Article Type: Concept / Integration Package Overview
Audience: Solution Architects, Application Designers, Integration Specialists, Partners
Module: Data Flows / iPaaS Connectors
Applies to Versions: 2022.1+

1. Overview

The Plex ODBC Master Data Flow Configuration is a comprehensive integration package that enables automated synchronization of master data from Plex Manufacturing Cloud (formerly Plex ERP) into the Fuuz Industrial Operations Platform. This package provides 40 pre-built data flows that extract, transform, and load critical manufacturing data including products, customers, suppliers, workcenters, purchase orders, and quality codes.

Using Plex's ODBC interface, this package establishes a one-way data synchronization from Plex to Fuuz, enabling manufacturers to leverage Fuuz's real-time monitoring, OEE tracking, and shop floor applications while maintaining Plex as the system of record for ERP functions.

2. Architecture & Data Flow

Key Definitions

• Plex Manufacturing Cloud: A cloud-based ERP system designed for manufacturing, providing modules for production, quality, inventory, supply chain, and financials.
• ODBC (Open Database Connectivity): A standard API for accessing database management systems. Plex exposes read-only views via ODBC for data extraction.
• PCN (Plex Customer Number): A unique identifier for each Plex tenant/company. All queries are filtered by PCN to ensure data isolation.
• Master Data Flow Configuration: A Fuuz component that orchestrates multiple data flows with shared connection settings, pagination controls, and scheduling.
• Topic: A message bus channel in Fuuz used for event-driven data processing. Each flow publishes to dedicated topics for pagination and downstream processing.
• Pagination: A mechanism for handling large datasets by processing records in configurable batches (default 500 rows per batch).

Integration Architecture

The package follows a standardized integration pattern:

1. Query Execution: Each data flow executes a SQL query against Plex ODBC views filtered by PCN and optional date ranges
2. Pagination Handling: Results are processed in batches using key-based pagination (not offset-based) for consistency
3. Data Transformation: JSONata transforms map Plex field names to Fuuz data model attributes
4. Upsert Operations: Records are inserted or updated in Fuuz based on unique identifiers
5. Topic Publishing: Completion events are published for downstream processing and pagination continuation

Package Components

Node Types Used

The data flows utilize the following Fuuz Data Flow node types:

• integrateV2: Executes ODBC queries against Plex with configurable connection and retry logic
• transform: Applies JSONata transformations to map Plex fields to Fuuz data models
• mutate: Performs GraphQL upsert operations to create or update Fuuz records
• query: Retrieves existing Fuuz data for reference lookups
• setContext / mergeContext: Manages pagination state and configuration across flow execution
• publish: Sends messages to topics for pagination continuation and event notification
• topic: Subscribes to incoming topic messages to trigger flow execution
• ifElse / when: Conditional logic for handling empty results and pagination termination
• log: Diagnostic logging for troubleshooting and monitoring

3. Use Cases

Master Data Synchronization

Manufacturers using Plex as their ERP can automatically synchronize master data to Fuuz, eliminating manual data entry and ensuring consistency across systems. Products, customers, suppliers, and workcenters defined in Plex become immediately available in Fuuz applications.

Shop Floor Applications

With workcenter, mode, and event data synchronized from Plex, Fuuz applications like Machine Monitoring can leverage the existing equipment hierarchy without re-creating master data. Operators see familiar workcenter names and configurations while gaining access to Fuuz's real-time monitoring capabilities.

Purchase Order Visibility

Purchase orders and line items from Plex are synchronized to Fuuz, enabling receiving workflows, supplier performance tracking, and inventory management applications to operate with current procurement data.

Quality Management

Scrap reason codes and quality defect types defined in Plex are synchronized to Fuuz, ensuring consistent quality categorization between ERP reporting and shop floor data collection.

Multi-System Integration

Fuuz serves as an integration hub, combining Plex master data with real-time IoT data from equipment, enabling analytics and applications that span both systems. For example, OEE calculations can use Plex-defined rate standards while capturing actual production from PLC signals.

4. Data Flow Details

Products & Materials (10 flows)

Customers & Suppliers (6 flows)

Workcenters & Equipment (8 flows)

Facilities & Locations (4 flows)

Purchase Orders (5 flows)

Quality & Inventory (7 flows)

5. Technical Details

Configuration Structure

The package creates a Master Data Flow Configuration with ID DEFAULT_PLEX_ODBC_CONFIG containing:

• connectionConfiguration: Stores the PCN (Plex Customer Number) for query filtering
• dataFlowConfiguration.flows: Array of 40 flow configurations with activation status, pagination settings, and date filters
• active: Master switch to enable/disable all flows (defaults to false after installation)

Pagination Configuration

Each flow supports configurable pagination:

Date Filter Configuration

Flows support delta synchronization using date filters:

{
  "modifiedAfter": {
    "data": {
      "unit": "week",
      "offset": -1,
      "range": 1,
      "base": "startOf"
    },
    "label": "Previous week"
  },
  "modifiedBefore": null
}

This default configuration synchronizes records modified in the previous week. Adjust the offset and range values to modify the sync window.

Topic Naming Convention

Topics follow a consistent naming pattern:

• plex.odbc.import.{flowName} — Triggers initial flow execution
• plex.odbc.import.{flowName}.paginate — Triggers pagination continuation

ODBC Query Pattern

Each flow executes SQL queries against Plex ODBC views using a standardized pattern:

SELECT TOP {rowLimit}
  [columns]
FROM {Plex_View}_e AS alias
WHERE alias.PCN = ?
  AND alias.{KeyField} > ?
ORDER BY alias.PCN, alias.{KeyField} ASC

The _e suffix indicates Plex "external" views designed for ODBC access. Key-based pagination ensures consistent results even when data changes during synchronization.

6. Implementation Approach

Prerequisites

• Active Plex Manufacturing Cloud subscription with ODBC access enabled
• Plex Customer Number (PCN) for your tenant
• Fuuz Gateway deployed with ODBC driver connectivity to Plex
• ODBC connection configured in Fuuz Connection management
• Fuuz data models for target entities (typically provided by companion applications like Machine Monitoring)

Phase 1: Package Installation

1. Navigate to the Fuuz Package Manager in your application
2. Upload the Plex ODBC Master Data Flow Configuration package (.fuuz file)
3. The installer validates that data flows, configurations, and topics do not already exist
4. Upon successful validation, the package creates all 40 data flows, 80 topics, and the master configuration
5. Data flows are automatically deployed but the configuration is set to inactive

Phase 2: Connection Configuration

1. Ensure your ODBC connection to Plex is configured and tested in Fuuz Connection management
2. Navigate to the Master Data Flow Configuration record (DEFAULT_PLEX_ODBC_CONFIG)
3. Update the connectionConfiguration.pcn value with your Plex Customer Number
4. Verify the connectionName matches your Fuuz ODBC connection name

Phase 3: Flow Activation

1. Review the list of 40 flows and determine which entities are needed for your implementation
2. For each required flow, set active: true in the dataFlowConfiguration
3. Consider dependency order: reference data (types, statuses) should sync before transactional data
4. Set the master active flag to true to enable synchronization

Phase 4: Initial Synchronization

1. For initial load, temporarily set date filters to a wide range or remove them
2. Trigger flows manually via topic publishing or schedule them
3. Monitor data flow execution logs for errors
4. Verify record counts in Fuuz match expected counts from Plex
5. Reset date filters to delta synchronization settings (e.g., "Previous week")

Phase 5: Scheduling

1. Create Data Flow Schedules to run synchronization at appropriate intervals
2. Typical frequencies: daily for master data, hourly for transactional data
3. Consider Plex ODBC rate limits when scheduling multiple flows
4. Stagger flow execution to avoid overwhelming the ODBC connection

7. Extensibility

The Plex ODBC integration package is designed as a foundation that can be extended:

Common Extensions

• Additional Plex Entities: Create new data flows for Plex views not included in the base package (e.g., Sales Orders, Inventory Balances, Production History)
• Custom Field Mapping: Modify transform nodes to map Plex custom attributes to Fuuz custom fields
• Bi-directional Integration: Create complementary flows that write data back to Plex via Plex API (requires separate authentication)
• Event-Driven Processing: Subscribe to import topics to trigger downstream workflows when data changes
• Data Validation: Add validation nodes to enforce business rules before upserting to Fuuz
• Notification: Configure notifications for sync failures or data anomalies

Customization Points

• Query Filters: Modify SQL WHERE clauses to filter specific records (e.g., active parts only)
• Pagination Size: Adjust defaultRowLimit based on record size and network performance
• Date Ranges: Configure different sync windows per flow based on data change frequency
• Field Transformations: Add computed fields or data normalization in transform nodes

8. Troubleshooting

9. Resources

• Fuuz Industrial Operations Platform — Main product site
• Data Flow Designer Documentation — Creating and modifying data flows
• Gateway Configuration Guide — Setting up ODBC connections
• Master Data Flow Configuration Guide — Managing integration orchestration
• Plex Manufacturing Cloud — Plex ERP documentation

10. Revision History