Comdata

Author: Eric Vasbinder

Logistics

Support Status: Supported

Integration Method: Direct ODBC

Connection Method:

• OPTION A (Recommended if Possible): TLS Database Endpoint (TLS VPN) or IPSEC VPN from Customer Environment

• OPTION B (Deprecated for new installs on VP1, TC1, and VEC RDP / Available for VFC): Hosted Data Connector

  • HOSTING OF THIS SOLUTION'S PHYSICAL BITS NOW FOR VFC CUSTOMERS ONLY

  • HOSTING OF THIS SOLUTION'S PHYSICAL BITS IN VIEWPOINT CLOUD NO LONGER AVAILABLE FOR NEW TC1/VP1/VEC RDP ENVIRONMENTS

Hosted: NO (Option A) or YES (Option B)

Additional Charge:

• OPTION A: No - only TLS Database Endpoint (TLS VPN) or IPSEC VPN is necessary and should already be on your contract

• OPTION B: IF VP hosts Data Connector: then 1 third party integration management fee and 1 standard Windows Server

  • HOSTING OF THIS SOLUTION'S PHYSICAL BITS NOW FOR VFC CUSTOMERS ONLY

  • HOSTING OF THIS SOLUTION'S PHYSICAL BITS IN VIEWPOINT CLOUD NO LONGER AVAILABLE FOR NEW TC1/VP1/VEC RDP ENVIRONMENTS

Option B Request Process: Hosted Integration Request Process

NOTE: No request process is needed for Option "A"

Description

As per many other server-side integrations to third-party products, Comdata is designed to use a data connector (a.k.a. a shim) that speaks to the Vista database directly using ODBC and then itself connects to the third party.

Specifically how this integration is implemented depends on how the third party product is deployed: on-premise at the customer site or in a customer-managed cloud instance (ideally in the same Azure datacenter as Vista is hosted in our cloud) or if it is hosted in the Viewpoint cloud: Option A or Option B. Historically, we have hosted the Comdata connector in our cloud. However, we now no longer permit new installations of the Comdata Connector in our TC1/VP1/VEC RDP clouds. Instead, the Comdata shim connector should be hosted in an external environment, connected over the TLS Database Endpoint (TLS VPN) or the IPSEC VPN to the Vista database in our cloud.

NOTE: We are beginning to move away from hosting third party connectors in our cloud overall. As such, we now require customers use Option A (External Hosting with VPN) for the Comdata connector, as this is not only the way of our cloud's future, but is cheaper for the customer due to the avoidance of the third party integration server fee.

Process Steps

Option A - Externally Hosted / VPN Connected

1. Stand up TLS Database Endpoint (TLS VPN) or IPSEC VPN tunnel.

2. Validate connectivity to Vista from server with Comdata components.

3. Coordinate with Comdata support to "re-point" the Comdata shim connector components from the old server on-premise to the new cloud Vista server over the VPN.

4. Request a SQL Service account for comdata to use if one does not already exist: I need a dedicated SQL account for my integration to Vista in your ...

Option B - Hosted in Viewpoint Cloud (VFC Customers ONLY)

1. Submit request to have the addition server spun up.

2. Once server is spun up, submit your request to have the integration hosted. Please see this URL: How do we get a Hosted Integration Set Up?

NOTE: IF HOSTED: In this case, the customer is connecting cloud-hosted Vista to the Comdata cloud directly. This is done by installing the vendor-supplied shim connector in the customer's single tenant environment in our cloud. This shim connector needs to be installed on a separate server as it accepts inbound control requests from the Internet (Comdata Cloud).

OPTION B NOTE: Since this shim is a third party product that we need to host, if hosted, it requires being hosted on a separate server for security reasons. As such, we need to pass on the costs for an additional server to the customer;

tl;dr: Customers who need to integrate Comdata Cloud with Vista in our cloud need to host the data connector "shim" on their own server, connected over either the TLS Database Endpoint (TLS VPN) or the IPSEC VPN, or if they are a VFC customer, they may still purchase an additional add-on “Standard Server” and management fee from Viewpoint to allow us to host the connector. Hosting of the physical bits for this connector for new installations in the VP1/TC1/VEC RDP clouds is no longer allowed.