Data integration

Data imports and exports

Safe data imports

Usually bulk data is loaded from spreadsheets directly into an application’s database, bypassing carefully engineered business logic and safeguards. The dangers range from undetected invalid data (e.g. bad email addresses) to loss of transactional integrity (e.g. unbalanced financials or lost supporting transactions).

Flowgear enforces integrity by importing spreadsheet data into applications via their API’s, enabling them to apply normal transaction processing and data validation controls. The result is error-free database records and an unbroken audit trail.

Accurate, repeatable data exports

Without understanding an application’s internal processes, it’s easy to extract the wrong data or reporting information directly from its database. And if the application developer changes the database structure, automated exports will no longer work.

Flowgear interrogates an application through its API. So, regardless of the underlying mechanism for obtaining it, the data selected for export is always correct, even when the database structure changes.

Modern data integration with an iPaaS

Why an ESB is no longer suitable for data integration

In the past, integrations between applications were carried out using an enterprise service bus (ESB). But only large enterprises, with complex internal systems, technical skills and the budget, could implement an ESB.

Organizations today need an integration solution that can handle both real-time and batch integration needs, that has been built for cloud and mobile usage as well as on-premise, and that can work with a variety of communication formats and protocols. They need a better data transfer engine – an integration platform-as-a-service (iPaaS).

Related Article: Is it time to replace your old ESB?

Middleware technologies conceptualized in the 1990s were designed for stable, batch-oriented applications that ran behind a firewall, communicating only via XML and SOAP. The need now is for an integration solution that can handle both real-time and batch integration needs. Read more

Data Integration for Data Warehouses

Simplify the consolidation of data for analysis

Data warehousing gathers information from across the enterprise into a central repository. Here, it can be analyzed with business intelligence tools to deliver valuable strategic insights. The fresher the data, the greater the advantage.

But business-critical data is no longer neatly stored in on-site databases. It can be spread across multiple networks and locations (such as branches and data centres), reside with business partners (e.g. consignment stock), or live in the Cloud (e.g. SaaS applications). Storage formats range from structured tables to unstructured chunks of text. With traditional tools, modern data is hard to manage.

Flowgear’s Cloud-based integration technologies collect a wider variety of data regardless of format or location. Workflows accelerate data warehouse updates to ensure information freshness. And scheduling means the right information at the right time.

How it works

Import data from spreadsheets and flat files into your apps and services

Files types supported
  • Microsoft Excel spreadsheets (.xlsx)
  • Flat files (tab-delimited)
Applications supported

Import into:

Console interface
  • No coding required
  • Accessible by non-technical users

Import data into SQL Server

Related: Import data into Sage Evolution or  SYSPRO

Business benefits

  • Drive efficiency and reduce margin for error by eliminating manual data capture
  • Establish single source of truth by standardizing on application’s own data output methods
  • Create repeatable data imports and exports that all authorized staff can safely use
  • Keep track of inbound and outbound data flows through detailed activity reports
  • Get business-critical reporting data and analytics from any source, anywhere
  • Highly secure connections protect data from origin to destination
    Query a wider variety of data to meet modern reporting needs
  • Essential for any data mining, data analytics or big data solution in order to discover patterns in large data sets

Technical benefits

  • Assured accuracy though application’s API rather than direct database query
  • Eliminate hand-crafted database exports that are error-prone and susceptible to change
  • Run data imports and exports on-premises and over cloud services without deploying infrastructure or complex software
  • Control access to specific data import and export tasks
  • Flowgear authorization layer protects databases from malicious attacks
  • Recover seamlessly from disruptions in connectivity
  • Control all data shipping and assign shipping schedules
  • Script out preparatory data transforms as part of the shipping process

Flowgear excels against magic quadrant leaders

See what Gartner and G2 Crowd have to say.

Flowgear 101

Have a quick look under the hood to see how Flowgear can help drive value for your business.