Infor ION Connection Point Types Reference (On-Premises and Cloud)
A side-by-side reference of the Infor ION connection point types, showing which edition offers each one, how messages move, which document types it carries and whether ION in the cloud needs the Enterprise Connector to reach it. Use it to pick the right connector before modelling a data flow.
| Connection point type | Edition | How messages move | Document types | Enterprise Connector (Cloud)? | Best for | Watch-outs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Application - inbox/outbox (I/O box) | On-premises; Cloud through Enterprise Connector (Infor Application connection point) | Application writes to COR_OUTBOX_ENTRY / COR_OUTBOX_HEADERS; ION reads them and delivers to COR_INBOX_ENTRY / COR_INBOX_HEADERS | BOD | Yes | Infor applications that use the database I/O box | ION does not purge the inbox tables; the application must, or the database fills up |
Application - IMS (bidirectional) | On-premises and Cloud | ION Messaging Service: application and ION exchange messages over HTTP(S) in both directions | BOD | Yes when the application is on premises | Current Infor applications that support IMS | Configure both directions and test each |
Application - IMS (unidirectional) | On-premises and Cloud | One-direction IMS configuration; see the guide for polling properties | BOD | Yes when the application is on premises | Flows that only need one direction | Check polling properties |
Application - IMS via ION API | On-premises and Cloud (IMS via properties) | IMS traffic routed through the ION API Gateway with an authorized app | BOD | No | Cloud or hybrid applications that already use ION API | Needs an authorized app and credentials |
Infor LN / Baan connection point | On-premises; Cloud through Enterprise Connector | Connector specific to Infor LN and Baan | BOD | Yes | On-premises LN and Baan systems | Match the logical ID to the LN company setup |
File | On-premises; Cloud through Enterprise Connector | Read and write file actions against configured file locations, with file templates, optional encrypt and decrypt | BOD, JSON, ANY, DSV | Yes | ERPs without BOD support that can export or import files | File name pattern restrictions; files must be complete before pickup |
File (SFTP from Cloud) | Cloud | ION in the cloud reads from and writes to an SFTP server | BOD, JSON, ANY, DSV | No | Partners or sites that expose SFTP | Firewall and key management on the SFTP side |
Database | On-premises; Cloud through Enterprise Connector | ION runs read and write statements against a database through JDBC on a schedule | BOD | Yes | Older ERPs with no BOD support, staging tables | Mark rows as processed in your read logic to avoid resending |
Database - AnySQL modeler | On-premises (read action) and Cloud (AnySQL connection point) | Model a read with SQL instead of a fixed table mapping; object schemas can be generated | BOD | Yes when the database is on premises | Reading from views or joins | Keep queries indexed; they run on a schedule |
Message Queue (JMS) | On-premises; Cloud through Enterprise Connector | ION acts as a JMS client to a vendor queue (vendor driver uploaded) | BOD | Yes | Sites with an existing JMS broker | Vendor client jars must be prepared and deployed |
API connection point (ION API connection point on premises) | On-premises and Cloud | Calls REST APIs, including those exposed through ION API, as a step in a data flow | BOD, JSON, ANY | No | Calling a REST API from a data flow | Not for delimited (DSV) documents |
ION Network | Cloud and on-premises | Exchanges documents with another tenant or partner over the ION network | BOD, JSON, ANY, DSV | No | B2B with partners on Infor OS | Partner must accept the connection |
Web service | On-premises | Web service connection points managed in ION Technology Connectors | See guide | Not applicable | Legacy SOAP integrations | Consider API connection points for new work |
Infor Cloud (1.0 / 2.0) connection points | On-premises | Connects an on-premises ION to Infor cloud applications | BOD | Not applicable | Hybrid estates before moving ION to the cloud | Version specific modelling |
API flow (not a connection point) | Cloud | Chains REST calls synchronously and publishes them as one endpoint | JSON | No | Composite APIs | 5-minute gateway time-out and payload limits |
Data Lake activities (not a connection point) | Cloud | Data flow activities that query or retrieve from Data Lake | As per activity | No | Feeding analytics data into a flow | Data Lake query costs and latency |
Workflow, monitors, scripts (not connection points) | Both | Activities inside or beside data flows: workflow from data flow, monitors and alerts, ION Scripting | BOD | No | Approvals, alerts, transformation | Keep logic out of connection points |
Type names follow the ION Desk and ION Technology Connectors guides (cloud 2026.x and on-premises 2023.x). The document type matrix (BOD, JSON, ANY, DSV) is from 'Document types supported by various connectors'. Enterprise Connector types per 'Integration with your local applications': Infor Application, IMS, Infor LN/Baan, File, Database and Message Queue.
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Picking a type for an on-premises ERP with no BOD support
If the ERP cannot produce BODs, ION can still integrate it. A File connection point picks up exports (BOD, JSON, delimited or any content) from a folder and writes files for imports, which suits ERPs with good flat-file tools. A Database connection point reads and writes tables or staging tables through JDBC; use the AnySQL modeler to read from a view or join. Both run where the data is: on premises directly, or, with ION in the cloud, through the Enterprise Connector installed on a local host. Prefer staging tables over writing into ERP tables so the ERP's own import validates the data.
- Can export files reliably: File
- Has a database you can stage into: Database
- Has a JMS broker: Message Queue
- Has REST APIs: API connection point
I/O box vs IMS
The older Infor application pattern uses database tables as an inbox and outbox: the application writes COR_OUTBOX_ENTRY and COR_OUTBOX_HEADERS, ION polls them and delivers into COR_INBOX_ENTRY and COR_INBOX_HEADERS. ION removes sent outbox messages (by default after a retention period, or immediately with Delete Processed Messages=true), but does not clean the inbox tables; the application must. IMS replaces the tables with direct HTTP(S) messaging between application and ION, bidirectional or unidirectional, which avoids polling delays and table growth. Newer Infor applications favour IMS.
What the Enterprise Connector does for Cloud Edition
ION in the cloud cannot reach a database, file share or queue inside your network. The Enterprise Connector is a component you install on a local host (it runs on an Infor Grid) that connects outbound to ION in the cloud and runs the local connection points for it. Infor lists six types it supports: Infor Application, IMS, Infor LN/Baan, File, Database and Message Queue. Plan it like any server: sizing, memory for its components, certificates, proxy settings, log archiving, disaster recovery and upgrades, all documented in the ION Desk user guide.
Testing and where errors show
Every connection point has a test action in ION Desk; run it after any credential or network change. Then activate the data flow and watch ION OneView, which shows each document's path through connection points with its status, and lists error messages you can mark handled. The connection points list also shows active connection points and lets you pause message processing while you fix a target system. For files, test with a small file that matches the file name pattern; for databases, run the read statement by hand first.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an Infor ION connection point?
It is the configured endpoint ION uses to send or receive documents for one application or technology: an application (I/O box or IMS), file location, database, message queue, API or network partner. Data flows connect connection points with mappings, filters and routing in between.
What is the Infor ION API connection point?
It lets a data flow call REST APIs, including APIs exposed through the ION API Gateway, and supports BOD, JSON and any-content documents. On premises it is documented as the ION API connection point in the technology connectors guide.
Do I need the Enterprise Connector on premises?
No. With ION installed on premises, local connection points run directly on your ION servers. The Enterprise Connector is for ION in the cloud reaching applications, files, databases or queues inside your network, installed on a local host that connects outbound to the cloud tenant.
Which connection points support JSON?
According to Infor's document type table, File, Network and API connection points carry JSON. The inbox/outbox, Message Queue and Database types are BOD only. File and Network also carry delimited (DSV) and any-content documents, while API does not carry DSV.
If you want to connect an older on-premises ERP to ION, or put a private AI assistant on top of the data ION moves, we can design and build it.
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