Sensedia Connectors

Welcome to the Sensedia Connectors User Guide, an add-on to Sensedia API Platform that adds an option to the Platform’s main menu: API Connectors.[1] Our Platform connectors are used in API resources and provide integration between HTTP (the Platform’s "language") and other protocols.

Introduction

The basis of communication for APIs is HTTP, a protocol that establishes the semantics of requests and responses to be followed by client and server when they need to transfer information. However, there is often a need to send API requests to systems based on other protocols.

For example, a company may need to expose a database, its CRM system, such as Salesforce or SAP, or integrate with cloud services.

Connectors solve precisely this connection problem. They are devices that transform the information of an HTTP request into a different protocol, adapting the syntax but keeping the content intact.

This image represents the way the connectors on our Platform work:

intro diagram

Connectors are accessed only by the API Gateway and all the information they transform is released for consumption through the APIs which are deployed in the Sensedia API Platform.

This means that a call with connectors follows the same pattern as a normal call via APIs: the Gateway receives a request and sends it to the endpoint, and, conversely, it receives the response and delivers it to the caller. The difference is that a connector intermediates both the request and the response from inside the Platform, transforming the data to the desired protocol.

There must be one connector for each type of connection desired (i.e., one connector per protocol). The same connector can be used in different APIs, and the same API can have resources from different connectors. Connectors are linked to APIs in the Resources screen. You can read more about it here.

It is important to keep in mind that connectors exist exclusively to transform information from one protocol to another. They are designed to work in an agile, stable and scaled manner, precisely because their scope is very limited.

Any other features — such as saving states or business rules — go beyond the performance limits of connectors. These demands are broader and refer to the design of the APIs as a whole and, even more comprehensively, to the API strategy of each company. Connectors contribute to business by facilitating connection, which increases the usability of APIs and saves time that would be spent on unnecessary configurations.


1. This document is the property of Sensedia. It should not be used for commercial purposes, nor reproduced, partly or in its entirety, without our explicit authorisation.
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