Business Intelligence Exchange (BIX)

Business Intelligence Exchange (BIX) is an optional add-on product consisting of a ruleset and a stand-alone Java program that can be run from a command line. BIX provides the extract functions of an ETL (extract, transform, and load) utility by using the Pega-BIX ruleset, which supports the Rule-Admin-Extract rule type.

You can also run BIX extracts manually in your application. Data can be output as XML orComma Separated Value (CSV) formats , or to a database.

BIX in Pega Cloud applications

In addition to using BIX on on-premises deployments, you can use BIX in Pega Cloud applications. For details about using BIX in Pega Cloud applications, see BIX in Pega Cloud applications.

BIX Version

Before using BIX, ensure that the BIX version you are using matches the installed Pega Platform version. Versions might not match after you update or upgrade the Pega Platform because updates and upgrades do not automatically update add-on products such as BIX. Refer to the BIX User Guide for instructions on upgrading BIX.

BIX Architecture

When BIX runs as a standalone Java program outside of the Pega Platform, the server that BIX runs on must be able to access the Pega Platform database(s) from which data will be extracted.

An extract, also referred to as an extraction or extraction process, is a process that runs one or more Extract rules. If it runs more than one Extract rule, they are run serially.

Each Extract rule extracts data from a single class. All of the Extract rules for an extract must extract data from the same database.

An extract can be run:

  • within the Pega Platform using an agent that calls the pxExtractDataWithArgs activity for one or more Extract rules.
  • as a command-line process. An extract run as a command-line process can be run from any server that can access the source database and the destination database or file system.
Note: A single Extract rule can be run manually from the Extract rule form, however, this is typically only done in development environments with small volumes of data to test these rules.

For Pega Cloud applications, BIX is an add-on service that Pega configures if you choose it as part of your subscription. For on-premises applications, BIX is available when you purchase and install the BIX application.