Connections
Overview
The Connections page allows administrators to create and manage secure, reusable credentials used by agents and workflows to interact with external systems and services.
Connections centralize authentication and configuration details, providing:
- Secure reuse across multiple agents and workflows
- Centralized credential management
- Simplified maintenance and updates
- Full audit traceability
The Connections page is available to users with the appropriate connection management permissions.
Accessing Connections
From the AI Command Center, navigate to Assets → Connections from the left navigation panel.
The Connections page displays all configured connections and provides options to create and manage them based on your permissions.
Connections View
The Connections page displays all configured connections in a structured table.
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Connection Name | Name of the connection. |
| Type | Type of connection, such as Database, Email, AI, or File Storage. |
| Created By | User who created the connection. |
| Modified At | Date and time when the connection was last modified. |
| Actions | Available operations such as View, Edit, Clone, Delete, or Audit, based on permissions. |
Creating a Connection
To create a new connection:
- Open the Connections page.
- Click Add Connection.
- Select the required connection type.
- Provide the required configuration and authentication details.
- Click Test Connection to validate the connection.
- Click Add to save the connection.
You must have the Add Connection permission to create a new connection.
The properties required to configure a connection depend on the selected connection type. See Connection Types for connection-specific configuration information.
Managing Connections
Existing connections can be viewed and managed from the Connections page.
The available actions depend on the permissions assigned to the user.
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| View | Opens the connection in read-only mode. |
| Edit | Modifies the connection configuration. |
| Clone | Creates a new connection based on an existing connection. |
| Delete | Removes the selected connection. Deletion is restricted if the connection is in use. |
| Audit | Displays the audit history of the connection. |
Viewing a Connection
To view the configuration of an existing connection:
- Open the Connections page.
- Select the connection.
- Click View.
The connection opens in read-only mode and displays its configuration details.
Editing a Connection
To modify an existing connection:
- Open the Connections page.
- Select the connection.
- Choose Edit.
- Update the required configuration details.
- Click Update.
Cloning a Connection
Cloning allows you to create a new connection using the configuration of an existing connection as a starting point.
To clone a connection:
- Select the connection.
- Choose Clone.
- Provide a new connection name.
- Modify the configuration if required.
- Click Add.
Deleting a Connection
To delete a connection:
- Select the connection.
- Choose Delete.
- Confirm the action.
A connection cannot be deleted if it is referenced by an agent.
If dependencies exist, IB-X displays the dependent agent and version information.
Auditing a Connection
To view the audit history of a connection:
- Select the connection.
- Choose Audit.
The audit history records events related to the connection, including:
- Creation
- Configuration changes
- Deletion attempts
Connection Types
IB-X provides connection types for integrating agents and workflows with databases, file systems, AI providers, email services, cloud applications, and other external systems.
Select a connection category below for configuration details.
| Connection Category | Connection Types | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Database Connections | Microsoft SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle | Connect to relational databases for querying and managing data. |
| File System Connection | File System | Access local or network file system locations. |
| FTP Connection | FTP, FTPS | Transfer files using FTP or FTP secured with TLS. |
| SFTP Connection | SFTP | Securely transfer files using SSH. |
| AI Connections | OpenAI, Llama, Sarvam | Connect to supported AI and language model providers. |
| Azure AI Connections | Azure Document Analysis, Azure Text Analytics | Connect to supported Azure AI services using customer-managed Azure credentials. |
| Email Connections | IMAP, SMTP, Outlook (Microsoft 365) | Read, process, and send email using supported email services. |
| Google Connections | Google Drive, Google Sheets | Connect to Google services using OAuth 2.0. |
| WhatsApp Connection | WhatsApp Business | Connect IB-X Agents to the WhatsApp Business Platform. |
| SAP Connection | SAP S/4HANA Cloud, SAP S/4HANA On-Premises | Connect to SAP services using Basic or OAuth 2.0 authentication. |
The configuration properties and authentication methods vary depending on the connection type. Refer to the corresponding connection documentation for the required configuration.
Testing Connections
When creating or editing a connection, use Test Connection, where available, to verify that the supplied configuration and credentials can successfully connect to the external service.
Testing a connection can help identify issues such as:
- Invalid credentials
- Incorrect server or endpoint information
- Network connectivity problems
- Authentication or authorization failures
A successful connection test verifies connectivity using the supplied configuration. It does not necessarily guarantee that the credentials have permission to perform every operation supported by the external service.
Security Considerations
IB-X protects connection configuration and access through the following mechanisms:
- Sensitive values such as passwords, API keys, access keys, tokens, and secrets are stored encrypted.
- Access to connections is governed by role-based permissions.
- Configuration changes are audit-tracked.
- Connections using the Integration Gateway, where supported, consume IB-X Currency.
Grant connection management permissions only to users who require access to create or maintain connections.
When possible, configure external credentials with only the permissions required for the intended automation operations.
Connections provide the secure integration foundation for IB-X Agents, allowing workflows to interact with external systems while keeping authentication and connection configuration centrally managed.