Create a Microsoft Dynamics base connection using the Flow Service API

A base connection represents the authenticated connection between a source and Adobe Experience Platform.

This tutorial walks you through the steps to create a base connection for Microsoft Dynamics (hereinafter referred to as “Dynamics”) using the Flow Service API.

Getting started

This guide requires a working understanding of the following components of Adobe Experience Platform:

  • Sources: Experience Platform allows data to be ingested from various sources while providing you with the ability to structure, label, and enhance incoming data using Platform services.
  • Sandboxes: Experience Platform provides virtual sandboxes which partition a single Platform instance into separate virtual environments to help develop and evolve digital experience applications.

The following sections provide additional information that you will need to know in order to successfully connect Platform to a Dynamics account using the Flow Service API.

Gather required credentials

In order for Flow Service to connect to Dynamics, you must provide values for the following connection properties:

Basic authentication
table 0-row-2 1-row-2 2-row-2 3-row-2
Credential Description
serviceUri The service URL of your Dynamics instance.
username The user name for your Dynamics user account.
password The password for your Dynamics account.
Service-principal and key authentication
table 0-row-2 1-row-2 2-row-2
Credential Description
servicePrincipalId The client ID of your Dynamics account. This ID is required when using service principal and key-based authentication.
servicePrincipalKey The service principal secret key. This credential is required when using service principal and key-based authentication.

For more information on getting started, refer to this Dynamics document.

Using Platform APIs

For information on how to successfully make calls to Platform APIs, see the guide on getting started with Platform APIs.

Create a base connection

TIP
Once created, you cannot change the authentication type of a Dynamics base connection. To change the authentication type, you must create a new base connection.

A base connection retains information between your source and Platform, including your source’s authentication credentials, the current state of the connection, and your unique base connection ID. The base connection ID allows you to explore and navigate files from within your source and identify the specific items that you want to ingest, including information regarding their data types and formats.

To create a base connection ID, make a POST request to the /connections endpoint while providing your Dynamics authentication credentials as part of the request parameters.

Create a Dynamics base connection

TIP
Once created, you cannot change the authentication type of an Dynamics base connection. To change the authentication type, you must create a new base connection.

The first step in creating a source connection is to authenticate your Dynamics source and generate a base connection ID. A base connection ID allows you to explore and navigate files from within your source and identify specific items that you want to ingest, including information regarding their data types and formats.

To create a base connection ID, make a POST request to the /connections endpoint while providing your Dynamics authentication credentials as part of the request parameters.

API format

POST /connections
Basic authentication

To create a Dynamics base connection using basic authentication, make a POST request to the Flow Service API while providing values for your connection’s serviceUri, username, and password.

accordion
Request
code language-shell
curl -X POST \
    'https://platform.adobe.io/data/foundation/flowservice/connections' \
    -H 'Authorization: Bearer {ACCESS_TOKEN}' \
    -H 'x-api-key: {API_KEY}' \
    -H 'x-gw-ims-org-id: {ORG_ID}' \
    -H 'x-sandbox-name: {SANDBOX_NAME}' \
    -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
    -d '{
        "name": "Dynamics connection",
        "description": "Dynamics connection using basic auth",
        "auth": {
            "specName": "Basic Authentication for Dynamics-Online",
            "params": {
                "serviceUri": "{SERVICE_URI}",
                "username": "{USERNAME}",
                "password": "{PASSWORD}"
            }
        },
        "connectionSpec": {
            "id": "38ad80fe-8b06-4938-94f4-d4ee80266b07",
            "version": "1.0"
        }
    }'
table 0-row-2 1-row-2 2-row-2 3-row-2 4-row-2
Property Description
auth.params.serviceUri The service URI associated with your Dynamics instance.
auth.params.username The username associated with your Dynamics account.
auth.params.password The password associated with your Dynamics account.
connectionSpec.id The Dynamics connection specification ID: 38ad80fe-8b06-4938-94f4-d4ee80266b07
accordion
Response

A successful response returns the newly created connection, including its unique identifier (id). This ID is required to explore your CRM system in the next step.

code language-json
{
    "id": "4cb0c374-d3bb-4557-b139-5712880adc55",
    "etag": "\"9e0052a2-0000-0200-0000-5e35tb330000\""
}
Service principal key-based authentication

To create a Dynamics base connection using service principal key-based authentication, make a POST request to the Flow Service API while providing values for your connection’s serviceUri, servicePrincipalId, and servicePrincipalKey.

accordion
Request
code language-shell
curl -X POST \
  'https://platform.adobe.io/data/foundation/flowservice/connections' \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer {ACCESS_TOKEN}' \
  -H 'x-api-key: {API_KEY}' \
  -H 'x-gw-ims-org-id: {ORG_ID}' \
  -H 'x-sandbox-name: {SANDBOX_NAME}' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
      "name": "Dynamics connection",
      "description": "Dynamics connection using key-based authentication",
      "auth": {
          "specName": "Service Principal Key Based Authentication",
          "params": {
              "serviceUri": "{SERVICE_URI}",
              "servicePrincipalId": "{SERVICE_PRINCIPAL_ID}",
              "servicePrincipalKey": "{SERVICE_PRINCIPAL_KEY}"
          }
      },
      "connectionSpec": {
          "id": "38ad80fe-8b06-4938-94f4-d4ee80266b07",
          "version": "1.0"
      }
  }'
table 0-row-2 1-row-2 2-row-2 3-row-2 4-row-2
Property Description
auth.params.serviceUri The service URI associated with your Dynamics instance.
auth.params.servicePrincipalId The client ID of your Dynamics account. This ID is required when using service principal and key-based authentication.
auth.params.servicePrincipalKey The service principal secret key. This credential is required when using service principal and key-based authentication.
connectionSpec.id The Dynamics connection specification ID: 38ad80fe-8b06-4938-94f4-d4ee80266b07
accordion
Response

A successful response returns the newly created connection, including its unique identifier (id). This ID is required to explore your CRM system in the next step.

code language-json
{
    "id": "4cb0c374-d3bb-4557-b139-5712880adc55",
    "etag": "\"9e0052a2-0000-0200-0000-5e35tb330000\""
}

Next steps

By following this tutorial, you have created a Microsoft Dynamics base connection using the Flow Service API. You can use this base connection ID in the following tutorials:

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