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Foundation Connection Setup Guide

Complete the below modules to connect your Foundation account with Agave's AP Automation tool:

note

Creating this connection will not automatically send any data into Foundation.

Module 1: Foundation Database Connection​

Connecting to Cloud Versions of Foundation​

The below provides an overview of how to connect to cloud or hosted versions of Foundation. It takes about 15-30 minutes to complete.

Step 1: Create Agave User in Foundation​

The first step is to create a dedicated User to connect to Agave. We recommend using a dedicated User for the integration, so you can track activity from your AP Automation integration.

To create a dedicated User:

  1. From the Foundation main menu, under Tools and System, select Security:

Company Tools
  1. Press the + sign, then Foundation Software LLC --> Companies --> Users. Right click the Users folder and select Add user...:

Company Tools
  1. Add a User ID named "Agave", select your Foundation Company, and make sure this user has ODBC Access enabled. Then press Save.
caution

Make sure to use "Agave" for the User ID since this is a requirement from Foundation.

danger

Your password must meet the following criteria:

  • Be at least 8 characters long
  • Contain at least one letter, one number, and one special character (e.g. !, @, #, $, etc.)
  • Not be part of an online data leak
    • We use Have I Been Pwned to securely check your password, without sending your actual password to their servers. See here for more information.

Company Tools
  1. Double-click on Companies, and then press your Company:

Company Tools
  1. Press the Users tab. Right click in the User column and select Add:

Company Tools
  1. Enter the "Agave" User, and then press Close. Press Yes when prompted to save your changes.

Company Tools
How do I determine my database name?​

To determine your Foundation database name:

  1. From anywhere in Foundation, select File--> Change Database:

Company Tools
  1. A list of your database names will appear:

Company Tools

Step 2: Notify Agave to Make the Connection​

Notify your Agave Account Manager that you are ready to connect Foundation to Agave APA!

Provide them with the following information:

  • Hostname: for cloud or hosted Foundation instances, input sql.foundationsoft.com.
  • Port: this should default to 9000.
  • Database: the name of the Foundation database. See How do I determine my database name? above.
  • Username: the username must be for a registered Foundation User (i.e. "Agave").
  • Password: the password for the registered Foundation User.

Connecting to On-prem Versions of Foundation​

The below provides an overview of how to connect to on-premise installations of Foundation. It takes about 15-30 minutes to complete, unless you need to upgrade to more recent versions of Microsoft Server and Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio which might take a few hours to complete.

Step 1: Confirm you are on the Correct Versions of Microsoft Server and Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio​

Agave supports the following versions of Windows Server and Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio:

  • Windows 10
  • Windows 11
  • Windows Server 2016
  • Windows Server 2019
  • Windows Server 2022

Agave follows Microsoft's Product Lifecycle policy for Windows.

caution

As of October 2023, Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 have reached end of support and do not receive security updates. If you are using either version, we recommend upgrading immediately. Agave does not support these versions of Windows.

For more information, see related Microsoft announcement.

Step 2: Whitelist Agave's Static IP Addresses​

You will need to request your IT team whitelist Agave's static IPs both at the firewall and SQL Server level:

  • 13.58.14.240
  • 18.219.160.98
  • 3.143.37.24

This allows our servers to communicate with the Foundation database hosted in your network.

note

If you are unable to authenticate even after adding the above static IP addresses, we recommend following our guide on troubleshooting common issues with on-premise connections.

If your firewall also restricts outbound traffic, you will need to whitelist the following domains on port 443 (HTTPS/WSS) to allow real-time communication with Agave:

DomainPurpose
rest.ably.ioREST API requests
realtime.ably.ioRealtime WebSocket connections
a.ably-realtime.comFallback host
b.ably-realtime.comFallback host
c.ably-realtime.comFallback host
d.ably-realtime.comFallback host
e.ably-realtime.comFallback host
internet-up.ably-realtime.comConnectivity check
ws-up.ably-realtime.comWebSocket connectivity check
tip

For forward compatibility, we also recommend whitelisting the following CNAME targets that these domains resolve to:

  • main.realtime.ably.net
  • main.a.fallback.ably-realtime.com
  • main.b.fallback.ably-realtime.com
  • main.c.fallback.ably-realtime.com
  • main.d.fallback.ably-realtime.com
  • main.e.fallback.ably-realtime.com
note

Ably does not publish static IP addresses, as their service uses dynamically assigned IPs. Domain-based whitelisting is the recommended approach.

Step 3: Create Agave User in Foundation​

The next step is to create a dedicated User to connect to Agave. We recommend using a dedicated User for the integration, so you can track activity from your AP Automation integration.

To create a dedicated User:

  1. From the Foundation main menu, under Tools and System, select Security:

Company Tools
  1. Press the + sign, then Foundation Software LLC --> Companies --> Users. Right click the Users folder and select Add user...:

Company Tools
  1. Add a User ID named "Agave", select your Foundation Company, and make sure this user has ODBC Access enabled. Then press Save.
caution

Make sure to use "Agave" for the User ID since this is a requirement from Foundation.

danger

Your password must meet the following criteria:

  • Be at least 8 characters long
  • Contain at least one letter, one number, and one special character (e.g. !, @, #, $, etc.)
  • Not be part of an online data leak
    • We use Have I Been Pwned to securely check your password, without sending your actual password to their servers. See here for more information.

Company Tools
  1. Double-click on Companies, and then press your Company:

Company Tools
  1. Press the Users tab. Right click in the User column and select Add:

Company Tools
  1. Enter the "Agave" User, and then press Close. Press Yes when prompted to save your changes.

Company Tools

Step 4: Confirm the "Agave" User has "db_datareader" and "db_datawriter" Permissions​

  1. Open Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio and connect to your Foundation Database:

Company Tools
  1. Go to Security --> Users. Right click the relevant User (i.e. "Agave") and select Properties:

Company Tools
  1. Go to Membership (or User Mapping) and confirm they have the following database role membership for the database you are using:
    • db_datareader
    • db_datawriter
caution

Make sure that the options for db_denydatareader and db_denydatawriter are unchecked as well.

Company Tools

Step 5: Notify Agave to Make the Connection​

Notify your Agave Account Manager that you are ready to connect Foundation to Agave APA, and provide them with the following information:

  • Hostname: the hostname of the server running your Foundation database. This will be a domain or IP address.
  • Port: the port that enables Agave to communicate with the Foundation Database.
  • Database: the name of the Foundation database. See How do I determine my database name? above.
  • Username: the username must be for a registered Foundation User (i.e. "Agave").
  • Password: the password for the registered Foundation User.

Module 2: FSI Importer Setup​

Agave uses Foundation's FSI Importer to safely create invoices in Foundation. Follow this guide to set up the FSI Importer and Agave Connector on your computer so invoices can flow automatically from the Agave platform into Foundation.

Step 1: Download the FSI Importer​

  1. Log in to the Foundation Client Portal.

  2. If you are a Foundation Cloud (Hosted) Customer, go to Resources-->Downloads. If you are a Foundation On-premise Customer, go to Resources-->Software Releases.

  3. Select the download icon for the FSI Importer.

  4. Once the file has downloaded, go to your Downloads folder and open the .exe file. This will start the installation process for the FSI Importer.

  5. Finish the installation process.

Step 2: Install the ODBC Driver​

The FSI Importer reaches your Foundation instance over Microsoft Open Database Connectivity (ODBC). The Agave Connector configures the ODBC data source for you, so you only need to make sure the driver itself is installed.

note

Most machines running Foundation already have the ODBC driver installed. If yours does, you can skip this step and go straight to Step 3: Set up the Agave Connector.

  1. Go to the Microsoft website and download the Microsoft ODBC Driver for SQL Server 18 (x64)

ODBC Guide
  1. Double click on the msodbcsql.msi file that you downloaded

ODBC Guide
  1. This will open up an Installation Wizard, click Next

ODBC Guide
  1. Accept the agreement terms, click Next

ODBC Guide
  1. Select Client Components, click Next

ODBC Guide
  1. On the next screen, click Install

ODBC Guide
  1. You may encounter a User Account Control prompt, click Yes

ODBC Guide
  1. Click Finish to complete the installation of the driver

ODBC Guide

Step 3: Set up the Agave Connector​

  1. Ask your Agave Account Manager for a link to the Agave Connector. Then download and install it.

  2. Open the Agave Connector and press Add Account.

Foundation AP Invoices
  1. Select Foundation as your Source System.

Foundation AP Invoices
  1. Input details for the Foundation user you created in Module 1, and then press Test and Save. Note, these are the same credentials you used for connecting Foundation to Agave APA.

Foundation AP Invoices
  1. Notify your Agave Account Manager that you have completed the foregoing step and ask for an Account ID and Token. Input these details in the next screen and then press Test and Save:

Foundation AP Invoices
  1. Notify your Agave Account Manager that you have completed the foregoing step. They will then be able to confirm that you can export AP Invoices to Foundation.