Data as API

Data as API

Data as API lets you expose a Data Set as a secure, reusable REST service so external systems (or other BDB modules) can consume your curated data without caring about storage or implementation details.

Prerequisites:

• You have a Data Set created and (ideally) validated.

• You have permission to create Data as API services.

• (Recommended) Know the parameters you want to expose and any record limits.

Navigation: Data Center > My Connectors > Standard Connectors > Data Set list for a Data Connector > Options > Create Data As API

1. Open the Wizard

   • Select a data connector from the Standard Connectors list.

   • Navigate to the Data Set list for the selected data connector.

   • Click the Options icon for the selected Data Set.

   • Click the Create Data As API from the data set context menu.

     

• The Publish as a Data Service page opens.

The “Publish as a Data Service” form allows you to expose a dataset or query as an API endpoint from within the BDB Platform. Follow the steps below:

Configuring the Publish as a Data Service Wizard

1

Enter Service Name

• In the Service Name* field, type a unique name for your API service.

• This name will appear in the Data-as-API listing and will be used to identify the service.

  Example: Customer_Orders_API

2

Select a Category

• Use the dropdown titled Select a Category*.

• Categories are used to group similar API services (e.g., Finance, Operations, Marketing).

• If the category you need does not exist → click Add New Category.

3

Enter Description (Mandatory)

• Add a short and clear business description about what this service provides.

  Example: Provides order-level details for all active customers with optional pagination.

4

Define Parameters (Optional)

• The Param field allows you to define query parameters that your API will accept.

• These can be pagination parameters, filters, or input values for your query.

  Examples:

  • customer_id

  • start_date

  • end_date

  • limit

5

Set Limit (Optional but Recommended)

• The limit* field allows you to restrict the maximum number of rows returned by the API.

• Helps with performance and avoids heavy queries.

  Example: 1000

6

Provide Template JSON

• The templateJson field is where you define the JSON template structure of your API response.

• This can also be pre-loaded from a Data Node selection.

• This helps API consumers understand the expected output.

  Examples:

  {
    "customer_id": "",
    "order_id": "",
    "order_amount": "",
    "order_date": ""
  }

7

Choose a Node (Select a Data Node Source)

• The right-side panel contains a dropdown: Select a node.

  • This allows you to link the API to a dataset, table, view, or query output.

  • The JSON tree below will display the selected data structure.

  Steps:

  1. Click Select a node.

  2. Choose a dataset, pipeline output, sandbox table, or query node.

  3. Verify that the object structure appears correctly in the preview below (fields & types).

8

Review the Object Preview

• The box showing:

  object { }
  (empty object)

  will populate once a valid node is selected.

• This preview confirms the response structure.

9

Save the Data Service

• Click Save to publish the API service.

• A confirmation message appears.

• The newly published service is listed in the Data as API list (newest on top).

Note: The Data Set you published also appears in the API Client Registration form’s drop-down (use this to register a client and obtain access credentials).

After Publishing

• Your service is visible under Data as API with action icons (see Manage an API Service below).

• To consume the API externally, register a new client (Client ID/secret or equivalent) and use the issued credentials.

• Inside the platform, you can ingest your API via the Data Pipeline → API Ingestion component.

Manage an API Service (Actions)

Name	Action
Message Configuration	Define the message returned when the API yields no data.
Push to VCS	Push the current API definition to Git with a commit message (versioning & rollback).
Pull from VCS	Restore a prior API definition/version from Git.
Edit	Reopen Publish As Data Service to modify Service Name/Category/Description/Parameters/Limit/Filters.
Delete	Remove the API service from the list.

Notes:

• Version control (Push/Pull) affects the API definition, not the underlying Data Set version. Manage Data Set versions separately if required.

• Filters & Parameters: Use these to enforce governance and reduce payload size. Parameters are exposed as API query inputs; filters constrain data server-side.

• Client registration required: Consumers must register to access the API. Ensure appropriate scopes/permissions are applied.

• Pipelines: Once exported, the service can be read by the API Ingestion component for downstream processing.

Best Practices

• Name & categorize clearly (e.g., sales-orders-read, Category: SalesOps).

• Limit & paginate where appropriate to protect performance.

• Document parameters and default values in the Description for quick adoption.

• Use VCS after meaningful changes; include actionable commit messages.

• Add a no-data message to improve client UX.

Troubleshooting

• Service not listed after save: Refresh the Data as API list; verify you have publish rights.

• Client cannot access: Ensure the client is registered and mapped; check credentials/scopes.

• Empty responses: Review Filters/Parameters and Limit; validate the backing Data Set query.

• Wrong version: Use Pull from VCS to revert, then Save and retest.