To define the input for a dataflow, use a source stage. A source is the first stage in a dataflow. It defines the input data you want to process.
Input for a Job
Input data for a job can come from a file or a database. Spectrum Technology Platform has the ability to read data from many file formats and database types. The types of data sources you can read from depend on which Spectrum processes you have licensed. Spectrum Data Integration provides access to the most data sources of any module.
Note: When designing a job, it is a good idea to account for the possibility of
malformed input records. A malformed record is one that cannot be parsed using one
of the parser classes provided by Spectrum Technology Platform. For information
about handling malformed input records, see Managing malformed input records.
Input for a Service
Input data for a service is defined in an Input stage. This stage defines the fields that the service will accept from a web service request or an API call.