How are Gallery Connections handled when migrating workflows between Galleries?

[quinntai]

We are trying to migrate a workflow from our Sandbox to our Production Gallery. For now, we're trying to download the workflow from the Sandbox and manually upload it (Save As..) to the Production Gallery. However, we run into "unable to translate alias" errors (understandably), since the workflow is setup using the Sandbox gallery connections, and those connections "break" when placed in the Production Gallery. 

What is the proper process of completing such a migration? Do we have to use the API endpoints? If so, how is the transition of gallery connections (Sandbox --> Production) handled?

[raychase]

I found myself asking the same questions recently,  and it turns out the best approach seems to be avoiding the use of Gallery connections,  in favor of matching user-type and system-type data connections within local Designers and the server Designer, respectively. 

This approach avoids the use of Gallery connections as assets, and allows for pain-free migrations between environments.

If you're familiar with the recommended approach to in-db connections, the process is basically identical with non in-db connections.

[CristianoJ]

@quinntai ,

You need to make sure that a gallery connection your input (or output) data tool uses also exists in the other Alteryx Server gallery you are trying to save your workflow to.

Before you save it to the new gallery you need to update the connection on the input (or output) data tool and make sure you are selecting the connection from the new server gallery

[raychase]

@CristianoJ this works, but is not practical.  It involves excessive re-work every time you need to flip between environments, especially for very involved workflows with a variety of inputs and outputs.

[CristianoJ]

@raychase ,

Gallery connections are saved to the Mongo database on the Alteryx Server.  When an workflow uses that connection it is actually referencing an entry from the database, which will have its own connectionId.  If the workflow is going to be saved to another server the exact same connectionId will not exist on database of the new server, thus the connection on the workflow needs to be updated.

On the issue reported maybe a gallery database connection is not the best option.  A DSN or DSN-Less connection may work better.

This community article below does a great job of explaining that:

https://community.alteryx.com/t5/Alteryx-Server-Knowledge-Base/Managing-Data-Connections-Between-Ser...