Features differences between "Third Party Integration" and "REST API"

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gunther.lachambre
Posts: 19
Joined: 17 Feb 2013, 15:52
Location: Rennes, Britany, France

Hi,

First, many thanks to the team for the great job you make on Essential!

Then, I'm wondering what's the difference you make between the two features mentionned in the object of this message:
  • THIRD PARTY INTEGRATION: Essential can be configured to import data from a wide range of sources such as CMBDs, Business Process Modelling tools, PMO tools, etc.
  • REST API: The Essential Import Utility REST API allows you to schedule automated imports from external data sources to keep your repository accurate and current. (Essential Open Source Only)
Ok, the second (REST API) is limited to Essential Open Source, but does this mean that there's another way than XLS or XML files used with Import Utility for integrating data from external sources ? Do you mean the Essential Integration Tab in Protégé or is there a third way ?

Thanks for your answer.
Regards
Environment :
Protégé 3.5 | Essential Meta Model 6.1.1
Essential Viewer 6.1 | Essential Import Utility 1.7.2
Java 1.8.0_91 | Tomcat 8.0.28 | Server CentOS 7
Java 1.8.0_201 | Tomcat 8.5.38 | Desktop Windows 10
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jonathan.carter
Posts: 1087
Joined: 04 Feb 2009, 15:44

Thanks for contacting us.

We’ve build Essential to try to make it as easy as possible to integrate content from a wide range of sources. The point about 3rd-party integration on the website is describing the overall capabilities of the platform. Within the open-source platform, the most commonly used approach is the Essential Import Utility but you can also use the Essential Integration tab within Protege. This tab is another of our Protege plugins and it shares a lot of its integration platform with the Import Utility, although it is much more technical to use.

However, the later versions of the Import Utility have superseded this tab plug-in to provide capabilities for XML integration. We have used these technologies to import content from tools such as CMDBs, Business Process Modelling Tools etc. where the content is represented as XML.

The REST API is an interface to the Import Utility that enables integration to be automated such that source systems can automatically invoke the API to update the content in the Essential repository. This content can be in a range of formats, MS Excel, CSV and XML.

That makes 3 options as the Protege Essential Integration Tab is still available.
A further API option for integration is also available for Essential Cloud.

Jonathan
Essential Project Team
gunther.lachambre
Posts: 19
Joined: 17 Feb 2013, 15:52
Location: Rennes, Britany, France

Many thanks for your answer Jonathan, as it clarifies my assumptions.
Environment :
Protégé 3.5 | Essential Meta Model 6.1.1
Essential Viewer 6.1 | Essential Import Utility 1.7.2
Java 1.8.0_91 | Tomcat 8.0.28 | Server CentOS 7
Java 1.8.0_201 | Tomcat 8.5.38 | Desktop Windows 10
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