The JSON Data API is a new feature from 10.4, which was enhanced at every release. After testing it in the field, here are a few questions encountered and the answers, as of Version 10.7
Q: How to check if an authentication token is still valid ?
A: Currently the only mechanism is to invoke one of the REST APIs. You will get a “need authentication” HTTP code if not valid anymore
Q: The API requires to specify an IS. How does this manage clustering ?
A: The REST api uses existing Strategy Web code to connect to an intelligence server, all of the existing logic which will determine which node in a cluster to send the user to will be used. The user may provide server A, but the cluster tells them to go to server B, as a result of current load or user fencing.
Q: How long is a token valid ?
A: The token is valid for as long as the session is alive on the intelligence server. The existing governing settings which apply to Strategy Web will also apply to the JSON Data API.
Q: What’s the impact of a session creation in term of resources ? Is it handled at API microservice level or server level ?
A: It’s the same as Strategy Web, impact is on I-Server, not on the JSON Data API microservice side
Q: Can we customize the output of the API ? (generate custom xml with html flags and css hashtags
A: No. There are currently no documented outlets for customizing the API
Q: How can we get logs, particularly crash logs
A: There are no specific crash logs. The Windows event manager should help troubleshoot such issues. A global logfile is available by default in folder json-data-api/json-data-api.log
Q: MIME-TYPE: application/vnd.mstr.dataapi.v0+json à why isn’t this just application/json ? can we customize this
A: This mime-type is for versioning of the REST API, however this may be something we move away from in the next gen Strategy REST API platform
Q: Authentication: do we support Windows authentication now or is it still Standard and LDAP ?
A: No, currently the JSON Data API only supports standard and LDAP
