Key Capabilities
- Intelligent message grouping based on correlation IDs and batch size limits
- Configurable minimum and maximum batch sizes for optimal processing
- Scheduled and immediate batch creation modes
- Support for custom correlation headers for advanced grouping logic
Overview
The Batch Create connector produces Batch Groups based on Messages that arrive in the Send folder (the Transactions tab of the connector settings pane). When a Batch Group is created, it is passed down the flow through the Transactions tab, where it can be processed by other connectors as needed.
The Batch Create connector can only accept individual messages as inputs. If the connector receives an existing Batch Group as an input, it throws an error message.
Connector Configuration
This section contains all of the configurable connector properties.
Settings Tab
Configuration
Settings that determine how the connector can be accessed.
Advanced Settings
Settings that specify Batch Grouping options.
| Setting | Description |
|---|
| Correlation Id Header | The connector looks for headers that match the header name you enter, then groups messages according to the values they have assigned to that header. See Correlation Id Header Example for details. |
| Max Batch Size | The maximum number of messages to include in a Batch Group. Any messages in excess of this number wait until the next sending interval. For example, if this is set to 5, and seven messages arrive in the send folder, the connector creates one Batch Group of five messages and adds the final two to the next scheduled Batch Group. |
| Min Batch Size | The minimum number of messages that must be present to create a Batch Group. For example, if this is set to five, and three messages arrive in the Send folder, the connector does not create a Batch Group from those messages (even if the specified sending interval passes) until at least two more messages arrive. |
Advanced Tab
Logging
Other Settings
| Setting | Description |
|---|
| Processing Delay | The amount of time (in seconds) by which the processing of files placed in the Transactions tab is delayed. This is a legacy setting. Best practice is to use a File connector to manage local file systems instead of this setting. |
Miscellaneous
Automation Tab
Automation Settings
Settings related to the creation and sending of Batch Groups.
| Setting | Description |
|---|
| Enable automation | If selected, the connector automatically creates Batch Groups following the settings below. If cleared, the connector does not create Batch Groups until you manually trigger it. |
| Send | If selected, the connector automatically creates Batch Groups from messages as soon as they arrive in the Send folder (Transactions tab) as long as other set criteria are met. |
| Scheduled Send | If selected, the connector uses a scheduled interval to create Batch Groups from messages that arrive in the Send folder. |
| Send Interval | The interval at which to create Batch Groups. Only available if Scheduled Send is enabled. |
| Minutes Past the Hour | The minutes offset for an hourly schedule. Only applicable when the interval setting above is set to Hourly. For example, if this value is set to 5, the automation service downloads at 1:05, 2:05, 3:05, etc. |
| Time | The time of day that the attempt should occur. Only applicable when the interval setting above is set to Daily, Weekly, or Monthly. |
| Day | The day on which the attempt should occur. Only applicable when the interval setting above is set to Weekly or Monthly. |
| Minutes | The number of minutes to wait before attempting the download. Only applicable when the interval setting above is set to Minute. |
| Cron Expression | A five-position string representing a cron expression that determines when the attempt should occur. Only applicable when the interval setting above is set to Advanced. |
Alerts Tab
SLAs Tab
When you enter a header name in the Correlation Id Header field, the connector looks for headers that match the name you enter, then groups messages according to the values they have assigned to that header. For example, the following table displays six incoming messages:
| MessageId | Filename | Header | Header Value |
|---|
| 1 | test1.txt | Batch-Correlation-Id | 001 |
| 2 | test2.txt | Batch-Correlation-Id | 001 |
| 3 | test3.txt | Batch-Correlation-Id | 002 |
| 4 | test4.txt | Batch-Correlation-Id | 002 |
| 5 | test5.txt | | |
| 6 | test6.txt | | |
- The first batch group contains the messages with MessageId 1 and 2, since they both have the value
001 for the Batch-Correlation-Id header.
- The second batch group contains messages with MessageId 3 and 4, since they both have the value
002 for the header.
- The third batch group contains messages 5 and 6, since neither of them has the Batch-Correlation-Id header.
