Connections
A connection is a configured target system that DataMaker can push generated data into — or pull existing records out of. Once configured, every template can be “exported” to that connection from the UI, the API, a scenario, or the agent.
DataMaker supports three families of connections:
- Databases — Postgres, MySQL, MongoDB, MSSQL, Oracle, IBM DB2.
- REST endpoints — any HTTP API, with custom headers and auth.
- SAP OData — V2 and V4 services, with auto-CSRF and
$metadatadiscovery.
Anatomy of a connection
{ "id": "conn_abc123", "name": "S/4 Sandbox", "type": "sap_odata", "url": "https://my-sap.example.com/sap/opu/odata/sap/API_BUSINESS_PARTNER_SRV", "auth": { "type": "basic", "secret_ref": "sec_xyz" }, "metadata": { "entitySets": ["A_BusinessPartner", "A_BPAddress", ...] }, "lastVerifiedAt": "2026-04-25T18:14:00Z"}Auth secrets are stored encrypted; you reference them by ID, never by value, in scenarios and the API.
Verifying a connection
When you create a connection, DataMaker runs a quick verification:
- Databases: opens a connection, runs
SELECT 1(or equivalent). - REST: makes an authenticated
OPTIONSorGETto the base URL. - SAP OData: fetches
$metadataand parses the entity sets.
If verification fails, the connection is created in an unverified state. You can still edit and retry. See Troubleshooting → Common errors if your auth flow needs a one-off CSRF setup or proxy.
Mapping a template to a connection target
Templates and connections are independent. To push, DataMaker needs to know which template field maps to which target column / property / entity property.
The first time you push, the UI shows a mapping screen that auto-suggests by name match. You can:
- Override individual mappings.
- Skip target columns (DataMaker leaves them at their default / null).
- Save the mapping so subsequent pushes are one-click.
Mappings are stored on the template per-connection.
Push, fetch, both
Most teams push more often than they fetch — the workflow is “generate synthetic data, write it into the test system”. But for SAP regression workflows, you also fetch existing records into a saved set you can run regression against. See Workflows → SAP regression.
The same connection is used for both directions; nothing extra to configure.