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Plugins and Data Sources

Documentation Team
  • Updated

Plugins and Data Sources

Plugins connect SquaredUp to your data sources. There are lots of plugins available with new ones being made available regularly, see SquaredUp: Plugins. Plugins can be used to add new data sources from Data sources on the left-hand menu. Most data sources need credentials like an API key, access token or other authentication methods.

List of documentation for data source plugins available

Adding a new data source

Data sources can be added inside a workspace:

  1. To add a data source click on the + next to Data Sources on the left-hand menu in SquaredUp. Search for the data source and click on it to open the Configure data source page.

    Alternatively you can filter data sources by selecting a category from the list on the left, for example: CI/CD Tools.

  2. Display Name:

    Enter a name for your data source. This helps you to identify this data source in the list of your data sources.

  3. Enter the credentials for your data source. Each data source may have slightly different fields to fill out. See individual data source documentation for more information:

    List of documentation for data source plugins available

  4. Install Sample Dashboards:

    Select whether you would like to install sample dashboards with the data source. By default, this is set to on.

    This setting will only appear as an option for data sources with sample dashboards.

  5. Select whether you would like to restrict access to the data source.

    The term data source here really means data source instance. For example, a user may configure two instances of the AWS data source, one for their development environment and one for production. In that case, each data source instance has its own access control settings.

    By default, Restrict access to this data source is set to off. The data source can be viewed, edited and administered by anyone. If you would like to control who has access to this data source, switch Restrict access to this data source to on.

    Use the Restrict access to this data source dropdown to control who has access to the workspace:

    • By default, the user setting the permissions for the data source will be given Full Control and the Everyone group will be given Link to workspace permissions.

    • Tailor access to the data source, as required, by selecting individual users or user groups from the dropdown and giving them Link to workspace or Full Control permissions.

    • If the user is not available from the dropdown, you are able to invite them to the data source by typing in their email address and then clicking Add. The new user will then receive an email inviting them to create an account on SquaredUp. Once the account has been created, they will gain access to the organization.

    • At least one user or group must be given Full Control.

    • Admin users can edit the configuration, modify the Access Control List (ACL) and delete the data source, regardless of the ACL chosen.

    Access Level:

    Link to workspace

    • User can link the data source to any workspace they have at least Editor permissions for.
    • Data from the data source can then be viewed by anyone with any access to the workspace.

    • User can share the data source data with anyone they want.

    • User cannot configure the data source in any way, or delete it.

    Full Control
    • User can change the data source configuration, ACL, and delete the data source.

    See Access control for more information.

  6. Click Add.

    You can also add a data source from Settings > Data Sources > Add data source, but sample dashboards are not added when using this method.

The data source will be added to the current workspace. If sample dashboards exist for a data source, they will automatically be added to that workspace.

Viewing data sources

Once you have added a data source, it will be listed under Data Sources on the left-hand menu, and the overview page will appear. Each data source has a data source overview page, which is a management page showing all the indexed objects.

Each data source overview

A data source overview page will show:

  • Name of the data source

  • Index status of the data source:

    • Connected – everything is working correctly.

    • Failed – the data source configuration failed. Click More Info to find out more about the issue with the data source.

  • When the last object finished indexing – objects are automatically indexed every 12 hours. Admin users can use the Refresh button next to the status to manually index objects.

  • Manage – admin users can use this to manage the data source configuration.

    Editing a data source configuration will change it for all workspaces that use it in SquaredUp.

  • Remove – admin users can use this to remove the data source from the workspace.

    Any dashboard tiles using this data source in the workspace will no longer work.

  • Overview of the objects for the data source

What happens when I add a data source?

Most data sources will add the following to SquaredUp:

Data streams standardize data from all the different shapes and formats your tools use into a straightforward tabular format. While creating a tile you can tweak data streams by grouping or aggregating specific columns. Depending on the kind of data, SquaredUp will automatically suggest how to visualize the result, for example as a table or line graph.

Data streams can be either global or scoped:

  • Global data streams are unscoped and return information of a general nature (e.g. "Get the current number of unused hosts").

  • A scoped data stream gets information relevant to the specific set objects supplied in the tile scope (e.g. "Get the current session count for these hosts").

What are types?

Every object in SquaredUp has a type. Types are usually indexed when you add a data source as they often bring new types of objects (like domain controllers, tickets, projects, alerts, incidents, etc.). You can also add custom types if you've indexed data from a custom data source to give those new objects nice looking types with an icon and the singular and plural forms of the type.

Many data sources will also add some default sample dashboards to help you get started.

  • To read more about the dashboards installed with data sources take a look at the Dashboard Gallery.

  • You can edit these dashboards, as well as create your own new dashboards. See Dashboards

Data source settings

Admin users can also manage data sources from Settings > Data Sources. The Settings > Data Sources page provides a single place to manage all of your data sources. You are able to add, edit, index, and delete data sources from this page.

Admin users are able to restrict access to data sources, see Access control. If the admin selects that Everyone can Link to workspace, data sources will appear on the Add a data source page in the Existing section for all other users in that organization. Users will then be able to link the data source to a new workspace.

Data sources are not linked to every workspace by default, it requires a user with the appropriate permissions to link a data source to a workspace. Data sources that are configured from the Settings > Data Sources page are not automatically linked to any workspaces.

The term data source here really means data source instance. For example, a user may configure two instances of the AWS data source, one for their development environment and one for production. In that case, each data source instance has its own access control settings.

By default, Restrict access to this data source is set to off. The data source can be viewed, edited and administered by anyone. If you would like to control who has access to this data source, switch Restrict access to this data source to on.

Use the Restrict access to this data source dropdown to control who has access to the workspace:

  • By default, the user setting the permissions for the data source will be given Full Control and the Everyone group will be given Link to workspace permissions.

  • Tailor access to the data source, as required, by selecting individual users or user groups from the dropdown and giving them Link to workspace or Full Control permissions.

  • If the user is not available from the dropdown, you are able to invite them to the data source by typing in their email address and then clicking Add. The new user will then receive an email inviting them to create an account on SquaredUp. Once the account has been created, they will gain access to the organization.

  • At least one user or group must be given Full Control.

  • Admin users can edit the configuration, modify the Access Control List (ACL) and delete the data source, regardless of the ACL chosen.

Access Level:

Link to workspace

  • User can link the data source to any workspace they have at least Editor permissions for.
  • Data from the data source can then be viewed by anyone with any access to the workspace.

  • User can share the data source data with anyone they want.

  • User cannot configure the data source in any way, or delete it.

Full Control
  • User can change the data source configuration, ACL, and delete the data source.

Like workspaces, administrators have special ‘administrative’ access to all data sources. This means they see all data sources listed under Settings > Data Sources, and they can modify data source properties, including the ACL, for any data source.

Administrators do not have any special access to data from data sources unless they add themselves to the data source ACL.

Data source troubleshooting

Sometimes data source indexing fails, perhaps due to permissions or changes in the source system. A red indicator next to Settings at the bottom of SquaredUp will let you know if a data source has failed. On the Settings page any data sources that have failed are brought to the top of the list with a red indicator.

  • More info will expand to show you more of the message about the issue.

  • View documentation will take you to the data source article.

  • Report an issue will open an in-app chat window with support.