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API Request activity

Introduction

An API Request activity, using its preconfigured API connection, retrieves data when called by an API Manager custom API and is intended to be used as a source to provide data to an operation.

The API Request activity can be configured using a JSON, XML, CSV, or XSD schema. To interact with an API connection using a WSDL schema, use an API SOAP Request activity instead.

For information on the relationship between API connector activities and API Manager APIs, see these resources:

Create an API Request activity

An instance of an API Request activity is created from the preconfigured API connection using its Request activity type.

To create an instance of an activity, drag the activity type to the design canvas or copy the activity type and paste it on the design canvas. For details, see Create an activity or tool instance in Component reuse.

An existing API Request activity can be edited from these locations:

Configure an API Request activity

Follow these steps to configure an API Request activity:

Step 1: Enter a name and specify a response schema preference

In this step, provide a name for the activity and select a response schema preference. Each user interface element of this step is described below.

API Request activity configuration step 1

  • Name: Enter a name to identify the activity. The name must be unique for each API Request activity and must not contain forward slashes / or colons :.

  • Provide response schema: The response schema defines the structure of data that is used by the API Request activity. Whether a schema is required depends on whether the API Request activity is used as the source of a transformation. For instructions on completing this section of activity configuration, refer to Schema usage and Schemas defined in an activity.

  • Save & Exit: If enabled, click to save the configuration for this step and close the activity configuration.

  • Next: Click to temporarily store the configuration for this step and continue to the next step. The configuration will not be saved until you click the Finished button on the last step.

  • Discard Changes: After making changes, click to close the configuration without saving changes made to any step. A message asks you to confirm that you want to discard changes.

Step 2: Review the data schemas

Any request or response schemas generated from the endpoint are displayed. Each user interface element of this step is described below.

API Request activity configuration step 2

  • Data Schemas: The request and response schemas for this activity are displayed. These data schemas are inherited by adjacent transformations are displayed again during transformation mapping.

  • Add plugin(s): Plugins are Jitterbit- or user-provided applications that extend Harmony's native capabilities. To apply a plugin to the activity, click to expand this section and select the checkbox next to the plugin to be used. For additional instructions on using plugins, including details on setting any required variables used by the plugin, see Plugins added to an activity.

  • Back: Click to temporarily store the configuration for this step and return to the previous step.

  • Finished: Click to save the configuration for all steps and close the activity configuration.

  • Discard Changes: After making changes, click to close the configuration without saving changes made to any step. A message asks you to confirm that you want to discard changes.

Next steps

After configuring an API Request activity, complete the configuration of the operation by adding and configuring other activities, transformations, or scripts as operation steps. You can also configure the operation settings, which include the ability to chain operations together that are in the same or different workflows.

Once an API Request activity has been created, menu actions for that activity are accessible from the project pane in either the Workflows or the Components tabs, and the design canvas. See Activity actions menu for details.

API Request activities can be used as a source with these operation patterns:

Note

Operations that begin with an API Request activity cannot be executed manually using the operation Deploy and Run or Run options. Instead, these operations require data that is provided when an API call is made using a custom API created through API Manager. An API may be called from an application or — if the API supports GET — you can paste the URL into a web browser to consume the API manually.

Important

By default, successful operations configured for a custom API are not included in the operation logs unless one of these settings is enabled:

Unsuccessful operations are included in the operation logs whether the above settings are enabled or not.

Configure an API Manager custom API

After the operation setup is complete, configure a custom API using API Manager.

Note

After you have configured a custom API to call an Integration Studio operation, you cannot delete the operation without either deleting the API or changing the API's configuration to no longer call the operation.