Welcome to an enlightening exploration of the powerful API-led integration capabilities offered by App Connect.
In this blog, we will delve into a practical demonstration illustrating how App Connect and API Connect can help businesses operate efficiently. Our focus will be on ACME Coffee Retailers, a fictional company stepping into the digital era with enhanced online capabilities.
The Digital Transformation Journey
ACME Coffee Retailers, known for its premium coffee beans, is expanding its operations by enabling customers to place bulk orders directly through their website. In this journey, we'll showcase how API Connect and App Connect can be harnessed to create an intelligent system supporting customer order requests and issuing alerts when stock levels are running low.
API Connect - Building Blocks of Integration
Our API Connect instance serves as the foundation for creating intelligent workflows. We've set up an API called 'Stock Alert' which serves as a proactive solution to monitor inventory levels in real-time. It triggers alerts when stock levels fall below a certain threshold, enabling timely actions to replenish the inventory and avoid stockouts.
Let's explore how we can use this API as a building block for our seamless workflow.
App Connect: Streamlining Integration with API Discovery
Moving over to App Connect, our task is to incorporate the 'Stock Alert' API from API Connect into our integration. Navigating to the catalog page, we can effortlessly add the 'Stock Alert' API to our list of applications and APIs.
Upon clicking the plus icon, we are presented with two options: uploading an OpenAPI doc or leveraging a new feature that lists all APIs within the API Connect instance. This intuitive feature allows us to seamlessly discover and explore catalogs, projects, and APIs within our API Connect instance.
Upon selecting the desired catalog, such as ACME Retailers, users gain access to the projects within it. Expanding each project reveals the APIs they encompass, offering a comprehensive view of the available integrations.
After selecting the 'Stock Alert' API, we can go ahead and import it into App Connect.
Streamlined Connection Setup
Now that our Stock Alert API has been successfully imported, the next crucial step is establishing a connection to it. Setting up a connection to the API is usually a tedious process, but App Connect simplifies this. With a single click on the 'Generate Credentials' button, we can auto-fill credentials, making the connection setup hassle-free. This action creates a user in API Connect specifically for App Connect and the associated credentials are then automatically filled in.
Once this seamless connection is established, we are primed and ready to create our final API flow.
Crafting the API Flow
We can now initiate the creation of a new flow for the API. Naming it "Custom Orders Flow," we define the model as custom_orders with essential properties such as order ID, first name, last name, email, and custom order details.
Leveraging the 'Create Object' operation, we enter the flow canvas.
The flow involves nodes for request handling, Microsoft Dynamics integration, and the recently imported 'Stock Alert' API. We begin by adding the Microsoft Dynamics node and selecting the 'create lead' action to initiate the creation of a new lead for every order received.
The 'Generate Mapping Suggestions' feature accelerates the process, populating fields automatically.
Moving forward, we proceed to integrate the Stock Alert API as the next action node, which we successfully imported.
After filling in the required fields with the suggested properties, we then connect to the response node, linking it with fields from the request object and Microsoft Dynamics.
The outcome is a comprehensive flow, seamlessly creating a new lead upon order reception and triggering an Outlook alert for low stock levels.
Exploring Additional Capabilities
Within the App Connect interface, we can explore additional tabs for 'OpenAPI' and 'Gateway.' The 'OpenAPI' tab provides insight into the API's representation in OpenAPI format, while the 'Gateway' tab allows us to incorporate additional API Connect policies or nodes, such as a 'Rate Limit'.
Unified Authoring and Publishing
App Connect enables unified authoring, a feature available with both App Connect and API Connect instances. It allows us to seamlessly work together on integration projects utilising both App Connect and API Connect instances.
By enabling unified authoring, we can seamlessly collaborate and click 'Start' to initiate the flow.
Returning to the API Connect instance, we can observe the published flow under the 'Manage' tab, showcasing successful unified authoring.
Testing the Seamless Integration
Let us now delve into the testing process facilitated by App Connect, allowing for the validation of API functionality, data handling, and system responses. App Connects test tab allows us to download the OpenAPI doc, explore POST operations, and generate sample data for testing.
Real-world Results
In the real-world scenario, the effectiveness of the integrated system manifests through tangible outcomes. Here, we examine the practical results of the API-led integration as observed in the user interfaces of Microsoft Dynamics and Outlook. These results affirm the seamless operation of the integration solution and its ability to translate digital processes into real-world actions.
Upon checking the Microsoft Dynamics portal, a new lead is visible, and in Outlook, an alert notifies us that Arabica coffee stocks are under 50 bags.
Testing the API through the API Connect instance further confirms the seamless integration.
Conclusion
This demonstration showcases how the seamless integration of App Connect and API Connect, coupled with the new API-led integration capabilities, empowers businesses like ACME Coffee Retailers to operate with unparalleled ease. We invite you to embark on this transformative journey and unlock the full potential of API-led integration for your business. Thank you for joining us!
To witness this integration in action, check out our YouTube video;