Register an external system as a data connection

A Data Connection stores reusable settings for reaching an external system. Once its address and authentication method are registered, code and pipelines can use the connector without repeating the same settings.

In this lesson, you register one data connection and test it. At the end, you separately prepare a small CSV dataset for the next lesson.

Prerequisites

• One collection in which to register the connector
• Connection details for a system you can test. Use a read-only training account instead of production credentials.
• src_postgres_orders.csv for the next lesson's input

Only admins and managers can register connectors. If the registration button is missing or the screen is read-only, ask an administrator to register the connection and continue from the CSV preparation section below.

Step 1 — Start from Data Connection

1. Select Data Connection in the left sidebar.
2. Select Register Connector in the upper-right of the list. At a narrow screen width, it may appear as a + icon.
3. On the Register Connector screen, find the first section, Connection Method & Technology.

This is not an ingestion wizard opened inside a collection. You start from the Data Connection list, then select the connector's scope in the form's Collection field.

Step 2 — Choose a connection method and technology

First, choose one Connection Method:

• Supported Tech · Managed — Uses a platform-provided native driver. Because you only enter settings and do not write a script, this is the recommended starting point.
• Custom — Choose Database, Graph, REST API, S3 Storage, or Vector DB and write the connection script yourself. Use this when the managed catalog does not contain the technology you need.

After choosing Supported Tech · Managed, the second step, Technology · Platform-provided driver, appears. Select the technology that matches your training system. For example, select the PostgreSQL card for a PostgreSQL database.

The managed catalog can vary by D.Hub installation. If the technology you need is absent, do not substitute a similar-looking card; ask an administrator which driver is supported.

Step 3 — Enter identity and connection settings

After you select a technology, the Basic information and Connection settings sections appear below it.

1. Enter a system identifier under Name. It must start with a lowercase letter and contain only lowercase letters, numbers, and underscores. Example: training_postgres
2. Enter a human-readable Alias, such as Training orders database.
3. Under Collection, select where this connector will be used.
4. Briefly describe the target and purpose. Tags are optional.
5. Enter the fields required by the selected technology under Connection settings. PostgreSQL, for example, shows host, port, database, and username fields.
6. For passwords and other credentials, choose Enter new secret or Use secret reference.

A value entered through Enter new secret is not left as plaintext in the saved connector settings. D.Hub stores a reference to its managed secret. If your team already manages the credential, use its existing secret reference.

Test and create the connection

1. Select Test connection in the footer.
2. Confirm the Connection test succeeded result. If it fails, check the host and port, credentials, and network access rules first.
3. After a successful test, select Create.
4. Back in the Data Connection list, confirm the alias you entered and its Managed or Custom badge.

The connection test only checks whether the current form can reach the target. It does not save the connector. Be sure to select Create before leaving the page.

When you reopen the connector, its Basic information, Configuration, and Share & Permissions tabs show its settings and use permissions. A user or pipeline that executes it needs permission to use both the connector and its parent collection.

Prepare a dataset separately for the next lesson

Registering the connector does not create a dataset, so the first pipeline exercise uses a small CSV. Download src_postgres_orders.csv, or save the following content with that filename:

order_id,ord_dt_str,amount
order_001,2026-07-01,12500
order_002,2026-07-02,8900
order_003,2026-07-03,17300

1. Select Collections in the left sidebar.
2. Open the target collection's more menu and select Create → Quick add….
3. Add src_postgres_orders.csv and review its columns in the data preview.
4. Select Upload 1 file.
5. When it completes, open src_postgres_orders in the collection and confirm that it contains three rows.

This CSV upload is separate preparation for the next lesson. It is not data imported through the connector you just registered.

Self-check

• Did you start from Data Connection → Register Connector?
• Can you explain the difference between Supported Tech · Managed and Custom?
• Did you enter the basic and connection settings, select Test connection, and then select Create?
• Did you confirm that connector registration does not map a schema or create a dataset?
• Did you separately prepare the src_postgres_orders dataset by uploading the CSV?

Next lesson

Use the separately prepared src_postgres_orders dataset as the input node of your first batch pipeline. Building the code and pipeline that read external data through a connector is outside this introductory path; refer to an existing ingestion pipeline maintained by your administrator or team.