About Data Adapters

The Data Adapter module provides users with a quick and easy method to integrate with external sources of information residing within your enterprise, or on the web. It is a flexible integration tool for accessing data from external sources such as local and remote databases, HTTP or HTTPS services, XML files, etc. The data is then available through XML APIs for automated processing and display.

External information is accessed and processed through two-way connections called data links. Data links can be used to display and process external information in the application, as well as to extract and present local information in external applications.

Do You Need Data Links?

The benefits of using the Data Adapter are numerous but consider the following factors to evaluate the need to set up data links.

  • Who owns the data?

If an external system controls the reading and writing of data or if important data is in an external database, you are likely to need data links.

  • How do you access the data?

If access to external data is through defined APIs, URLs, or web services, or if the protocol for information transfer is not open, you are likely to need data links.

  • What is the nature of the data required in customer interactions?

You are likely to need data links if interactions with customers require information that:

    • Is very customer-specific and not “global.”

    • Ages quickly, so that agents have to access data in real time.

    • Is used frequently, so agents have to access the information for each customer interaction.

How Do Data Adapters Work?

Data links are of two types:

  1. Access links, which connect to the external source and fetch data. Access links are discussed in detail in About Access Links.

  2. Usage links, which use the fetched data either in displays within the application, or as input criteria for making decisions about processing information within the application. Usage links are explained in About Usage Links.

A working data-link connection typically involves:

  • Creating a data access link to fetch data from the external source.

  • Creating data usage links, which are made available to users to process the data extracted from the external source. Multiple usage links can be grouped to create a single display. Usage link grouping is discussed in detail in About Usage Link Groups.

Where and How Can You Use Data Links?

Once data links are created, they can be used in the following modules:

Workflows

  • Data retrieved from usage links can be used in “IF” conditions to make routing decisions or to update attributes of business objects.

Knowledge Console

  • Usage links can be embedded in Knowledge articles. Once a working link is embedded in an article, external information is retrieved and included in the article body when the article is used by agents, on self-service portals, or by the workflow engine for auto-replies.

The Advisor Desktop

  • Usage links that can be executed by the agent are displayed in the Links section in the Information pane of the Advisor Desktop. Agents can add the output of usage links to responses by clicking the Add to Reply button.

Guided Help

  • Access links can be used by data link articles in the Knowledge Console as a way to gather information from a server, external system, or internet-enabled device.

  • Usage links are required to establish a connection between data link articles and data access links.

The following are the components required to use data adapters with guided help. For more information see Data Adapters and Guided Help

    • Create a data access link defining the query that retrieves data from the database, server, or external system.

    • Create a data usage link referencing the data access link and creating a connection between the access link and the link article.

    • Create a data link article in the Knowledge Console calling the data usage link's macro and defining the parameters needed to perform its intended function.

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