Connectors

Your Brussels site runs SAP Plant Maintenance for work orders, your Dublin site uses Honeywell TrackWise for deviations and CAPAs, and your Singapore site relies on Siveco Coswin for preventive maintenance scheduling. ProBeya connectors provide bidirectional data synchronization between these pharmaceutical enterprise systems and the ProBeya transformation platform, enabling a unified operational view without replacing existing validated systems.

Connector Architecture

Connectors are the bidirectional counterpart to webhooks (push-only) and API keys (pull-only). They manage the full sync lifecycle: connection credentials, entity mappings, scheduling, batch processing, retry policies, and audit-grade sync logging.

Enterprise System (SAP PM / TrackWise / Ennov / Coswin / SAP ECC)
                           ↕ (bidirectional sync)
              ProBeya Connector Engine
                           ↕
              ProBeya Data Model (items, actions, KPIs)
                           ↕
              TIER Boards, Dashboards, Escalation Workflows

Supported Systems

Connector Type	System	Typical Data Synchronized	Protocol
`sap_pm`	SAP Plant Maintenance	Work orders, notifications, equipment masters	RFC / OData
`trackwise`	Honeywell TrackWise	Deviations, CAPAs, change controls	REST API
`ennov`	Ennov Quality	Documents, training records, audit findings	REST API
`coswin`	Siveco Coswin	Maintenance work orders, preventive schedules	REST API
`sap_ecc_rfc`	SAP ECC via RFC	Master data, production orders, material movements	SAP RFC

Connector vs. Webhook vs. API Key: Decision Matrix

Criterion	Connector	Webhook	API Key
Direction	Bidirectional (inbound + outbound)	Outbound only (ProBeya pushes)	Inbound only (external system pulls)
Data flow	Scheduled batch sync + manual trigger	Event-driven, real-time	On-demand, per-request
Configuration	Entity mappings, field transforms, schedules	Event subscriptions, endpoint URL	Scopes and expiry
Sync logging	Full audit log with record counts	Delivery log with HTTP status	Request-level audit trail
Best for	ERP/MES/LIMS integration	Event-driven automation	Custom integrations, dashboards
GxP compliance	Highest (validated sync with audit trail)	Medium (delivery log)	Medium (request-level logging)

Getting Started

Navigate to Settings > Connectors.
Click Create Connector.
Select the connector type for your target system.
Enter a name (e.g., "SAP PM - Brussels Site").
Provide the connection configuration (endpoint URL, credential references).
Define the sync configuration (entity mappings, schedule, batch size).
Click Save. The connector starts in inactive status.
Activate the connector and run an initial sync with Trigger Sync.

Connection Configuration

The connection configuration is stored as JSONB with encrypted credential references. Never store plaintext passwords in the connection config -- use secret manager references.

SAP PM / SAP ECC RFC Example

{
  "host": "sap-prod.acme-pharma.com",
  "systemNumber": "00",
  "client": "100",
  "credentialRef": "vault://pharma/sap-pm-brussels",
  "language": "EN"
}

TrackWise / Ennov / Coswin Example

{
  "baseUrl": "https://trackwise.acme-pharma.com/api/v2",
  "credentialRef": "vault://pharma/trackwise-dublin",
  "timeoutMs": 30000
}

Security

Connection configuration may contain references to credentials stored in a secret manager. Never store plaintext passwords, API keys, or certificates in the connection config JSONB field. Use encrypted references (e.g., vault:// paths) that resolve at sync time. This is a GxP requirement for validated system interfaces (GAMP 5, Category 5).

Sync Configuration

The sync configuration defines what data to synchronize, how fields map between systems, and the operational schedule:

{
  "schedule": {
    "cronExpression": "0 */4 * * *",
    "timezone": "Europe/Brussels"
  },
  "entities": [
    {
      "type": "work_order",
      "direction": "inbound",
      "filter": { "plant": "BE01", "status": ["CRTD", "REL"] },
      "fieldMappings": [
        { "source": "AUFNR", "target": "externalId" },
        { "source": "KTEXT", "target": "title" },
        { "source": "ERDAT", "target": "createdDate", "transform": "sapDate" }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "batchSize": 500,
  "retryPolicy": {
    "maxRetries": 3,
    "backoffMs": 5000
  }
}

Sync Direction Options

Direction	Description	Use Case
`inbound`	Enterprise system to ProBeya	Import work orders, deviations, equipment data
`outbound`	ProBeya to enterprise system	Push completed actions, updated statuses
`bidirectional`	Both directions	Two-way sync for shared entities (e.g., CAPA status)

Connector Lifecycle

Status	Meaning	Allowed Operations
Inactive	Configured but not running	Edit config, activate, delete
Active	Live -- scheduled and manual syncs allowed	Trigger sync, edit config, deactivate, delete
Error	Last sync failed -- requires attention	View error log, edit config, trigger retry, deactivate, delete

Sync Operations

Sync Type	Description	When to Use
Full	Synchronizes all records from the source system	Initial load, periodic reconciliation
Incremental	Synchronizes only records changed since the last sync	Regular scheduled operation
Manual	On-demand sync triggered by an admin via the UI	Testing, emergency resync

dica

Start with a manual full sync to validate your connection and entity mappings. Once satisfied, switch to incremental syncs on a schedule for ongoing operation. Schedule full syncs during off-peak hours for periodic reconciliation.

Sync Log & Audit Trail

Every sync operation is recorded with GxP-grade detail:

Field	Description	GxP Relevance
Sync Type	`full`, `incremental`, or `manual`	Traceability of data source
Status	`success`, `partial`, or `failed`	Deviation detection
Records Processed	Count of records successfully synced	Data completeness verification
Records Failed	Count of records that failed	Triggers investigation if > 0
Started At	Sync start timestamp	Audit trail chronology
Completed At	Sync end timestamp (null if still running)	Duration monitoring
Errors	Per-record error details (record ID, entity type, error message)	Root cause analysis

aviso

A partial sync status means some records synced successfully while others failed. Investigate the per-record errors in the sync log. For GxP environments, treat any partial sync as a deviation that requires investigation and resolution per your deviation handling SOP.

Enterprise Deployment Patterns

Pattern 1: Multi-Site SAP Integration

Brussels Site:  SAP PM Connector → ProBeya Workspace "Brussels Maintenance"
Dublin Site:    SAP PM Connector → ProBeya Workspace "Dublin Maintenance"
Singapore Site: SAP PM Connector → ProBeya Workspace "Singapore Maintenance"
                                         ↓
                            Portfolio Dashboard (cross-site KPIs)

Each site has its own connector with site-specific connection config and entity filters. The unified ProBeya portfolio dashboard aggregates data across all sites.

Pattern 2: Quality Management Pipeline

TrackWise → (deviations) → ProBeya Action Board → (completed CAPAs) → TrackWise
Ennov     → (audit findings) → ProBeya Audit Dashboard
                                         ↓
                            TIER Meeting Escalation Workflow

Pattern 3: Maintenance + Production Integration

SAP PM     → (work orders)       → ProBeya Maintenance Board
Coswin     → (preventive tasks)  → ProBeya Maintenance Board
Historian  → (OEE data via API)  → ProBeya KPI Dashboard

Permissions

Organization Admins and Owners can create, update, delete, and trigger syncs.
All connector data is scoped to the current organization for multi-tenant isolation.
Deleting a connector permanently removes all its sync log history.
An inactive connector cannot be synced -- activate it first.

GAMP 5 Validation Considerations

GAMP 5 Aspect	Connector Implication	Documentation Required
Category 4 (Configured Product)	ProBeya connectors are configuration-driven	Configuration Specification (CS)
Category 5 (Custom)	Field mapping transforms may require custom validation	Functional Specification (FS) + test scripts
Interface Validation	Bidirectional data flow requires interface testing	IQ/OQ protocol with round-trip verification
Data Integrity	Sync logs provide proof of data transfer	Include sync log review in periodic review SOP
Audit Trail	All sync operations are logged with timestamps	Reference in CSV audit trail matrix

Recovery Procedures

Scenario	Resolution
Sync failed with all records failing	Check the error log for connection issues (network, credentials). Verify the secret manager reference resolves. Re-trigger a manual sync after fixing.
Partial sync with some records failing	Review per-record errors in the sync log. Fix field mapping issues or data quality problems in the source system. Re-trigger sync.
Connector stuck in error state	Deactivate, fix the configuration, reactivate, and trigger a manual full sync.
Duplicate records after full re-sync	The connector uses `externalId` mapping for deduplication. Verify your field mappings include a unique identifier.
Credential rotation in source system	Update the secret manager reference in the connection config. Test the connection and trigger a manual sync.

Best Practices

Use descriptive names that include the system type and site (e.g., "TrackWise - Dublin QA").
Monitor the sync log regularly -- partial status requires investigation.
Keep batch sizes reasonable (500--1000 records) to avoid timeouts.
For SAP ECC RFC connectors, ensure the RFC user has the minimum required authorizations (principle of least privilege).
Schedule full syncs during off-peak hours to minimize load on the source system.
Include connector configurations in your change control process -- changes to field mappings affect data flow.

Site Agents -- Edge gateways for real-time equipment data collection.
ALM Integration -- Jira and Azure DevOps work-item synchronization.
Webhooks -- Push connector events to external endpoints.
API Keys -- Programmatic access for custom integrations.
Audit Log -- Connector operations are logged for GxP traceability.

Connector Architecture​

Supported Systems​

Connector vs. Webhook vs. API Key: Decision Matrix​

Getting Started​

Connection Configuration​

SAP PM / SAP ECC RFC Example​

TrackWise / Ennov / Coswin Example​

Sync Configuration​

Sync Direction Options​

Connector Lifecycle​

Sync Operations​

Sync Log & Audit Trail​

Enterprise Deployment Patterns​

Pattern 1: Multi-Site SAP Integration​

Pattern 2: Quality Management Pipeline​

Pattern 3: Maintenance + Production Integration​

Permissions​

GAMP 5 Validation Considerations​

Recovery Procedures​

Best Practices​

Related Features​