Simulating Ad-Hoc Data Push With Anaplan Connect

jesse_wilson

Currently, Anaplan does not support data push, or ad-hoc integrations from within the platform. This can be achieved using a microservice, such as Flask, but can also be simulated using Anaplan Connect and a couple simple scripts and a simple module within your model.

 

The first step is creating a small module in your model with two boolean line items, one that users can check when they wish the push to occur, and another that is permanently FALSE. Create a simple import into this module with itself as the source, where you import the FALSE boolean into the clickable boolean.

 

Fig. 1: Export trigger module

 

Fig. 2: Import definition

 

Fig. 3: Import mapping

 

This will reset the trigger to prevent unwanted data pushes.

 

Once this is set up, created a saved export of the above module. Use Anaplan Connect to trigger and download the export, you can schedule this to run at any cadence you desire (every 5, 10, etc minutes). Use another simple script to review the file to check for a TRUE value, if found call an Anaplan Connect script that executes the import action defined above, then call your script(s) that execute the desired actions.

 

Batch script to review file content for TRUE value:

@echo off
for /F "tokens=1-2 delims=," %%A in (export.csv) do ( 
	set execute=%%B)
if %execute% equ true do ( call Data-Extract.bat )
pause

 

The rough flow for this solution would be:

1. Export the trigger module at a regular cadence to check for a TRUE value
2. Once found reset the trigger
3. Call scripts that extract data/execute model-to-model imports

 

This is a very simple, but effective way to allow users to trigger integrations from within your model, in an ad-hoc fashion.

 

wangym1993

Hi Jesse@jesse_wilson,

 

Thanks for posting this solution. I am curious about this problem. What is the ideal solution for an end user to change a few variables in Anaplan and then push variables to external and trigger a computing engine in AWS EC2? 

 

I saw your posting here as well: https://community.anaplan.com/t5/Anaplan-Discussions/Ad-Hoc-Integration-Using-Flask-Microservice/m-p/42652#M4637. 

 

AW

Can organization build up such functionality in AppHub? 

 

jesse_wilson

Hi,

 

In this case, you just want to push the deltas which can be done with a saved view. Then export this data to any target location you need. If you need to do more than simply land the data on a server, you'd need additional scripting to read the data and perform any calculations.

Thanks