Storing Secrets for Scripts

Secure strings provide a way to store passwords and other confidential information in QPR ProcessAnalyzer in a way that the information can be used without users seeing the original plaintext. For example in ETL scripts, SAP, Salesforce and ODBC passwords can be stored as secure strings, which can then be referred by their names in the ETL script commands.

When the secure strings are stored, the purpose (called type of the secure string) of the secure string is also defined. Following types are available: Odbc connection strings, SAP passwords and Salesforce passwords. For example, if a secure string type is SAP password, it cannot be used as an ODBC connection string.

Secure strings are project specific, so their permissions come from the project. To use a secure string, the user needs to have at least GenericRead permission to the project.

Note: Currently ImportSqlQuery and ImportOleDbQuery don't yet support defining password as a secure string.

Storing Secure Strings

Secure strings are stored in the QPR ProcessAnalyzer database in the PA_KEY_VALUE_STORE table. The database administrator can store new secure strings by following the instructions below.

The PA_KEY_VALUE_STORE table has the following columns:

• KVS_ID: Row id. Leave empty as its filled automatically.
• KVS_TYPE: Type of the secure string to determine its purpose. Available values are:
  • 1: ODBC connection string. Can be used in the ImportODBCSecure function and ImportOdbcQuery command.
  • 2: SAP password. Can be used in the ImportSapQuery command.
  • 3: Salesforce password. Can be used in the ImportSalesforceQuery command.
• KVS_PROJECT_ID: Id of the project, to which the secure string is stored. Project id's can be seen in the model properties.
• KVS_KEY: Key (name) of the secure string. Use a descriptive key name. Note that there cannot be any duplicates within the same project id.
• KVS_VALUE: The actual secured data, which is typically a password or a connection string.

Using Secure Strings

Secure strings can be used in the following locations:

• In the following scripting commands: ImportOdbcQuery, ImportSalesforceQuery and ImportSapQuery.
• In the ODBC datasources of model.
• In the ImportODBCSecure function (expression language)