Configuring an ADF Linked Service Connection for Informix

note

For information on how to enable a connection for use with linked services, see Configuring a Linked Service Connection.

note

Field labels in this walkthrough follow the BimlFlex Connection Editor, with the connection column that carries each value and the Azure Data Factory property it maps to named alongside.

After selecting Informix from the Linked Service Type dropdown, the form required for creating an Informix Linked Service will appear. The Informix option is offered on connections that use the Informix System Type.

Datasets, Sources and Sinks

An Informix connection serves the source system, the landing area and the persistent landing area stages. A connection at the landing area or persistent landing area stage under the ODBC connection type offers the Informix System Type.

As a source, each object is read through a dataset that carries the table name alone, from its TargetObjectName parameter, and maps it to the ADF tableName property. The copy source carries the query that BimlFlex composes from the object's columns and source filters, written to the ADF query property, and passes the TargetSchemaName and TargetObjectName parameters. BimlFlex quotes each identifier in the query with ANSI double quotes, for example "OrderId".

As a landing area or persistent landing area, the connection is the target of the copy. The copy sink references the landing dataset of the connection with the TargetSchemaName and TargetObjectName parameters and writes to the table they name. The sink carries no pre copy script unless one is set on the object, so the copy appends to the table.

Choosing an Authentication Method

Method	Credentials	Additional Settings
Basic	User Name and Password	None
Anonymous	None	An optional Credential, the access credential portion of the connection string, from the connection's LS_Credential column

Recommendation: Use the Azure Key Vault tab of the Password field rather than entering the password as plaintext.

Complete Example: Basic Authentication with Azure Key Vault

The values below are made up for illustration.

Field	Example Value
Connect via Integration Runtime	bfx-selfhosted-ir
Additional Connection String Properties (Connection String tab)	Dsn=BfxInformixDsn;
Authentication Type	Basic
User Name	bfx_reader
AKV Linked Service (Password, Azure Key Vault tab)	bfx-kv
Secret Name (Password, Azure Key Vault tab)	BFX-InformixPassword

With these values, the form saves Dsn=BfxInformixDsn;Uid=bfx_reader; in the LS_ConnectionString column, and BimlFlex writes the linked service with the connectionString, authenticationType and userName properties, the password property as an Azure Key Vault secret reference, and the connectVia reference to bfx-selfhosted-ir.

Required Fields

Common Required Fields

These fields are required for every Informix Linked Service connection:

• Connect via Integration Runtime
• Connection String (or Azure Key Vault)
• Authentication Type

Authentication Type Dependent Required Fields

Required fields for Basic:

• User Name
• Password (or Azure Key Vault)

Optional fields for Anonymous:

• Credential, from the connection's LS_Credential column

Optional fields are:

• Encrypted Credential, from the connection's LS_EncryptedCredential column

Connect via Integration Runtime

Connect via Integration Runtime names the integration runtime for an Informix Linked Service connection. Azure Data Factory connects to Informix through a self-hosted integration runtime only, so select a self-hosted integration runtime here. Install the 64-bit Client SDK for Informix on the machine that runs the self-hosted integration runtime, to create the ODBC connection to the Informix data store. The default value is AutoResolveIntegrationRuntime. To use another runtime, select it from the dropdown or choose + New to add one. The custom values that appear in this dropdown can be maintained in Settings under Azure, in the AzureIntegrationRuntime setting. The value is stored in the connection's LS_ConnectVia_IntegrationRuntime column and maps to the ADF connectVia property. When the value is AutoResolveIntegrationRuntime, no connectVia property is written.

Connection String

The Connection String is the ODBC connection string of the Informix data store, or the name of a system DSN set up on the integration runtime machine, for example Dsn=BfxInformixDsn;. It is stored in the connection's LS_ConnectionString column and maps to the ADF connectionString property.

The Connection String tab of the form has no fields of its own. Enter the connection string or the DSN in the Additional Connection String Properties field. When the connection is saved, the form writes that text to the LS_ConnectionString column, followed by the key Uid with the User Name and the key Pwd with the password entered on the Password tab, each when its field holds a value. For example, the text Dsn=BfxInformixDsn; with the User Name bfx_reader is saved as Dsn=BfxInformixDsn;Uid=bfx_reader;. When the connection is opened, the form reads the Uid and Pwd keys of the stored connection string into the User Name and Password fields, and shows the rest of the string in the Additional Connection String Properties field. When the connection stores no linked service connection string and no Azure Key Vault secret for it, the form reads the Uid and Pwd keys from the connection string of the connection.

The Azure Key Vault tab beside the Connection String tab takes an Azure Key Vault secret that holds the whole connection string, named by the AKV Linked Service, the Secret Name and an optional Secret Version. The values are stored in the connection's LS_ConnectionStringKVS_ fields. BimlFlex writes the secret reference to the linked service as the ADF connectionString secret when both the AKV Linked Service and the Secret Name are filled. While the Azure Key Vault tab is selected, the form hides the Additional Connection String Properties field, the User Name field and the Password field, and saving the connection clears the Additional Connection String Properties text. The saved connection string then carries no Uid or Pwd key, and the user name and password live in the referenced secret. While the Connection String tab is selected, saving the connection clears the LS_ConnectionStringKVS_ fields.

note

It is suggested that Azure Key Vault be used in place of manually entering Connection String details.

Authentication Type

The Authentication Type select offers Basic and Anonymous. When the connection's LS_AuthenticationType column is empty, the form shows Basic, and saving the connection stores it. The form saves the selection in the LS_AuthenticationType column, and BimlFlex writes it to the linked service as the ADF authenticationType property. When the column is empty, the linked service is written with the authentication type Anonymous.

The form shows the User Name and Password fields for both authentication types. For Basic, a User Name and Password are required. For Anonymous, a Credential is optional.

User Name

The User Name is the user that signs in to the Informix data store with Basic authentication. The form does not mark User Name as required. The form saves it in the LS_Username column and adds it to the saved connection string as the Uid key. BimlFlex writes the column to the linked service as the ADF userName property, and writes no userName property when the column is empty.

Password

The Password field has a Password tab for the password as text, and an Azure Key Vault tab beside it for a reference that resolves to the password at runtime. The form does not mark Password as required. The form saves the tab that is selected: a password entered as text in the LS_Password column, or the Azure Key Vault reference in the LS_PasswordKVS_ fields, and saving the connection clears the other. A password entered as text is also added to the saved connection string as the Pwd key.

BimlFlex writes a password from the LS_Password column to the linked service as the ADF password property, a secure string. The Azure Key Vault reference is named by the AKV Linked Service, the Secret Name and an optional Secret Version. BimlFlex writes it as the ADF password secret when both the AKV Linked Service and the Secret Name are filled. BimlFlex reports a validation error for a connection that fills both the LS_Password column and the LS_PasswordKVS_ fields, since only one of them can be set.

note

It is suggested that Azure Key Vault be used in place of manually entering the Password.

Credential

The Credential is the access credential portion of the connection string for Anonymous authentication, in the driver's property-value format. The form has no Credential field. BimlFlex writes the connection's LS_Credential column to the linked service as the ADF credential property, a secure string. It writes an Azure Key Vault reference in the connection's LS_CredentialKVS_ fields as the ADF credential secret when both its store and its Secret Name are filled.

Encrypted Credential

When the connection's LS_EncryptedCredential column holds an Encrypted Credential value, BimlFlex writes it to the linked service as the ADF encryptedCredential property. The form has no field for it.

Azure Data Factory Linked Services Additional Information

For additional information on ADF Linked Service types and their connection requirements see the Azure Data Factory Informix Connector documentation.