Deploying Integrations and Automations

This page outlines the steps to successfully deploy both integrations and automations within ions Integrations page.

For troubleshooting click here TROUBLESHOOTING

STEPS

Step 1: Navigate to our integrations page

Integrations button in bottom left of ION

• Search for the integration / automation you'd like to deploy and click Configure.

• Scroll to see all the available integrations and automations that are currently available.

• NOTE: This list is ever expanding so check back often to see what new has been added!

Step 2: Configure ion-api Connection

• Refer to the API key documentation for information on how to get your API keys

• Input your API keys into the following boxes and select your environment

• NOTE: The API keys generated in your staging environment will not have the correct endpoints for that instance of the integration or automation to work in you production environment.

ION API Connection Setup

Step 3.0: Other Fields

• Often times an integration or automation needs additional parameters setup to point at desired objects or actions.

• The sub-steps below will provide examples of how those types of fields are filled out and more documentation is available on an integration by integration basis for what those fields mean in their specific use case.

Step 3.1: Setup Free Text Custom Fields

• Many of our automations contain custom fields that need to be setup. These are often times pointing towards a specific ION object you want to listen to, mutate or create.

• The example below is from the Data Imprinting automation where the customer has the ability to choose what attributes they would like to imprint on the selected imprint objects.

Input text fields to match the custom attributes the user wants to imprint from one object to another.

• Most of the time these types of free text input fields will correspond to a custom attribute that is within your Org. Settings.

Step 3.2: Setup Pick-list Custom Fields

• Sometimes input fields will be a pre-defined list that the user can choose from during setup. In this case there will be a description below the input box that will inform the user what this selection will have an affect on.

Exampe of selection box style automation setup.

Step 3.3: Setup Webhook Related Triggers

• Less common, a third type of selection one might have to make is defining what types of trigger you want to initiate the automation. This will not be an option on every integration/automation.

• See the page, Webhooks, to understand more about how these work along with the resources available to determine the entire suite of webhook subscriptions available.

• Two very relevant terms on the webhooks page, WebhookSubscriptionActions and ResourceEnum whcih you can explore more IONs GraphiQL interface documentation explorer.

GraphQL Explorer in Bottom Left of ION

Documentation Explorer top Right of GraphQL API Screen

• In practice putting webhook related information into an automation may look like the below, where you define the ResourceEnum (what you are listening to) and the WebhookSubscriptionActions (what you are listening for).

• NOTE: Input format matters here, it should be representative of how it is displayed in the GraphQL documentation explorer.

ResourceEnum shown in the Key field and WebhookSubscriptionActions shown in the Value field

• Webhooks are setup when instances of an integration or automation are first instantiated and are only deactivated when instances of an integration or automation are deactivated, not paused.

Step 4.0: Setup of External Software Integration Connections (Email, Finance, PLM, QMS, MRP)

• If you are setting up an integration you are likely interfacing with another software such as Arena, Duro or Smartsheet to name just a few of our current partnerships.

• These platforms will have different ways of configuring their respective connections and you will follow steps specific to those integrations using instructions elsewhere in this manual.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Common Issue 1:

• Symptom: Automation is not triggering desired result.

• Cause: You've recently tried to deploy in another environment or switch the environment you are pointing to.

• Solution:

  If you are trying to spin up a new instance in a new environment you need to make sure that you are using unique API keys from those respective environments for those specific deployments. A sandbox API key and secret will NOT work in the prod environment. If you find that is what happened I would recommend the following steps, it’s a few extra steps but should cleanup any crossed wires.

  1. Record the current setup of your instances so you can easily recall them.

  2. Deactivate your instances to get rid of any stray, interconnected webhook subscriptions / receivers between your two environments.

  3. Create two new instances making sure to use those unique API Keys and Secrets for your respective environments.

  4. Double check your triggers if applicable when creating the instance to make sure you’re looking at the correct resource and action.