Services Overview
Overview
Services are reusable connection configurations for external systems such as mail servers, cloud APIs, REST APIs, file shares, and Infor services. Nodes use these service configurations at runtime instead of storing credentials directly in every workflow node.
Centralizing services lets administrators manage authentication, test connectivity, control user overrides, and reuse the same integration across multiple workflows.
Purpose
Use services when a workflow needs to connect to a system outside B2Win Suite:
- Send email through SMTP, Gmail, or Outlook.
- Read or write files through FTP, SFTP, Windows Share, SharePoint, or Infor IDM.
- Invoke external REST APIs from OpenAPI definitions.
- Listen for Infor DataFabric or file-system events.
Service-specific setup and configuration pages are listed under Service Integrations.
How Services Are Used
Most services follow the same general flow:
- An administrator creates a shared service configuration in Configurations > Services.
- The administrator decides whether users can provide their own values.
- Users add personal settings in Me > My Services when the service allows or requires it.
- Workflow nodes select the saved service configuration.
- When the workflow runs, B2Win Suite uses the selected service to connect to the external system.
Configuration Model
Service configuration has two levels:
| Level | Location | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Global service configuration | Configurations > Services | Administrators define organization-level connection settings and access rules. |
| My Services | Me > My Services | Users provide personal settings when the administrator allows or requires overrides. |
For administrator setup, see Services Configuration. For the user view, see My Services.
Service Forms
Each service shows the fields needed for that type of connection. For example, an SMTP service asks for mail server details, while Microsoft Graph asks for Microsoft application details.
Common field types include:
| Field Type | Used For |
|---|---|
| Input | Text values such as host names, tenant IDs, usernames, paths, or API keys. |
| Password input | Secrets such as passwords, client secrets, bearer tokens, or API key values. |
| Checkbox | Boolean settings such as SSL, Start TLS. |
| Upload file | Credential files such as Google service account JSON files or Infor .ionapi files. |
| Select | Options such as Open API authentication type. |
Common Terms
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Service configuration | A named connection record that nodes can select. |
| Service Override Type | Controls whether users can provide personal service values: None, Allow, or Force. |
| Field Permissions | Controls each field in My Services: Hidden, Read-only, or Overridable. |
| Authorize | Starts OAuth authentication for services that support it. |
| Test Connection | Validates a service configuration when the service exposes the action. |
Best Practices
- Create clear service names that identify the target system or environment.
- Use Force for services that must run with each user's own credentials.
- Hide or mark secret fields as read-only unless users must supply their own value.
- Test service configurations before using them in production workflows.