Docs/Data connections
Choose and manage a data connection
Connect field systems through FTP, Affinity, or the Ingestion API while keeping shared credentials organized.
On this page
SanSignal accepts instrument data through connected pipelines and its dedicated Ingestion API. Choose the route that matches your source and the way it delivers readings.
| Source workflow | Connection model | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Remote delimited files | Organization FTP external connection, project grant, parser, pipeline | FTP ingestion |
| Supported Affinity inventory and readings | Organization Affinity external connection, site access, project pipeline | Affinity integration |
| Custom gateway or another vendor API | Your integration sends data using a project Ingest API key | Ingestion API |
A custom integration can fetch data from another API and submit it in SanSignal’s ingestion format. Compatibility with a vendor’s API does not imply a built-in connector; review the source’s authentication, identifiers, data types, and delivery behavior when planning the integration.
Organization-owned external connections
An organization administrator creates an external connection and configures the upstream identity. Credentials are write-only in the management UI. Project grants control which projects can use the connection.
For FTP, a grant includes an allowed remote root. For Affinity, the organization also grants access to discovered provider sites. Project administrators configure pipelines within those boundaries without gaining access to upstream secrets.
Connection health and pipeline state
Review connection health, operational enablement, and resource lifecycle separately. An enabled pipeline can be blocked by a disabled connection, an unavailable grant, missing configuration, or an archived dependency.
Shared connection health describes the upstream connection. Pipeline activity and runs explain individual processing outcomes. A healthy connection does not guarantee every record is valid or every pipeline is current.
Change credentials or access
Use the connection’s credential management action to rotate credentials. Affinity uses separate readiness checks for its REST identity and Service Bus identity. Review the result before assuming new credentials are active.
Before disabling or archiving an external connection, inspect its affected projects and pipelines. Disabling can affect several projects at once. External-connection archiving has dependency checks and no restore endpoint, so use reversible disablement for a temporary interruption.
Validate a connection end to end
Start with one instrument and a known timestamp. Confirm the source can be reached, the pipeline or request is accepted, processing completes, and the correct value appears on the correct instrument. Use Runs and troubleshooting when those stages disagree.