Inlet

An inlet is a type of connector that allows you to move messages from an external system into NATS. The two main components of an inlet are the source and the producer. The source will read the data from the external system and the producer will write the data to NATS. As with any connector, you can define an optional transformer to modify the message as it flows through the connector.

Source

The source is the component of the inlet that reads data from the external system. Many different sources are available out of the box. If you need a source that is not supported, please reach out to us.

Each source has its own configuration options that you can use to customize how the source reads data from the external system. Take a look at the Reference for the specific source you are using to see what options are available.

Transformer

A transformer is an optional component of the inlet that allows you to modify the message as it flows through the connector. A transformer can only act on a single message at a time and has no knowledge of the previous or next messages flowing through the connector.

Transformers are useful when you want to make changes to how your messages are formatted or when you want to call a service to modify the message.

Producer

The producer is the component of the inlet that writes the data to NATS. The producer will take the message from the source and write it to NATS. Several options are available for the producer, including the subject to write the message to and the NATS configuration to use.