After the Tetra Agent extracts copies of the data files from the data source, it sends those files to the Tetra Data Platform (TDP). This page shows how to configure integrations and connectors to transfer data to the TDP.

Tetra Agent Integration and Connector Overview

TetraScience provides several different ways for Tetra Agents to integrate with the TDP.

Ways that Tetra Agents Can Integrate with the TDP

Selecting a Connector: GDC or TDP

To determine which type of connector to use, you need to know two things:

• Is the Tetra Agent installed on a machine that has internet access?
• Are the files to be transferred to the data lake large (more than 500 MB) or small (less than 500 MB)?

Connector Decision Table

• If the agent has internet access, use TDP (No Connector), and make sure that you have the S3 Direct Upload configuration enabled.
• If the agent has internet access, and files are small, you can use No Connector without S3 Direct Upload.
• If the agent does not have internet access, and the files are large, use the Generic Data Connector (GDC), which should be on the Data Hub. You will also need to use the L7 Proxy Connector (L7C). The L7C is a simple proxy server that uploads files directly to the data lake. L7C accommodates large files. The L7 Proxy Connector should also be set up on the Data Hub. Make sure that you have the S3 Direct Upload configuration enabled.
• If the agent does not have internet access, you cannot configure an L7C. If the files are small, you can use the Generic Data Connector (GDC) on the DataHub without S3 Direct Upload.

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NOTE

Typically, the S3 Direct Upload option is preferred—even in cases where it’s not strictly required by file size— because of its performance. When an Agent uses the TDP (No Connector) configuration with the S3 Direct Upload option activated, the TDP calculates checksum and verifies it by using AWS 128-bit MD5 checksum. For Agents not using the S3 Direct upload option, the Agent verifies the response code to determine if the upload was successful. Checksum isn't used.

• The Agent's host machine must be on Windows 10 or newer, or Windows Server 2016 for the Cloud Data Connector to connect to it properly.

Connection URL

After determining which connector to use, you must specify the Connection URL. The following are example GDC and TDP connection URLs:

• GDC URL example: http://10.100.1.1:8888/generic-connector/v1/agent
• TDP URL example: https://api.myorg-dev.com/v1/data-acquisition/agents

Connector/Integration Configuration Instructions

Generic Data Connector (GDC)

Tetra Agents can be integrated with the Tetra Data Platform through the Tetra Data Hub. The Tetra Data Hub is an on-premise server that facilitates securely transferring data extracted from a Tetra Agent to the Tetra Data Platform. The Agent connects to the Data Hub through a data connector.

For more information, see Generic Data Connector.

Prerequisites

• A Tetra Data Hub must be set up.
• A connector must be added to the Tetra Data Hub.
• The Data Hub and Data Connector must be online.

Procedures

Because the Tetra Agent transfers data with a Tetra Data Hub Connector, you must register the Tetra Agent first on the TDP with a specific connector.

To add a Tetra Agent to your existing connector on the TDP, follow the instructions in Create a New Agent and choose your existing Generic Data Connector.

Using the "TDP (No Connector)" Option (TDP)

Besides the connection through the Data Hub/Data Connector, the Agent can directly upload the files to the TDP.

Prerequisites

• Client Organization Slug (orgSlug) is created in the TDP.
• A user account is created in the Organization Slug

Procedures

1. Sign in to the TDP.
2. Create an Agent entry in the TDP by follow the instructions in Create a New Agent and choose No Connector.
3. After creating the Agent, choose Continue Installing Agent to configure the installed Agent with connection information and service user credentials.

L7 Proxy Connector (L7C)

To allow an end-user to upload large files (size is larger than 500 MB) to the TDP by using the Generic Data Connector option, you must add an L7 Proxy Connector to your Data Hub.

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For large files (more than 500MB)

Make sure that you select S3 Direct Upload in the Agent and point to the L7 Proxy connector. L7 Proxy without S3 Direct Upload configured will fail at uploading large files.

To create an L7 Proxy Connector, follow the instructions in Add a Connector to the Data Hub. When setting up the Connector, make sure that you do the following:

• When choosing the Connector type, select L7 Proxy Connector.
• When filling out the Connector creation form, enter the L7C's Name. Then, enter the Port number. The default port is 3128. Make sure that you check with your system administrator to make sure that this port is available.
• Choose Save, and then wait a couple of minutes. The L7 Proxy Connector will show online when it is ready to be used.
• Manually Sync the Data Hub that you added the L7 Proxy Connector to. For instructions, see Manually Sync a Data Hub.

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IMPORTANT

After adding an L7 Proxy Connector to a Data Hub, you must manually sync the Data Hub. If you don't sync the Data Hub, the GDC and L7 Proxy Connector can't connect to AWS.

Manually Sync a Data Hub

If your Connector isn't working properly, didn't pick up the correct configuration, or if you've added an L7 Proxy Connector to your Data Hub, manually sync the hub by doing the following:

1. Sign in to the TDP.
2. In the left navigation menu, select the hamburger menu icon. Then, choose Data Sources and select Data Hub. The Data Management page appears.
3. Find the Data Hub that you want to sync. Then, select the right hamburger menu icon in that Data Hub's row and choose Sync. It can take up to three minutes for the Sync action to complete.

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IMPORTANT

If you’ve made custom configuration changes within the Connector containers—for example, modifying an L7 proxy’s squid.conf file—the changes will be lost during the synchronization process.