by defining individual rules and/or groups of rules. For readability, expand the Rules section by clicking the expander icon on the right side of the bar.
To add a validation rule, click Add Rule or Add Group.
When you build your rules, use the dropdowns to make your selections and choose your operator. You can choose from the following:
- Input XML
- Value: The value at the XPath being evaluated
- Data Type: The data type of the value (String, Number, DateTime)
- Occurrences: The number of times the XPath occurs in the document
- Message Header
- Value: The value of the message header being evaluated
- Data Type: The data type of the value (String, Number, DateTime)
When you select an XPath for a rule, if you have uploaded a sample file, the editor displays a tree representation of the document so you can easily find the XPath you need, as shown in the image below.
You can reorder rules and groups. Click the handle and drag the object to a new location.
Input XML is only considered valid if all validation rules (or groups of rules) are satisfied. If the XPath configured in a rule is not found in the input XML, the validation automatically fails. In other words, if the connector is unable to read a value for a rule’s XPath, the input file does not pass the rule.