Connection String for CSV File


This page describes how to specify a connection string for CSV File. 

Entries into the Sensitive Part field will be stored encrypted in Salesforce. If you want to secure the username also, include it in the field separated by a semi-colon.

The Overcast CSV adapter is designed to access a CSV file that is exported from your back-end system. 

The adapter provides two methods for accessing the CSV file. 

  1. FTP 
  2. Windows network share 

If using the Overcast secure agent, the FTP server or network share needs to be accessible from the computer that has the secure agent installed. Otherwise, the FTP server should be accessible from the public internet.

FTP Connections

The FTP server must enable passive mode. The server must advertise a publicly resolvable hostname or IP address for the passive mode data connection.

 

For securing FTP connections, we only support FTP over Explicit SSL/TLS (FTPES, port 21). Use the URI scheme ftps://.
The certificate must be CA signed. Alternatively, when using the Overcast Secure Agent, you may install the non-CA signed certificate in the Secure Agent machine.

We do not support FTP over SSH (SFTP, port 22) or FTP over Implicit SSL (FTPS, port 990).

FTP Sample

Enter the following text into the Connection String field
 

ftp="ftps://10.0.0.100/Export/" username=john encoding=UTF8 useheader=true

Enter the following text into the Sensitive Part field

password=mypassword 


Network Share Sample

Enter the following text into the Connection String field

 

path="192.168.100.100/Export" user=john domain=COMPANYA encoding=UTF8 useheader=true 

Enter the following text into the Sensitive Part field

password=mypassword

 

For network shares, it is preferred to use IPv4 address. When using the Windows etc/hosts file to resolve hostnames, do not resolve to computer names, resolve to IPv4 addresses.

Remember that this is a connection string rather than a path to a single file, so we use the location to where all the CSV files are stored. This way multiple Integration Scenarios can use the same CSV connection string.

 

When accessing a network share through the Overcast secure agent the secure agent Windows service must be changed from Local System to the administrator account where the network share is created. The CSV adapter cannot access network shares unless the user is an admin account, not a system account. After installing the secure agent, change the service "Overcast Enterprise Gateway Secure Agent" to LogOn as an administrator.

 

Each time you create or modify a connection string in Overcast, validate your connection by clicking the Check button to ensure the connection can be established successfully. 


Parameter Keys

Key Description Required
path The network share path for Overcast to use. Must be accessible through VPN or secure agent. Cannot use ftp key with this. Yes (if not using ftp)
useheader Specify yes or true if the file's first line contains the column names. Accepts “yes”, “true”, “no”, “false”. Defaults to “true”. No
encoding Specify the encoding/charset of the file. Accepts “UTF8”, “SHIFT_JIS”, “ANSI”. No
ftp The full FTP network address and directory path to download file from. Cannot use path key with this. Yes (if not using path)
username Username for the FTP or network share. No
password Password for the FTP or network share. No
domain The Windows Active Directory domain. Required if the network share uses Active Directory.  Yes (if using path and AD)
delimiter

Delimiter character. Need to enclose the value in double quotes when you use whitespace character like " " and "t".

Default value is ",".
Comma separated files do not need to set this value.

Tab-separted value files should set this as "t".

 No

 

 

1. Go to the Connection Strings tab and select the New button.

 

2. Enter a Connection String Name and select "CSV" for Connection Type. Enter your Connection String and its Sensitive Part as described above, and select Save. Description and Named Credential are optional.

 

3. Select Check to validate your connection. A green checked circle will appear once a successful connection is established.