Inline data

You can embed inline data in your request.

Tabular inline data

This example generates the corresponding diet_food.csv file that is used as the model input file. Only csv files are supported.

"input_data": [{
      "id":"diet_food.csv",
      "fields" : ["name","unit_cost","qmin","qmax"],
      "values" : [
                 ["Roasted Chicken", 0.84, 0, 10]
      ]
}]

Raw inline data

This type of inline data is useful for files such as an OPL .dat file or an .lp file.

"input_data": [{
      "id":"model.lp",
      "content":"<model encoded as base64 string>"
}]

Referenced data

When using data or connection assets for tabular data, use .csv as the data-identifier extension in the id field, regardless of the asset type. The data-connector makes the necessary transformations, so that you can load data without needing to change the format of the data. You can thus use the same Decision Optimization model with many different data-source types and formats by using a data-connector to reference your data. If you use other data-identifier extensions, the data is loaded as a raw-data binary-file without any transformation.

Data assets

You can use data asset references to locate any data asset present in your space and benefit from the data-connector integration capabilities. To use data assets from a project, you must first promote them to your space.

This example defines input data references to a data asset in a space.

"input_data_references": [{
      "type": "data_asset",
      "id": "diet_food.csv",
      "connection": {},
      "location": {
            "href": "/v2/assets/<ASSET_ID>?space_id=<SPACE_ID>"
      }
}]

This example shows you how to load a Microsoft Excel file asset <ASSET_ID> from space <SPACE_ID>.

"input_data_references": [{
      "type": "data_asset",
      "id": "kpis.csv",
      "connection": {},
      "location": {
            "href": "/v2/assets/<ASSET_ID>?space_id=<SPACE_ID>"
      }
}]

Connection assets

You can use connection assets to reference any data and then refer to the connection without having to specify credentials each time. Referencing a secure connection without having to use inline credentials in the payload also offers you better security. You can use the id to identify connections. For example,

"input_data_references": [{
      "type": "connection_asset",
      "id": "diet_food.csv",
      "connection": {
              "id" : "<CONNECTION_ID>",
      }
      "location": {  
              <Data-connector interaction properties depending on connection type>
      }
}]

The <CONNECTION_ID> is the globally unique identifier for a connection. You can find this identifier when you have created a connection and you then edit the connection in your project. The identifier is visible in the Edit connection window's URL.

For information about job definitions, see Deployment job definitions.

You can specify the interaction properties that are required for the connection in the location field.

This example connects to a COS/S3 bucket. The interaction properties are provided in the location field.

      "location": { 
            "file_name" : "<FILENAME>",
            "bucket" : "<BUCKET_NAME>"
      }

This example connects to a Db2 asset. The interaction properties are provided in the location field.

      "location" : { 
            "table_name" : "<TABLE_NAME>", 
            "schema_name" : "<SCHEMA_NAME>" 
      }

This example connects to a COS/S3 bucket. The connection reference is provided in the id field.

"input_data_references": [{
      "type": "connection_asset",
      "id": "diet_food.csv",
      "connection": {
            "id" : "<CONNECTION_ID>"
      },
      "location": {
            "file_name" : "<FILENAME>",
            "bucket" : "<BUCKET_NAME>"
      }
}]

This example shows you how to load a Microsoft Excel file from a COS/S3 bucket.

"input_data_references": [{
      "type": "kpis.csv",
      "id": "diet_food.csv",
      "connection": {
            "id" : "<CONNECTION_ID>"
      },
      "location": {
            "file_name" : "<kpis.xlsx>",
            "bucket" : "<BUCKET_NAME>"
      }
}]

This example shows you how to connect to a Db2 asset. The connection reference is provided in the id field.

"input_data_references": [{
      "type" : "connection_asset",
      "id" : "diet_food.csv",
      "connection" : {
            "id" : "<CONNECTION_ID>"
      },
      "location" : {
            "table_name" : "<TABLE_NAME>",
            "schema_name" : "<SCHEMA_NAME>"
      }
}]

For more information about the interaction properties that you can use in the location field, see Platform connections in the main menu. On the Connections page, select Connection resources > Connection properties. Then select the Interaction properties > As a source tab for the relevant connector. You might need to create a Platform assets catalog.

For more information about the different connections available for Decision Optimization, see Supported data sources in Decision Optimization.

URL referenced data

You can use URL-referenced data to load data from a particular URL.

This example uses the GET command to retrieve the diet_food.csv file from a URL as input data for the Decision Optimization deployment job.

"input_data_references": {
      "type": "url",
      "id": "diet_food.csv",
      "connection": {
            "verb": "GET",
            "url": "https://myserver.com/diet_food.csv",
            "headers": {
                "Content-Type": "application/x-www-form-urlencoded"
            }
      },
   "location": {}
}