How to Connect to Any API (Without Writing Any Code)

Stewart Harper and Don Murray

Who are we and what are we about?

What is an ApplicationProgramming Interface (API)?An API is a programmatic interface that allows companies to serve their tools and services in a stable and secure way.

It is now so competitive, cloud companies success may depend on how usable and intuitive their API is.

Why are APIs becoming so popular?1. Infrastructure and data shifting to the cloud

2. Easy to build and consume

3. Rise of Mobile and IoT

4. Modern enterprise demands agility

5. API first strategy has disrupted entire sectors

What comprises an API?● API management and security● The interface itself (resources, methods etc).● The business logic that is tied to each resource.

Why should you care?The future belongs to razor focused applications.

The challenge is connecting these applications so that they work in unison. API’s make this possible.

We are going to show how connecting and creating these API’s is easier than ever.

API Challenges

API Challenges

Different implementations

Constant evolution

Error handling

and......

Authentication Challenges

● Many standards exist: OAuth2, Basic, Token ...

● Standards provide loose guidelines with many different interpretations.

Data Integration Challenges

Bulk migration

Application Integration

Bulk Migration Challenges

How to get data from an on-premise source into the cloud, or move data between cloud services. Considerations include:

● Renaming attributes● Cleaning and validating data

○ Removing duplicates○ Truncating data○ Removing special characters

● Merging data from multiple sources into one new schema

Application Integration Challenges

The following are important when integrating services:

● Scheduling that automates your connection workflows

● Event driven support● Cloud based so you don’t worry

about managing infrastructure● Fault tolerance and monitoring

Connect new services with existing business processes.

How FME helps solve these problems?

Constant API Evolution

Error Handling

Authentication

Bulk Migration

System Integration

FME Readers and TransformersAuthenticationConstant EvolutionBulk MigrationSystem Integration

New in FME 2016.1TransformersDropboxConnectorKinesisReceiverKinesisSenderMapboxStylerSlackConnector

Readers/WritersPortal for ArcGISIBM CloudantMicrosoft Azure DocumentDBMongoDBSAP HANTableau (Writer only)

Connect to any API with HTTPCallerAuthenticationBulk MigrationSystem Integration

● Much more power, you can connect to thousands of APIs.

● You need to understand how APIs work

Web Connections in FME 2016.1AuthenticationBulk MigrationSystem Integration

✓ OAuth

✓ Token

✓ Basic

Connect once, then reuse across FME.

Web Connections in FME 2016.1AuthenticationConstant EvolutionBulk MigrationSystem Integration

Upload to FME Server.

FME HubAuthenticationConstant Evolution

TransformersArcGISOnlineGeoenricherGoogleGeocoderStaticMapFetcherTwilioCallerTwitterProfileFetcherWhats3WordsDecoderWhats3WordsEncoder

Named ConnectionsAsanaBitlyDigital OceanInstagramMailChimpNetatmoSlack

30+ community-contributed web transformers and web connections.

Data transformation is easy in FME Bulk MigrationSystem Integration

Event Driven Processing

Data flows between connected

applications using API’s

Connected applications provides

higher value

Event happens(web hook)

(data arrival)

Fault Tolerant Enterprise FeaturesError HandlingSystem Integration

Schedule jobs to run for system integration tasks.

Define logic that retries the request if there is a network issue or if the service is unavailable.

Receive a notification if a job cannot be completed.

Case Study 1: Data Access

Devon Energy: Wildfire Monitoring - Mark Giesbrecht

Data Sources - All Accessed over HTTP

NASA MODIS/VIRS

British Columbia (KML)

Background Mapping

Wildfire Locations

Alberta (CSV and ESRI FS)

HTTP

ESRI Feature Service

ESRI Geodatabase

Example - Alberta Active Fires

Case Study 2: Data Migration

Overview

General Challenges

Connecting to the APIs

API Errors

Creating Repeatable Migration Process

Loading Users

Loading Ideas

Loading QnA● Multi-step workflow: Replies had to be

associated with questions, and questions had to be associated with users, so it was not possible to load all content at once.

● Loading attachments: Many questions and replies had images or other files attached. These needed to be loaded to Amazon S3, and the URLs integrated into the content HTML.

SolutionKey Transformers

HTTPCallerJSONTemplaterFeatureMergerS3UploaderStringSearcher

Case Study 3: Application Integration

Automating Workflows

Automating Workflows

Automating training signups

Update GoTo Attendance time in Salesforce

Update GoTo Attendance time in Salesforce

Update GoTo Attendance time in Salesforce

Summary

APIs are the key to your application integration strategy.

Next Webinar: Creating an API without writing any code.Join us for a technical deep dive to learn how to create an API on top of a database.

(No coding involved — we’ll be using AWS API Gateway and FME Cloud.)

Q&AChat your questions into the GoToWebinar control panel.

Thank you!Live chat with us at

www.safe.com

Free Resources:

API Blog Series

FME Desktop Training (June 7-8)

FME Server Training (June 14-15)

The FME Knowledge Center