Programmatic maintenance of SystemAlias.xml

Hi,

Today in managing Alteryx server, we manually configure new connections using the front end. However, this has some potential drawbacks as it makes it hard to easily track change history, or make bulk updates to multiple strings, and it also leaves room for user error on configuration.

I'm looking to replace the SystemAlias.xml file wholesale, using some form of standardized deployment mechanism. This seems easy enough to do for connections which leverage windows authentication, but I'm running into challenges with connections that specify a username and password. I know that passwords are encrypted using the CryptProctectData API at a machine level. What is the best way to generate a valid encrypted value for these passwords, without requiring a user to specifically remote in to the server?

Best Practices

Database Connection

Alias Manager

Accepted answers

JoeS

Hi @Claje

I got you, I don't think there is away in which you could automate this currently.

I am not sure if you are aware, but we have an ideas board here for suggestions as the above.

https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Server-Ideas/idb-p/server-ideas

If you add it in there the product team will review it and you may well see it released in the future (always a great feeling when something you ask for is release!)

Thanks

Joe

All comments

JoeS

Hi @Claje

We have a Data Connections section on the Server.

https://help.alteryx.com/server/current/admin/Administration/DataConnections.htm

This is a great place to centrally manage connections and distribute them to those that need them.

Hopefully this meets your requirements and omits the need to manually update and push the XML files.

Claje

Hi @JoeS,

In this case I'm pretty specifically looking to modify aliases on the server itself. I'm not particularly concerned with distribution to a wider audience, and the usernames/passwords associated in this case should not be available for use locally by users. As a part of this, I am trying to identify a method to reduce or eliminate the need for anyone (including the data connection manager) to need to know the password for the specified accounts. As some of these accounts may be used by multiple systems, it would be significantly simpler to integrate this maintenance into existing automated processes, rather than have a manual step to update the Alteryx connection values on the Gallery.

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