Integration category
— Create REST integration

Use the wizard to integrate data from a new REST data source into your application. The wizard guides you through the process; use the breadcrumbs at the top of the wizard to return to a previous screen at any time.

The wizard has five steps:

• Enter URL
• Define Parameters
• Select Methods
• Generate Records
• Generation Summary

Click Cancel at any time to exit the wizard without creating any new records.

Enter URL

Enter the URL for this new service in the field provided, then click Next >.

Note: you cannot use a fully-formed XSD to create the service.

Define Parameters

The wizard analyzes the URL you provided and suggests the elements that represent parameters. Normally the wizard will display options either in the Edit Resource Paths table or the Query String Parameters table, depending on which structure the URL and the data source use.

Check the checkbox beside each element of the URL that is a parameter. A resource path that is marked as a parameter is considered part of the request. The system generates a property as part of the request data model and substitutes that property's value for that part of the URL at runtime. This is denoted in the URL at the top by the parameter's name in brackets.

Query string parameters are always considered part of the request; a property will be created for them as well.

Add additional parameters by clicking the relevant + icon and providing parameter details.

When you are ready, click Next >.

Select Methods

Verify the Data Source Name. This is how you refer to this data source from data pages and activities when using it.

If this connector requires authentication, click the "Edit Authentication" link. In the form that appears, specify an authentication profile to use for these data sources. You can enter a new name to configure a new authentication profile to use.

For the selected profile provide:

• Authentication scheme: Basic, NTLM, or OAuth (See the note below about using OAuth).
• User name
• Password: Click Change Passwordto change the password.
• OAuth Client: if you are using OAuth, select the OAuth client from the list provided. See the notes at the bottom of this topic.
• Realm: optional
• Host name: optional
• Preemptive authentication: check the checkbox to enable preemptive authentication

Click OK to save the configuration.

The standard methods for obtaining data from a REST service are GET, POST, PUT and DELETE. Check the checkbox beside each method you want to use as a data source in your application.

Note: in release 7.1.6 if you select multiple methods, the wizard only creates the top one selected.

To the right of each selected method are two buttons.

• Configure: click this button to manually configure the request and response for this particular data source. You may adjust the query string parameters recognized by this method if not all methods accept the same ones. If you have a file of typical response data or, in the case of POST and PUT, typical request data, you may upload it here. This is used to generate the request/response data model so data returned by this data source can be mapped into your application. You can also use the Tester for this purpose (see below).
  
• Test: click this button and, in the form that appears, test the connector. On the left side of the form, provide values for query string parameters and authentication. If you are testing the POST or PUT method you can also use the tree view or XML/JSON tab to configure the body of the request. Then click Test to view the response on the right.
  • Click Save Data to create a simulation instance from the current configuration for reuse. In the form that appears provide a name for the saved data. Check the checkbox at the bottom of the form to save the configuration only, and not the response data.
  • Click Create to save the simulation instance. Each saved simulation instance with saved response data is used to generate the response data model for this data source. In the case of POST/PUT the request configuration of each saved simulation instance is used to generate the request data model as well.

  • To restore any saved simulation instance, click Load Data and select the instance in the pulldown list that appears.

  • Click OK to close the test form.

When you are ready, click Next >.

Generate Records

Review and, if necessary, update information about this connector

• Connector name -- Required.
• Baseclass Configuration -- Provide the information to create the baseclass for the connector:
  • Name -- Required.
  • Parent class -- Select a class from the options available.
  • Connector class -- The name of the connector class is constructed from the name of the parent class (read-only in this field) and the name you provided.
• Context This section has two parts. Provide branch information on the left side and ruleset information on the right:
  • Development branch -- Select a development branch in which to create the connector, or "No branch".
  • Application -- Select the application in which to create the connector.
  • Add to Ruleset -- If you select "New", provide the ruleset name in the text field. If you select "Existing", select a ruleset from the available options.
    If you choose an existing ruleset which has one or more passwords set on it or on its versions, the Ruleset Security container appears. You must enter any passwords it requests to proceed.

Select the Generate checkbox beside the Data Layer label to automatically create a data type, data page, and related data transforms for this connector.

Click the "Edit" link to display a form where you can specify the details for the data layer to be created:

Check the Include top node in Data Layer checkbox to include data from the top or root node of the schema in data layer generation. This is not usually necessary.

• Name-- Required. Provide a name for the data page.
• Data Type -- Provide details for the data type to which the data page belongs:
  • Name-- Required. Provide a name for the data type.
  • Description -- Required. Provide a description for this data type.
  • Parent class -- Select the parent class from the available options.
  • Identifier -- -- The data type's identifier is constructed from the name of the parent class (read-only in this field) and the name you provided. Click "Edit" to edit the identifier.
• Context This section has two parts. Provide branch information on the left side and ruleset information on the right:
  • Development branch -- Select a development branch in which to create the data page, or "No branch".
  • Application -- Select the application in which to create the data page.
  • Add to ruleset -- If you select "New", provide the ruleset name in the text field. If you select "Existing", select a ruleset from the available options.
    If you choose an existing ruleset which has one or more passwords set on it or on its versions, the Ruleset Security container appears. You must enter any passwords it requests to proceed.

Click OK to save your settings and close the form. Click Cancel to abandon your changes and close the form. A summary of the objects to be created, and their location, appears below the checkbox and link.

For more about the data layer, see data page.

On the main form, click Preview to see a summary of the records that the system will create to provision this connector.

When you are ready, click Create to create the connector (and, optionally, the related data page) and see a summary of the records and classes created.

Generation Summary

On the final display you can review the records that were created and their location. Click Undo Generation to cancel creation of the integration and remove the created records. Click OK to close the form.

Using OAuth with a REST integration

You need to obtain an access token to use OAuth with a REST connector, before you invoke the connector. Run the standard activity OAuth-Client.pyConnectSocialNetwork. The activity takes the OAuth Client data instance name as a parameter and returns an access token. Do not call this activity from the same activity that invokes the Connect-REST method.

The system stores the access token in the database with the operator ID of the operator used to invoke pyConnectSocialNetwork and the consumer key from the OAuth client data instance as keys.

To make a REST call to an OAuth protected resource using the consumer key, associate an authentication profile with the connector. Set the Authentication Scheme to OAuth and reference the OAuth client data instance that corresponds to the consumer key for which you obtained the access token.

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