This tool lets your team send selected data from your internal SQL Server environment to us without opening inbound access to your network.
A lightweight agent runs inside your environment, connects to the specific database tables you approve, and sends that data to the Epicor secure endpoint over HTTPS. The transfer happens in controlled batches, so large datasets can be moved reliably without requiring a direct connection from Epicor production environment into yours.
Why This Approach is Better Than Inbound Access or IP Whitelisting
Many integration models require customers to whitelist vendor production IP addresses and allow inbound connections into internal systems. That approach increases coordination, expands the external attack surface, and creates an ongoing dependency on network exceptions that have to be maintained over time.
This tool uses the opposite model:
- The agent runs inside your network and initiates the connection outbound.
- No inbound firewall change is required for Epicor to reach into your environment.
- Your team controls where the agent is installed, which database it can access, and which tables are included.
- Data transfer can be scheduled and operated on your terms, as opposed to granting standing outside access.
In practice, this usually means a faster security review, less networking overhead, and a cleaner separation of responsibilities between your environment and Epicor.
Why This Approach is Secure
The design follows a least-access model:
- Outbound-only communication: the agent calls out to Epicor service; we do not need direct inbound connectivity to your database or private network.
- Encrypted transport: data is sent over HTTPS with TLS 1.2 or later.
- Server verification: the agent validates the destination certificate before sending data and can be configured to trust a customer-approved certificate authority bundle when needed.
- Optional token-based authentication: the agent can include a bearer token so only authorized agents can submit data.
- Explicit scope control: the agent reads only the tables defined in its configuration, rather than exposing broad network-level access to internal systems.
- Reliable transfer with checkpoints: if a sync is interrupted, the agent resumes from the last confirmed batch instead of restarting or creating unnecessary duplicate traffic.
High-Level Benefits
- No need to expose internal databases to external inbound connections.
- Reduced dependency on firewall exceptions and production IP allowlists.
- Clear control over what data is shared.
- Simpler deployment with a lightweight local agent.
- More reliable transfer of large datasets through batched delivery and restart/resume support.
Summary
This tool is a secure, customer-controlled alternative to traditional vendor pull models. Instead of asking you to open access into your private network, it allows approved data to be pushed out from inside your environment over an encrypted connection. The result is a simpler, lower-exposure, and more operationally practical way to share data with Epicor.