# Core Concepts The Nected platform is made up of various components that work together to provide you with an interactive and easy-to-configure rule engine & workflow management system. You can build & personalize any customer-facing flow fast, experiment more, and iterate faster so as to realize the full potential of your ideas sooner. ## **Connectors/Integrations** To establish a connection with your database from which you want to retrieve data and modify the database tables based on the rule condition and results. ## **Datasets** To fetch data from your database using a database query and verify the output data to ensure it is working as expected. ## **Rules** The core processing engine which enables you to define conditions, verify the results, and perform operations on the database. There are multiple types of rules available: 1. **SimpleRule:** A straightforward if/then/else logic-based rule. 2. **DecisionTable:** A matrix of conditions, outcomes, and actions covering diverse scenarios. 3. **Ruleset:** A collection of preset simple rules collaborating for decision-making and action execution. ## Rule Components A Nected rule comprises four important components – * Input Source or Params - you can either pass any *custom input parameters* to the rule and/or *select a dataset* to pull the data points directly from your database instead of passing them every time you invoke the rule. * Condition is the statement based on which the rule will determine which database rows will be matching. You can also use [custom JavaScript](#custom-code-javascript) to define complex conditions * Result is the output specified of the matching rule condition when you run the condition based on input parameters. * Action is either syncing rule outcomes back in your systems via Database and/or REST API connectors ## Workflows Workflow editor to reuse any rules and stitch them in any order as desired by business. Can be triggered by API, Cron and in future via events. It comprise of following components: * Trigger Node with Input params: Current API is available, Scheduler is available via Rule. You can define input params here that will define the API payload. * Action Node: DB, REST API, Rule, Workflow Nodes * Control Node: Delay, Response, Set Varibale * Inside each Node, you will find: * Input params - Required parameters to be pass on to each Node to make it function aptly * Test - Once the node is tested, you can see the output/error in here * Setting - Control settings like caching, limits, retrials, timeouts etc. ## Connect Nected to any internal or external API Data security is at the core of Nected and thus the Nected platform provides internal APIs to securely run the rules and external APIs (REST APIs) to update your database using REST APIs. The internal Nected APIs let you securely run your staging and production rules through an API platform. Running staging rules using an API is optional, but it is mandatory for the production rules. To further strengthen the data security, you can make the APIs private for which every API execution will require a private key generated using the Nected credentials manager. The external Nected APIs or REST APIs, can directly integrate with the Nected platform. Once you integrate your REST API server into the Nected platform, you can securely perform actions on the databases using your REST APIs. While defining the rules, Nected provides you an option to add a REST API action to the rule which runs directly using the REST API server if the rule condition is satisfied. ## **Credentials** The security manager of the platform where you can configure authentication for the users to run server-side internal and external APIs and create authentication keys to securely run rules using an API. ## Global Attribute Here you can define global attributes that you can use with any rule or workflow throughout the Nected platform. Apart from these core components, Nected also supports various query methods, REST API integrations, and pre-configured attributes and tokens. ## Environments Nected offers two flexible deployment models that you can choose from – **SaaS** or **On-Prem**. By default, it is available in the cloud model (Software as a Service), but you can request for the on-premises model to install and configure Nected on a local server. When you opt for the cloud-based SaaS deployment model, you need to create an account on the platform and add the pre-configured host IP address (43.205.43.45**)** to the allow list on your database server. This is extremely easy to configure and use. If you do not want to use the cloud-based deployment, then you can request an On-Prem license, where you must install and configure Nected on your server. Once configured, you can start integrating it with your databases after adding the Nected server host IP address to the allow list on the database server. ## Custom Javascript Nected is a low-code or no-code platform, which supports custom JavaScript code, which you can write to create complex custom JavaScript formulas. With Custom JS, users can manipulate data, automate repetitive tasks, and enhance user experiences by implementing dynamic behaviors. The integration of JavaScript enables seamless interaction with other components of the Nected platform, facilitating complex operations that would otherwise require extensive coding. This flexibility not only accelerates development cycles but also allows for real-time adjustments based on user feedback or changing requirements, making it an invaluable tool for businesses aiming to innovate rapidly. ## Custom Formula Nected's Excel-like formula functionality provides users with a familiar and intuitive way to perform calculations and data manipulations within the platform. This feature mimics the user-friendly approach of Microsoft Excel, enabling users to create formulas that perform a variety of mathematical operations, such as SUM, SUM\_LIST, AVG, AVG\_LIST, MIN, MIN\_LIST, MAX, MAX\_LIST, DAY, MONTH, COUNT, YEAR, MINUTE, HOUR, SECOND, WEEK, NOW, TODAY, DATEDIFF, DATECOMPUTE, POW, SQRT, PMT, PV, EMI, LIMIT, SORT, and FILTER. Users can easily input formulas using cell references and functions, allowing for complex calculations to be executed with minimal effort. For instance, formulas can be created to aggregate data across multiple fields or to implement conditional logic similar to Excel's IF statements. This capability not only streamlines data analysis but also enhances productivity by allowing users to leverage their existing Excel skills within the Nected environment, thus reducing the learning curve associated with new software tools. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.nected.ai/nected-docs/getting-started/core-concepts.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. 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