Key Features:   

• Module-level property storage – Store configuration data at both the cloud and agent levels.

• Widget support – Collect client-specific configurations using widgets in both cloud and agent environments.

• Task metadata and validation – Define payload structures and validate task input parameters before execution.

Environmental Set-up    

1. In Qntrl, click the settings gear icon (⚙) in the left panel.
2. Navigate to Advanced >> Bridge, then choose Custom Module.
3. Click Download SDK at the top-right corner to download and install the Custom Module SDK for developing custom modules. The SDK requires Java 11 and includes libraries that support module development.
4. To integrate the SDK into your project, add all downloaded JAR files from the SDK to your project’s classpath or reference libraries.
5. Develop your module, compile the code, and generate a JAR file.
6. Package all compiled and dependent JARs (excluding SDK JARs) into a ZIP with a /lib folder. You may also include configuration files such as data-dictionary.xml. Do not include the SDK JARs that were used during development.

Refer to the Types of Custom Module section for the sample Java classes.

1. In the Custom Module page of Qntrl, click New Custom Module.
2. Fill in the following details:

• Service: Select a service from the dropdown.
• Module Name: Enter a unique name to identify the module.
• Link Name: Provide an identifier for the module. This name is used for reference in Bridge.
• Type: Select the application type for your custom module. Based on your integration or automation requirements Bridge supports the following custom module types.
• JAR
• REST API Service
• SOAP Service
• Credential Module
• Description: Briefly describe the module’s purpose.
• Meta Validation: Select this checkbox to validate the JSON payload used for executing the module through Messages.
• Main Class Name: Enter the class name with its package path (e.g., packageName.className).
• Attachments: Upload the ZIP file containing your JARs created using the SDK interface.

3. Click Save.

The module will be listed under the Associated Modules section of the Bridge page only if both the Main Class Name and the JAR ZIP file are provided during creation.

Learn more about associating modules in Bridge.

Configure Custom Module 

The module page includes three main sections:

• Module Overview: View and configure module details and properties.
• Settings: Displays configuration widgets linked to the module. You can view or update these as needed.
• Task Meta: Available for JAR-type modules. Defines the payload JSON used to validate incoming payloads or generate form builders. Refer to the Task Meta section for more details.

The Task Meta section appears in the Custom Module page only when the module type is set to JAR.

Module Overview 

Click the Module Overview section of the selected module. The details of the chosen custom module are displayed here, allowing you to configure and manage its properties.  

Properties:

This section displays the details of the created module, including its deployed version, which can be updated as needed. 

Source Files:

• Upload the JAR file generated from the SDK (if applicable).

• The uploaded JAR activates automatically.

Limitations:

• A maximum of three ZIP files can be attached.

• Only one JAR file can be active at a time.

• When a new JAR is activated, previously active files become inactive, and the new one is automatically deployed.
  

Menu Configuration:

Create widgets to collect module-specific properties using custom forms. These widgets appear as configurable menus in either the Bridge Agent or Qntrl Cloud interface.

To create a new menu widget:

1. Click New Settings Menu.

2. Provide the following details:
   

1. Name: Enter a name for the menu.
   

2. Location: Choose where the menu should appear:
   

1. Bridge Agent – Listed under the Configuration section in the Bridge Agent.
   

2. Bridge Cloud – Listed under Settings tab in the Custom Module.
   

3. Click Save to create the widget.

​

The Publish button turns green when there are unpublished changes.                        

To manage widgets, hover over the widget name, click the action menu (⋮), and choose Disable or Delete.

Associated Bridges:  

Displays the bridges linked to this module.

• When a new JAR is activated, it is automatically deployed to the associated bridge.

• If deployment doesn’t occur automatically, click Deploy to deploy and update the bridge manually.

Configurations 

Task Meta   

1. Payload validation — Validates that incoming payloads conform to the defined JSON schema before execution. This prevents errors by ensuring all required fields are present and follow the correct data type (e.g., string, object, number).
2. Form Builder (UI Generation) — Automatically construct form builders by extracting field details from the Task Meta schema. This allows users to easily provide the required task parameters without manually writing JSON.

1. Open your Custom Module.
2. Navigate to the Task Meta section.
3. Click Create Task Meta.
4. Provide the following details:
1. Name: A unique name for the Task Meta.
2. Description: A short explanation of what the task does.
5. Choose one of the schema creation methods:
1. Payload (auto-generate): Use this option when you already have a sample payload.
   
1. Provide your sample payload JSON and click Generate.
   
2. The right panel will automatically generate a JSON schema based on the structure. Review the schema and click Create to save it.
3. This method is ideal when the payload structure is known and consistency is required.
   

2. Custom (manual schema creation): Use this when you want full control over the JSON schema or already have a predefined schema.
   
1. Directly enter or paste your JSON schema.
   
2. Click Create to save.
   

Managing Task Meta 

Click any Task Meta to open its details.

The following actions can be done:

• Edit Description: Use the edit icon to modify the description.
  
• Delete Task Meta: Click the delete icon at the top to remove the entire Task Meta.
  

• Edit Schema: In the editor section, update the JSON schema as needed.
• Version: Each Task Meta maintains version history. Every update creates a new version. Use the Version dropdown to switch between versions.
• Download Current Version: Downloads the current version.
• Delete Current Version: Delete the version that is currently selected. Latest version cannot be deleted, since it is used for validation.
• Sample Payload: Use the Sample Payload dropdown to view the sample payload derived from the schema. This helps users understand the correct format when sending inputs to the Bridge task.
• Once you are finished making changes, click Save as New Version.
  

     

Version Limitations:

1. A maximum of 50 versions can be stored.
   
2. To add the 51st version, you must delete an older version, except the latest version, which cannot be removed.
   

Sample Task meta

The following is a sample Task Meta schema defining the payload for an SSH task:

{
    "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema#",
    "type": "object",
    "properties": {
          "task_name": {
              "type": "string",
              "default" : "ssh_task"
          },
          "credential": {
              "type": "object",
              "properties": {
                    "name": {
                           "type": "string"
                    }
             }
          },
          "task_details": {
              "type": "object",
              "properties": {
                    "host": {
                        "type": "string"
                    },
                    "command": {
                        "type": "string"
                    }
              }
          }
        }
}

How to Execute a Custom Module 

1. Associate the Custom Module with the Bridge

Before executing a custom module, it must first be associated with the target bridge. Upon association, the custom module's JAR file is automatically uploaded to the target bridge.

 

To associate the created custom module with the bridge:

1. In Qntrl, click the settings gear icon (⚙) in the left panel.
2. Navigate to Advanced >> Bridge, then choose Bridge.
   
3. In the Bridge list page, click on the name of the bridge you wish to associate the custom module with.
4. The selected bridge details will be displayed. Under the Modules tab, click Associate Modules, and from the displayed list of modules select the name of the custom module you wish to associate with the bridge.
5. Click Save.

The custom module is now associated with the bridge and will be listed under the Modules section of the Bridge configuration. Cick Save again to confirm this bridge configuration update.

2. Execute the Custom Module 

Custom module executions are performed through the Messages module in Bridge.

To execute your custom module task:

1. Refer to the Messages section to learn how to create and run a message in Bridge.
   
2. While creating a new message, choose your custom module and select the appropriate task from the task list, then execute it.

Upon a successful message execution:

• The response is displayed immediately for synchronous messages.
  
• A server call entry appears in the Message list within the Bridge Agent.
  

Types of Custom Module  

1.  Jar 

Your main class in custom module is expected to extend the JarModule interface and override the request method.

Sample Java class 

2.  Rest API Services 

REST API Service support in Custom Modules allows you to develop your own REST API modules in your preferred format. Upon deployment, REST API endpoints are published on the Bridge server.

• Module Name: Retrieved from the main class's getModuleBasePath() function.
• Controller Path: Path fetched from the RestController annotation.
• Request Path: Path retrieved from the RestController annotation.
• URL Method: Retrieved from the RequestDetails annotation.
  

1. Method and path details are added to the rest_modules.xml file, which is loaded during server start.
   
2. If a new version is updated in Qntrl, URLs in the configuration file are deleted and replaced with URLs fetched from the new version.
   
3. Upon module deletion in Qntrl, the module's details are removed from the configuration file.
   

Implementation

To view or update a custom module properties:

1. Navigate to settings (⚙) >> Advanced >> Bridge, then select Custom Module.

2. On the module list page, click the name of the module you want to edit.

3. The module details page opens, where you can view or modify its properties.

4. After making the necessary changes, click Save to apply them.