TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

In a fast-paced world, data plays a key role. Data routes are the highways of information that help in running several operations. Thanks to Alumio iPaas, creating data routes between APIs is now easier than ever! This blog intends to throw some light on APIs, their undeniable role in business, and a step-by-step guide to create a data route from API to API using Alumio iPaas.


What Is An API & What Is Its Purpose?

API stands for Application Programming Interface. They facilitate communication between products or services without requiring you to understand how they work. This can speed up the app development process while cutting costs. 


APIs add a lot of versatility to apps, simplify design and administration, and pave the way for innovation while developing new tools/products—or effortlessly managing current ones.


Often, APIs are considered contracts, with technical documentation that depicts an agreement between parties. For instance, the documentation can define that if party 1 sends a request structured in a certain way, how another party will respond.


APIs foster collaboration between business and IT teams by making it easier for developers to incorporate new application components into a pre-existing architecture. 


Business requirements dynamically evolve in reaction to the rapidly changing digital landscape, where new competitors might disrupt an entire industry with a single new app. To retain the first-mover advantage, it is critical to quickly develop and deploy innovative services.

Cloud-native app development is a well-known method of boosting development speed, APIs help to stitch together a microservices application architecture.


Data Routing

Data routing can be defined as the network layer protocol that directs packets across the communication subnet to their intended destination. Based on whether a network deploys datagrams or virtual circuits, routing decisions are driven.


The routing algorithm is utilized to select the virtual circuit's communication channel. This path is then utilized by all data packets of the virtual circuit until it is terminated or diverted for any reason. Routing in a network often entails a pretty complex set of algorithms that operate somewhat independently while still assisting one another by exchanging information/services.


The complexity arises from various reasons. For instance, transport layer protocols and in-data links, coping with node/link, data traffic redirection of traffic, updating databases sustained by the system, etc. Firstly, routing requires impromptu coordination between every node of the subnet over a pair of modules. To provide high performance, the routing algorithm needs to adjust its routes in case the areas within a network are overloaded.

 

A Step-By-Step Guide To Create A Data Route With Alumio

Alumio iPaas makes connecting two APIs quite a cakewalk, as it simplifies the creation of data routes between APIs.


Step 1: Creating The Incoming Configuration 

To begin with, you start with creating an incoming configuration. This configuration is responsible for retrieving data from a system. This data can come from many types of sources such as system failure, databases, web surfaces, etc. 


Let’s say you want to pull data from a web surface. You have to set the subscriber accordingly. (The options range from a file queue to file systems and much more)


Moving on, one needs to fill the field of Request URL(from where the data comes). Simultaneously, the request method can be set along with resource parameters.


Once the configuration is saved, one just needs to run it. A section comes up which shows the subscriber that is being consumed. On clicking the notification button located at the top right corner, you can view data using the route (data being retrieved). 


Step 2: Setting Up The Outgoing Configuration 

Moving on, you have to set up the outgoing configuration. To do that, click on Outgoing under Connections from the tab on the left.


The Outgoing Configurations page will pop up. One needs to enter the name of the configuration and fill up the other details such as identifier, publisher, etc. What this configuration does is that it sends out or transmits the incoming data.


Similar to Incoming configurations in Step 1, the outgoing destination can be a product publisher, HTTP web surface, product publisher, and many more.


You need to fill in the Request URL and define the request method, request parameters, etc.


Once done, save the outgoing configuration by clicking on Save at the top-right corner.


Step 3: Setting Up the Route- Knitting Up The Two Components Together

The route accomplishes the task of knitting the two end components together through a data pipeline by tweaking the data. Click on Outgoing under Connections from the tab on the left. 


Provide a name for the route. Enter the name of the incoming and outgoing configurations and a route will be created automatically. Save the route once you are done filling all the required fields.


Step 4: Time to Execute The Configurations

Now that you are all set with the configurations, start with executing the incoming configuration by clicking on Run. 


Next, you have to Run the established route.


Step 5: Data Route Is Created To Connect An API With Another!

Well, you have successfully utilized Alumino to establish a quote between two APIs.  If you click on Tasks from the panel on the left, you will see that a new task has been created. 


It contains the entities returned by the web surface (under Entity Data), the retrieved data from the source (under Import Messages), and the record of data being sent out through the activated route (under Export Messages).


Closing Thoughts!

It was an easy journey to create a data route from API to API with Alumio, wasn’t it? However, it is important to note here that it is not that simple to route data at times. Data transformation is required in some scenarios before routing, and it can be done using Alumio Transformers. When it comes to the best iPaas solutions, Alumio has made its name by developing some of the finest solutions in the industry. Connect with our experts to learn more today!