Skip to main content
View as MarkdownOpen in ChatGPTOpen in Claude

Offline connector

The Offline connector brings data into Axiad Mesh from files rather than a live API. Use it when a source system has no connector of its own, when the data is produced by an internal tool or export, or when a system can't be reached directly from Mesh — but you can still publish its data as files.

It's also the path for cryptographic inventory: certificates, certificate templates, software, and machine assets that feed post-quantum readiness often arrive this way.

How it works​

You publish your data as JSON files and give Mesh a single index file — a plain list of the file locations, one per line. On each collection cycle, Mesh reads the index, fetches every listed file, and ingests its records. To add or refresh data, update the files and the index; Mesh picks up the changes on the next cycle.

Each record in a file declares:

  • the source the data came from,
  • the category of records it contains, and
  • the entities themselves.

What you can import​

The Offline connector ingests the same kinds of entities a live connector would, including:

  • Identities and access — users, groups, group memberships, applications, resources, credentials, and organizational structure such as departments and locations.
  • Cryptographic assets — certificates, certificate templates, software assets, and machine assets. These populate the PQC dashboard and drive the crypto-agility lifecycle, where Mesh correlates which software uses which certificate on which machine, and who owns it.

When to use it​

Reach for the Offline connector when:

  • the source system has no direct connector and no reachable API;
  • data is exported or generated by an internal or third-party tool;
  • you're piloting with a data sample before wiring a live integration; or
  • you're bringing in a cryptographic inventory produced by a discovery process.

For systems that do expose a REST API, the Universal REST connector is usually the better fit — it collects live, on a schedule, without you maintaining files.

Set it up​

The exact file format and the fields each category expects depend on your data. To set up an Offline import — including where to host the files and the index — contact Axiad Customer Success, who will provide the templates and walk you through it.