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Connector Configuration

Use this page before creating a DFS Lite connector. It lists the information a data owner or integration engineer should prepare for each source type.

Open:

Data Integration > Connectors > Add Connector

Configuration pattern​

Every connector setup follows the same pattern:

  1. Identify the source owner.
  2. Choose connector type.
  3. Enter connection settings.
  4. Choose sync strategy.
  5. Test the connection.
  6. Browse or preview source data.
  7. Save the connector.
  8. Add mappings.

Common fields​

FieldUse
Connection nameHuman-readable name for the source.
DescriptionSource purpose, owner, site, and operating context.
ModeLocal or DFS Proxy routing, depending on deployment.
Sync strategyRealtime, interval, or on-demand.
CredentialsSource credentials, token, certificate, or key.
Advanced settingsTimeouts, polling interval, security mode, or source-specific options.

OPC UA​

Use OPC UA for industrial automation systems and equipment telemetry.

Prepare:

  • endpoint URL;
  • security mode and policy;
  • username, password, or certificate requirements;
  • namespace information;
  • node IDs or browse path;
  • expected sampling or polling frequency;
  • source-side read permissions.

Validation checks:

  • endpoint is reachable from the DFS runtime;
  • security settings match the source server;
  • browse returns expected nodes;
  • preview values include timestamp, value, and type;
  • units and scale factors are confirmed by the source owner.

BACnet​

Use BACnet for building automation systems and facility points.

Prepare:

  • network route or gateway information;
  • device IDs;
  • object identifiers;
  • polling interval;
  • point list from BMS or facility team;
  • units and expected ranges.

Validation checks:

  • target devices respond;
  • object list matches the BMS point schedule;
  • stale or unavailable objects are excluded;
  • polling interval fits facility-system load and operational needs.

Modbus​

Use Modbus when the source exposes values through registers.

Prepare:

  • host and port;
  • unit ID;
  • register map;
  • register type;
  • address offset convention;
  • data type and byte order;
  • scale factors;
  • polling interval.

Validation checks:

  • register values match the source owner's reference values;
  • byte order and signedness are correct;
  • transformed values are in the expected range;
  • polling stays within device capacity.

MQTT​

Use MQTT for topic-based IoT and streaming payloads.

Prepare:

  • broker URL;
  • port and TLS requirements;
  • username, password, certificate, or token;
  • topic pattern;
  • payload format;
  • timestamp field;
  • quality of service expectation;
  • retained message behavior.

Validation checks:

  • connector can subscribe to the expected topic;
  • sample payloads parse correctly;
  • timestamp, equipment ID, and metric fields are present;
  • topic naming convention is stable.

REST​

Use REST for enterprise APIs, cloud services, or custom data services.

Prepare:

  • base URL;
  • authentication method;
  • endpoint path;
  • query parameters;
  • pagination behavior;
  • response field paths;
  • timestamp field;
  • expected request frequency;
  • rate limit.

Validation checks:

  • test request succeeds;
  • response shape matches the expected mapping;
  • pagination preserves all records;
  • rate limits are respected;
  • error responses are understandable to operators.

CSV​

Use CSV for first imports, offline data, historian exports, and staged files.

Prepare:

  • file source or upload;
  • delimiter;
  • header row;
  • timestamp column;
  • equipment or asset key column;
  • unit columns or unit convention;
  • timezone;
  • file update schedule.

Validation checks:

  • header names are stable;
  • timestamp parsing is correct;
  • required columns are present;
  • duplicate rows are understood;
  • source file naming convention is clear.

JDBC​

Use JDBC for databases, historians, data warehouses, and reporting tables.

Prepare:

  • database URL;
  • credentials;
  • table or query;
  • timestamp column;
  • primary or natural key;
  • metric columns;
  • filter conditions;
  • expected row volume;
  • read-only access approval.

Validation checks:

  • query returns only the needed data;
  • timestamp and key columns are stable;
  • row volume is safe for the sync strategy;
  • credentials are read-only where possible.

Fabric​

Use Fabric when the customer deployment enables Microsoft Fabric or lakehouse-oriented integration.

Prepare:

  • workspace or lakehouse connection details;
  • dataset or table names;
  • authentication method;
  • refresh expectation;
  • column schema;
  • owner and data classification.

Validation checks:

  • connection is enabled for the tenant;
  • table or dataset is visible;
  • schema is stable enough for mapping;
  • data classification allows downstream use.

Confirm Fabric availability with the project owner before documenting it as a required connector in a customer runbook.

Security checklist​

Before saving production connectors:

  • use approved credentials;
  • avoid shared personal accounts;
  • confirm network route and firewall approval;
  • prefer read-only access when writeback is not required;
  • record source owner and support contact;
  • confirm that source data is allowed in the target tenant.

Next step​

After connector configuration succeeds, use Browse and Preview to inspect source values before mapping.