The "Manage Data Connections" tool is fantastic to save credentials alongside the connection without having to worry when you save the workflow that you've embedded a password.
Imagine if - there were a similar utility to handle credentials/environment variables.
- I could create an entry, give it a description, a username, and an encrypted password stored in my options, then refer to that for configurations/values throughout my workflows.
- Tableau credentials in the publish to tableau macro
- Sharepoint Credentials in the sharepoint list connector
- When my password changes I only have to change it in one place
- If I handoff the workflow to another user I don't have to worry about scanning the xml to make sure I'm not passing them my password
- When a user opens my workflow that doesn't have a corresponding entry in their credentials manager they would be prompted using my description to add it.
- Entries could be exported and shared as well (with passwords scrubbed)
Example Entry Tableau:
Alias |
Tableau Prod |
Description |
Tableau Production Server |
UserID |
JPhillips |
Password |
********* |
+ |
|
Then when configuring a tool you could put in something like [Tableau Prod].[Password] and it would read in the value.
Or maybe for Sharepoint:
Or perhaps for a team file location:
Alias |
TeamFiles |
Description |
Root directory for team files |
Path |
\\server.net\myteam\filesgohere |
+ |
|
Any of these values could be referenced in tool configurations, formulas, macro inputs by specifying the Alias and field.