Connect Everything with Routes
What are Routes?
Routes define the data flow path in DataStream. They connect your components in this sequence:
Device (data source) → Pipeline (processing logic) → Target (destination)
Without a route, your device receives data and your target is ready to store it, but there is no path connecting them through your processing pipeline.
Create Your First Quick Route
Quick Routes provide a visual canvas for connecting your components.
-
Navigate to Quick Routes
- From the sidebar: Routes > Quick Routes
-
Understanding the Interface
- Left panel: Device and target selection buttons (visible when no devices or targets are on the canvas)
- Main canvas: Visual workspace where you connect components
Select Your Components
Add Your Device
-
Click
Select device in the left panel -
A drawer opens titled Select device for routing with two steps:
Step 1 — Choose Device Type:
- Select the device type tile (e.g., Syslog)
- Click
Choose device type
Step 2 — Select Device:
- Check the box next to "My First Syslog Device" from the table
- Click
Select Device(s)
-
Your syslog device appears as a card on the canvas. The vertical ellipsis menu provides
Go to device details andRemove device options.
Add Your Target
-
Click
Select target in the left panel -
A drawer opens titled Select target for routing with two steps:
Step 1 — Choose Target Type:
- Select the target type tile (e.g., File)
- Click
Choose target type
Step 2 — Select Target:
- Check the box next to "My First File Target" from the table
- Click
Select Target(s)
-
Your file target appears as a card on the canvas.
Connect Device to Target
-
Create the connection
- Click and drag from the connector handle on the right edge of your device card to the connector handle on the left edge of your target card
- A connection line appears between the two cards
-
Configure the route
- A popup titled
Configure route appears on the connection line - The popup body contains the
Insert pipeline within route button - The popup footer has
Discard route andSave route buttons
notePipeline insertion is optional. If you do not insert a pipeline, the route is saved as a direct route that passes data from device to target without processing.
- A popup titled
-
Insert your pipeline
- Click
Insert pipeline within route - A modal titled Insert from available pipelines opens
- Use the
Search pipelines field to filter - Select the radio button next to your Content Hub pipeline
- Click
Select pipeline
- Click
-
Review the selection
- The popup updates to show your selected pipeline name with
Change andRemove options - Review the complete flow: Device → Pipeline → Target
- The popup updates to show your selected pipeline name with
-
Save your route
- Click
Save route in the popup footer
- Click
Data processing begins immediately after saving. Any data arriving at your device from this point onward flows through the pipeline to your target.
Verify Your Route
After saving, you should see:
- Solid connection line between device and target
- Pipeline node on the connection line showing your pipeline name
- Route status: Active and ready to process data
Test Your Data Flow
Verify the data flow is working:
Send Test Data
- PowerShell
- Bash
Send-SyslogMessage -Server <your-server-ip> -Message "Test: DataStream route verification $(Get-Date)" -Severity Informational -Facility User
logger -n <your-server-ip> -P 514 "Test: DataStream route verification $(date)"
Check for Processed Data
- Navigate to your target directory (the location you specified in your File target)
- Look for JSON files matching your file name template
- Open the file to verify it contains processed data
Output format depends on the pipeline template selected from Content Hub.
Troubleshooting
Route not processing data?
-
Verify all components are enabled:
- Device status: Enabled
- Target status: Enabled
- Director status: Connected
-
Check network connectivity:
- Port 514 open for syslog input
- Firewall allows traffic to your device
- Target directory exists and is writable
-
Verify the route is saved:
- Return to Quick Routes
- Confirm the connection line is solid (not dotted)
What's Next?
Your DataStream pipeline is now operational. Data flows from your syslog device through your processing pipeline to your file target.
Next: Monitor and Verify your data flow to ensure everything is working correctly.