In today’s data-driven world, seamless integration between diverse data sources is critical for unlocking real-time insights and maintaining data security.
IBM Guardium’s Universal Connector (UC) has long been a trusted solution for bridging those data connections. Now, with the new Central Manager (CM) Management Flow, managing and integrating your data sources has become simpler, smarter, and more centralized than ever before.
This latest enhancement transforms the way users handle critical elements such as credentials, data source profiles, Kafka clusters, and plugins — all through one unified, intuitive interface.
The UC CM Management consists of below key components that simplify and centralize the management of Universal Connector operations:
1. Credential Management
:
Securely stores and manages credentials that are required to access various data sources.
2. Datasource Profile Management
:
Enables connection to different data sources and allows administrators to install and deploy these profiles to Managed Units (MUs).
3. Kafka Cluster Management:
Facilitates configuration and management of Kafka broker nodes directly through the Central Manager, ensuring seamless integration for real- time data streaming.
4. Plugin Management
:
Installed plugin on the machine can be for
credential, input, filter, kafka-connect. The plugins come preinstalled.
In this article, we will primarily focus on Credential Management and Data Source Profile Management.
How to manage credentials?
Create, modify, delete, and refresh credentials for data sources that are used in the data source profiles.
- In Guardium Data Protection Central Manager, click -> .
- To create new credentials, click add icon and enter the following details.
Name, Description, Credential type [Enter the details according to the type of credential that you selected]
Fig 1. Example of a completed New Credential page
- After entering the above details, click the OK button. Once the information is successfully saved, a new row will appear under Credential Management.
Fig 2. New Credential added in Credential Management
How to manage Data Source Profiles?
To create a data source profile in Guardium Data Protection (Central Manager):
1. Go to Manage > Universal Connector > Datasource Profile Management and click the Add icon.
2. Fill in the required details:
- Name & Description: Basic info about your data source.
- Plug-in: Select the required plug-in.
- Label: Add a label to help search easily.
- Credential: Choose or create credentials (shown only if required by the plug-in).
- Kafka Cluster: Select or create a Kafka cluster if needed.
- Parameters: Enter plug-in-specific values (refer to the plug-in’s readme file).
Fig 3. Example of a completed Create Profile page
3. (Optional) Enable Enterprise Load Balancing (ELB) to let the system manage the workload automatically.
4. Click OK to save.
5. Install the profile:
* In the Collectors tab, select collectors and click Run now or Schedule.
Fig 4. Install button enabled after selecting a datasource profile
Fig 5. Choosing the collector/MU for profile installation
6. Use Actions to Enable, Disable, Restart, or Troubleshoot the Universal Connector. [Note: When you click run now for the first time, its automatically enables UC and deploy the profile on selected collector.]
7. (Optional) Test Connection — available for certain plug-ins (OUA over JDBC connect 2.0 and MultiTenant 2.0).
8. You can also download the server CA certificate if needed for secure communication.
Fig 6. Profile successfully deployed to collector/MU
💡 Why This Matters
The new Universal Connector CM Management Flow isn’t just an upgrade — it’s a transformation in how you manage data integration.
By centralizing control and simplifying workflows, Guardium empowers users to:
✅ Deploy and manage connectors faster
🔒 Strengthen credential security
⚡ Reduce downtime with one-click troubleshooting
🌍 Scale seamlessly across multi-source data environments
This is data integration made simpler, smarter, and more secure — perfectly aligned with the needs of modern enterprises seeking agility and compliance in an ever-evolving data landscape.
🚀 Ready to Experience the New Flow?
The Universal Connector via the new CM Management Flow is now available in IBM Guardium Data Protection.
Start centralizing your connector management today to gain a new level of visibility, control, and efficiency in your data protection strategy.
Simplify your integrations. Secure your data. Supercharge your analytics.
That’s the power of the Universal Connector — re-imagined through the new CM Management Flow.
Ref: Configuring universal connectors by using a central manager
Author - Kshirod Kumar Badia
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