Custom Connectors not Microsoft Certified

Jason Stoynoff

My organization recently created our first connector for RE NXT. My internal cyber security team is telling me our connector is not Microsoft Certified. Can anyone tell me if this is correct? And if it is not does BB certify them at some point.

Alex Wong

@Jason Stoynoff
custom connector is as it sound… custom made by someone, it did not get MS certified.

Even the one Blackbaud tells us to use, is not certified.

I don't know what process it takes to get cutom connector certified though, but why does it matter?

Glen Hutson

@Jason Stoynoff:

My organization recently created our first connector for RE NXT. My internal cyber security team is telling me our connector is not Microsoft Certified. Can anyone tell me if this is correct? And if it is not does BB certify them at some point.

Hi Jason,

Was there a specific use case in which you needed to create your own RENXT Connector? We already have quite a few RENXT Connectors (simply search for ‘Blackbaud’ in the Connectors Screen), and anything that's not covered by a Connector can be accomplished by the “Send an HTTP Request” action which has a great writeup by a Community Member at https://community.blackbaud.com/forums/viewtopic/586/62295 . Though “anyone” can create a connector, those created outside Blackbaud wouldn't be certified connectors.

Alex Wong

@Glen Hutson
Oh, I didn't realize if the OP was talking about Power Automate or Power BI connector.

@Jason Stoynoff my post is talking about connector in Power BI, while Glen is speaking for connector in Power Automate.

Glen Hutson

@Alex Wong:

@Jason Stoynoff
custom connector is as it sound… custom made by someone, it did not get MS certified.

Even the one Blackbaud tells us to use, is not certified.

I don't know what process it takes to get cutom connector certified though, but why does it matter?

Hey Alex, all of our RENXT Connectors are certified, it's the one for Power BI that we've left open/community source.

Glen Hutson

@Alex Wong:

@Glen Hutson
Oh, I didn't realize if the OP was talking about Power Automate or Power BI connector.

@Jason Stoynoff my post is talking about connector in Power BI, while Glen is speaking for connector in Power Automate.

@Alex Wong … OH good point. @Jason Stoynoff .. yes, the Power Automate Connectors are Certified, but the Power BI one is not. There aren't currently any plans to go through the official certification process for the Power BI one.

Jason Stoynoff

@Alex Wong Thanks for the reply, Alex. I have a hard time getting any projects accomplished due to the strict rules of my cyber security team. Basically, anything we do involving a cloud environment must follow all of the same rules.

Jason Stoynoff

@Glen Hutson Thanks for the reply, Glen. I will need to ask internally why a custom connector was used. I would have to think this is all so very new for my organization and this was the path chosen. I will pass along this information you provided.

Carol Grant

@Jason Stoynoff- Hi Jason, our IT department was also leery about me using the Power BI Custom Connector if that is what you are asking about. I know Glen said it was Open Source but it is not Microsoft Certified and it is not supported by Blackbaud. My IT department did not want to take on another item that may need fixing if it does break and Blackbaud won't assist.

Having said that, I know Matt Thacker is adding some fields to the Power BI connector and I have seen some Blackbaud employees jump on to support people having issues with the connector.

I have chosen not to use the connector, you still have to create many measures in Power BI when using the Connector. I was easier for me to run an Export that already has these fields set up. Yes, an Export is static but I refresh them using Queue. I'm sure many others love the connector!

-Carol Grant

Middlebury College

Jason Stoynoff

@Carolyn Grant Thanks for the reply, Carol. Yes, we created a custom connector to access RE NXT. We use the Export function for several reports and were hoping to use Power BI to make some of these reports more timely to create.