Create a Connection

Where a plugin provides a set of capabilities, a connection provides access to a specific instance of the product, service, or application that the plugin was built for. For example, the InsightVM Cloud Plugin maps InsightVM's Cloud API functionality to InsightConnect. An InsightVM Cloud connection allows your instance of InsightConnect to orchestrate work with your instance of InsightVM using the available plugin functionality.

Connectionless Plugins

Not all plugins require connections. Many free tools and services and utilities, like WHOIS or DIG, are available with no connection required.

Finding Connection Requirements

To find out what will be required to configure a connection, you may either view the plugin documentation in the Extension Library or in InsightConnect.

  • In the Extension Library, find the desired plugin, and view the Documentation tab
    • The Setup section shows the parameters required to configure a plugin connection
  • In InsightConnect, navigate to Settings > Plugins & Tools, select the desired plugin, and view the Help tab
    • The Setup section shows the parameters required to configure a plugin connection

Create a Connection

Connections can be made from several places in InsightConnect:

  • From InsightConnect's home page, navigate to Settings > Plugins & Tools > Connections, click Add Connection, and select the desired plugin from the Plugins list
  • From Settings > Plugins & Tools > Installed Plugins click the select the ellipses ... to the right of the plugin information and click Create Connection. You must then choose whether to create a Cloud or Orchestrator Connection and then click Add Connection
  • From the workflow builder, add an action step, select the desired plugin, select an action, and click Add a New Connection in the Choose a Connection step
  • From the Workflow Control Panel > Workflow Setup and select a plugin to add a connection for. Choose whether to run your connection on the Cloud or an Orchestrator and then select Add a new connection.
  • From the Quick Actions page select a Quick Action and choose whether to run the connection on the Cloud or Orchestrator and then select Add Connection

Once you've reached the connection configuration screen, you will find fields for the necessary credentials and parameters. Create (or reuse) a credential for the connection and fill in any additional connection details, then click Save and Test. A connection test will start in the background automatically.

Remember to Check Your Connection Test Results!

After saving a new connection, confirming the connection test succeeds is strongly recommended. While you may proceed with building and activating workflows with misconfigured connections, any workflow steps using a misconfigured connection will fail.

Create a Credential

Most connections require a credential for use. Credential types include API keys, username/password pairs, and other sensitive information that is encrypted at rest and in transit. Credentials are saved separately from connections so that they may be reused across multiple connections as needed. For more information about credential security, see Orchestrator Security.

To create a new credential, click on the Choose a Credential input in the connection configuration menu and select Create New Credential. Enter a display name for your credential, then enter the credential itself. Click save and proceed with your connection configuration.

User Account Privileges

Remember your InsightConnect connections will inherit all privileges of the user account or API key configured in the connection. Use of the least privilege model is recommended.

Edit a Connection

To edit a connection, go to Settings > Plugins & Tools > Connections, select the ellipses ... menu for the desired connection, and click Edit. Update connection configurations as needed then click Save Updates.

Connections can also be edited in the Select an existing connection drop down menu. Select the pen icon beside a connection to edit.

Modify Connections

If you need to edit an existing connection, you can modify all fields EXCEPT the orchestrator field. Connections cannot be moved between orchestrators. To add a connection to multiple orchestrators, create a new connection for each orchestrator and name them descriptively.

Edit a Credential

While in the Edit Connection view, open the Credentials dropdown, find the credential used by the connection, and click the edit pencil button. Re-enter the credential, then click Save. You may need to rerun the connection test by selecting Retry Test from the connection’s ... menu on the Connections page.

Use Existing Connections

Existing connections appear on the "Connections" page, as well as in selection menus during step setup.

To use an existing connection in a workflow, select the connection from the list that populates in the “Choose a Connection” configuration panel after setting the plugin and plugin action within the workflow builder.

Delete Existing Connections

If you need to remove a connection from InsightConnect, you can delete it.

To delete a connection:

  1. Navigate to the "Connections" tab of the "Plugins & Tools" page under the Settings in InsightConnect.
  2. Find the connection you want to delete. To search for connections by the plugins they correspond to, un-check the “ALL” option in the “Plugins” section. Then check the boxes for plugins that use the connections you want to remove.
  3. Click the ellipsis on the right side of the tile for the connection you want to delete. Then select the Delete option.
  4. If the connection can be deleted, click Yes, Delete to confirm. If you receive an error message when attempting to delete a connection, you likely still have the connection configured in active workflows. Remove the connection from any workflow steps or triggers it is configured in, then try again.