The document discusses the importance of data normalization when integrating APIs. It notes that APIs often have inconsistent data formats and endpoints that are not standardized. This can make APIs difficult to reuse and maintain. The document proposes normalizing data into a common structure and configuration-based transformations to map different APIs and data formats to this normalized structure. This allows applications to have a unified view of data across APIs and makes the APIs more reusable and interchangeable. It also discusses using asynchronous interactions and message buses to link normalized data across APIs rather than application-level logic.

1. Data Normalization for API Interactions

2. Importance of APIs
Allows you to use software more selectively
Leverage best of breed apps in your app
Provide value to your users by focusing your
resources on your app
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3. APIs are nice and all, but…
Endpoints are not standardized. What!
You don’t have RESTful API?
Same type of data represented in different
formats with different names
How can I reuse without abuse?
My app’s APIs are fast becoming unusable and
unmaintainable
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4. Do you really want this?
What, I’ve to put this all together? Why
don’t I just write my own storage solution
and my own CRM system?
Dynamics
Account
SFDC
Account
Element
Element
Box
Folder
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Sharepoint
Document
Google Drive
Folder

5. What if you had this?
Account
Folder
Document
Integration and Normalization
Element
Element
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6. Normalization Example
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7. Use Best Practices for Data Normalization
No matter the endpoint protocol, provide a uniform
protocol from your app, preferably REST with JSON
Transform data from an endpoint into a normalized structure.
Configure your transformations and not code them
Always provide direct access to the endpoint
data, so your app does not become a throttle
Provide customization, but not at the cost of multi-tenancy
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8. Multi-tenancy via Configuration
Your Application
Your
Customers
Toyota
Users
Normalization
Configuration
SFDC 1
Toyota
SFDC 2
BestBuy
Users
BestBuy
SFDC 3
Whirlpool
Users
Whirlpool
Sugar
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Vendor

9. Custom Transforms and Rules
Canonical SFDC
mapping
CRM Hub - Create Account
Transformation Result
Create CRM Account
4
API JSON Input
5
Transformation
6
3
Custom SFDC
mapping script
2
Custom SFDC
mapping
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1

10. Data Normalization works for me
I have one view of an Account object, whether it’s
from Salesforce.com or Microsoft Dynamics
I can use a Document object in a uniform way
regardless of the Storage provider
And I can switch my Cloud Storage provider
at any time
Which should allow me to write code in my app to
hook these all together! Wait a minute…that can be
time consuming. Is there some other way?
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11. Which leads to API Interactions
I want my Account to be linked to the
contractual Documents
But, I don’t want to save any of this
information in my application
But, can I achieve these interactions
without writing messy application logic
If my data is already normalized, why
can’t something stitch is all together!
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12. Normalized Data can Interact
Use an asynchronous model for interactions, the matrix for
point-to-point interactions will become unmanageable
Don’t write your own Message Bus, use an off
the shelf system that can be extended
Provide a facility for customizable interaction rules
Plan for scale, especially when dealing with Social API endpoints
Be agile, don’t try to replace all the app logic in one attempt
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13. Embrace Standards
True REST may not always make sense for your
application, but try your best to adhere to the standard
RAML is now open sourced, definitely
something to look at
XML is great, JSON is better, but try to make your
APIs speak one or both languages
Standardize on a format for each object across your apps
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14. Q&A
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