Enhancing data integration with Canvas iPaaS: Introducing the new "Mapper Merge feature”.
Keeping up with changes in data feeds can at times be complex. The problem with many integration systems is that, when the structure of your data changes—whether it’s new fields being added, types being altered, or fields disappearing—adjustments can be tedious and prone to error. Anyone who has worked on complex workflows knows the frustration of discovering that a key field in a mapping has been renamed or that a new field, essential for future reports, is missing entirely. In situations like these, integration often grinds to a halt until the necessary updates are made. This is the changes to the Mapper-feature comes to the rescue.
Canvas iPaaS is designed to handle the integration needs of businesses, offering an intuitive and robust platform to connect apps, automate workflows, and streamline data flow. But even the best tools must evolve to deal with real-world data challenges, and that’s exactly what the Mapper's new Merge functionality is all about—helping IT professionals stay nimble, responsive, and efficient when faced with ever-changing data structures.
Why is the new merging feature important?
Let’s consider a typical scenario: you’ve set up an integration between your CRM and ERP system, using Canvas iPaaS’s Mapper block to ensure that data flows smoothly between the two platforms. Over time, your CRM system gets upgraded, and suddenly, you’re dealing with new fields that weren't there before or perhaps some of the field names have changed. Without a way to easily update your mappings, this kind of change could take time to fix, leading to downtime, data gaps, or worse—errors in your workflow that aren’t discovered until later.
The "Merge Changes in Mapper" feature tackles this challenge head-on. Instead of manually searching for changes or guessing why a particular field is no longer mapping correctly, the system automatically detects differences in your source feed and gives you a simple way to adjust your mappings. This feature not only saves time, but it also reduces errors by making the process transparent and easy to manage.
How the "Mapper Merge" feature works
When a change occurs in the source feed of your workflow, such as the addition, removal, or alteration of a field, Canvas iPaaS’s engine detects these changes after running the relevant blocks. A notification appears, prompting you to update the mapping. By clicking on the ‘Update Mapping’ button, you open a pop-up window where you can review the detected changes.
This intuitive interface allows you to selectively merge the changes into the Mapper. You have full control over which fields to incorporate, whether they're new or modified, or even if they’ve been removed. If you're not ready to make any changes yet, leaving the boxes unchecked ensures the Mapper screen remains unchanged. It's a non-intrusive, flexible system that gives IT professionals the freedom to handle data feed changes on their own terms.
Merging the Changes: A Closer Look
Once you’ve decided to merge specific changes into the Mapper, the next step is to confirm the adjustments. The Mapper interface clearly distinguishes between new fields, missing fields, and fields whose types have been altered.
On the left-side source model, new fields are labeled as “New,” giving you a clear view of what has been added to the source feed since your last mapping session. This label disappears once the mapping is saved, ensuring your workspace remains clean and uncluttered. If the changes are canceled, the labels remain, reminding you that updates are still pending.
For fields that have been renamed, deleted, or modified, the system marks them as “Missing.” These must be manually deleted before saving the new mapping. This manual step helps avoid confusion or errors later, ensuring you have full visibility and control over what stays in your mapping and what goes.
In the mapping area itself, you’ll see any missing fields that had previously been mapped. This allows you to address issues that arise when fields used for mapping are no longer available in the source feed. The best part is that even when fields are marked as “Missing,” your workflow and Mapper will continue to function normally. Canvas iPaaS ensures the scheduler isn’t interrupted, allowing IT professionals to fix the issue at their convenience without disrupting the overall integration.
There’s one exception to this flexibility: if a field’s data type has changed—such as from a number to a string—you will see one field marked as “New” and the other as “Missing.” In this case, Canvas iPaaS requires that you manually delete one of the fields to resolve the conflict before saving the mapping. This is a critical safeguard to prevent incompatible data types from causing issues in your workflow.
Streamlined integration with Canvas iPaaS
By automating the detection of changes and offering a clear, simple way to merge updates into the Mapper, the new " Mapper Merge" feature reduces the complexity of keeping your data mappings up-to-date. This means IT professionals can focus on the bigger picture—building effective, scalable integrations—without getting bogged down by the minutiae of manual updates.
Canvas iPaaS already offers powerful tools for connecting and automating business processes across different software platforms, but the ability to quickly and easily adjust mappings as data sources evolve adds another layer of efficiency to an already impressive platform. Whether you’re managing workflows between finance systems, CRMs, or other enterprise tools, Canvas iPaaS makes it easier than ever to keep everything running smoothly.
In a world where data is constantly shifting, the ability to seamlessly adapt is crucial. With the " Mapper Merge" feature, Canvas iPaaS provides IT professionals with the agility they need to keep up with the pace of change, ensuring that integrations remain robust, accurate, and reliable—no matter how the data evolves.