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116 changes: 116 additions & 0 deletions Integration/REST API Patterns/README.md
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# Advanced REST API Integration Patterns

This collection provides comprehensive patterns and best practices for integrating ServiceNow with external systems using REST APIs.

## Overview

Modern ServiceNow integrations require robust, scalable, and maintainable REST API patterns. These snippets demonstrate enterprise-grade integration techniques including error handling, authentication, rate limiting, and data transformation.

## Integration Patterns Included

### Authentication & Security
- **OAuth 2.0 Integration**: Complete OAuth flow implementation
- **API Key Management**: Secure API key handling and rotation
- **JWT Token Handling**: JSON Web Token authentication patterns
- **Certificate-Based Auth**: Mutual TLS authentication examples

### Error Handling & Resilience
- **Retry Mechanisms**: Exponential backoff and circuit breaker patterns
- **Timeout Management**: Proper timeout configuration and handling
- **Error Classification**: Distinguishing between retryable and non-retryable errors
- **Fallback Strategies**: Graceful degradation patterns

### Data Processing
- **Pagination Handling**: Efficient large dataset processing
- **Batch Operations**: Bulk data synchronization patterns
- **Data Transformation**: JSON mapping and field transformation
- **Validation & Sanitization**: Input/output data validation

### Performance Optimization
- **Connection Pooling**: Reusable connection management
- **Caching Strategies**: Response caching and invalidation
- **Asynchronous Processing**: Non-blocking API calls
- **Rate Limiting**: API quota management and throttling

## Architecture Patterns

### Outbound Integrations
- RESTMessageV2 optimization
- Scheduled job integration patterns
- Event-driven API calls
- Real-time data synchronization

### Inbound Integrations
- Scripted REST API best practices
- Webhook handling patterns
- API gateway integration
- Authentication middleware

## Snippets Overview

1. **oauth2_integration.js** - Complete OAuth 2.0 implementation with token management
2. **retry_mechanism.js** - Advanced retry, circuit breaker, and error handling patterns
3. **rate_limiting.js** - Multiple rate limiting strategies (token bucket, sliding window, fixed window)
4. **response_caching.js** - Intelligent API response caching with compression and encryption
5. **batch_synchronization.js** - Efficient bulk data processing (coming soon)
6. **data_transformation.js** - JSON mapping and validation utilities (coming soon)
7. **async_processing.js** - Asynchronous API call patterns (coming soon)

## Pattern Details

### 🔐 OAuth 2.0 Integration (`oauth2_integration.js`)
- Authorization code flow with PKCE support
- Automatic token refresh and secure storage
- State parameter validation for CSRF protection
- Authenticated API request wrapper

### 🔄 Retry Mechanism (`retry_mechanism.js`)
- Exponential backoff with configurable jitter
- Circuit breaker pattern implementation
- Parallel API calls with retry support
- Intelligent error classification

### ⏱️ Rate Limiting (`rate_limiting.js`)
- Token bucket algorithm for burst allowance
- Sliding window for strict rate enforcement
- Fixed window for traditional limiting
- Per-user and per-endpoint controls

### 💾 Response Caching (`response_caching.js`)
- LRU, LFU, and TTL eviction policies
- Optional compression and encryption
- Tag-based invalidation strategies
- Performance statistics and monitoring

## Best Practices

- Always implement proper error handling and logging
- Use authentication tokens securely with proper rotation
- Implement rate limiting to respect API quotas
- Design for idempotency to handle duplicate operations
- Use pagination for large datasets
- Implement circuit breakers for external service failures
- Cache responses when appropriate to reduce API calls
- Validate and sanitize all input/output data

## Security Considerations

- Store credentials securely using ServiceNow's credential store
- Use HTTPS for all API communications
- Implement proper input validation to prevent injection attacks
- Log security events for monitoring and compliance
- Rotate authentication tokens regularly
- Use least privilege principle for API access

## Monitoring & Observability

- Implement comprehensive logging for troubleshooting
- Track API performance metrics and SLA compliance
- Monitor error rates and implement alerting
- Use correlation IDs for distributed tracing
- Implement health checks for external systems

## Related Documentation

- [ServiceNow REST API Documentation](https://developer.servicenow.com/dev.do#!/reference/api/tokyo/rest/)
- [RESTMessageV2 API Reference](https://developer.servicenow.com/dev.do#!/reference/api/tokyo/server/no-namespace/c_RESTMessageV2API)
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