BP Ver 7.0.1 - Can we setup and use API without installing HUB and Authentication server

[SumitGupta]

We want to interact with BP from third party application using its API's (API Link). We would be performing below actions : Add to queue, read data from queue item, get session details etc

The question is more from infrastructure standpoint. Can we install and use BP API's to interact with third party application without setting up HUB as we don't have the requirement to use HUB and other components such as ALM


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Sumit Gupta
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[ewilson]

@Sumit Gupta,

The prerequisites for installing the API are listed here. Authentication Server and Hub are listed as prereq's, so you would not be able to install and use the API without them.

Cheers,
​

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Eric Wilson
Director, Integrations and Enablement
Blue Prism Digital Exchange
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[SumitGupta]

@ewilson thanks for your response.

I looked at HUB installation document and setting up Hub will require setting up new web server and database as well. We can certainly explore this option provided there is no alternate way to achieve our requirement

Requirement : Interact with Blue prism queue management (Add item to queue, read queue data) from third party application via API. Front end will be developed on other low code tool such as Outsystems which will invoke BP process by adding item to work queue. So if I look at the target state then we may have more than 40+ work queues on which item will be added via API

Based on the above requirement. What will be your recommendation.

1. Should we setup API, HUB and authentication manager 
2. Use the alternate approach to expose process/object as a web service which then can be consumed via third party to add item to BP queues

or any other approach?


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Sumit Gupta
Manager
Deloitte
London
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[ewilson]

@Sumit Gupta,

There are quite a few things to consider here. Assuming you are using Blue Prism v7, I would recommend going the route of deploying Hub, Authentication Server, and use the REST API. In my opinion, this is a much cleaner and more secure (i.e. OAuth2 authentication/authorization) approach to interacting with the work queues.

If deploying those services​ is not an option, or it you are using an earlier version of BP than v7, than you would be left with deploying a VBO as a SOAP service to interact with the work queues. Be aware that the authentication available with exposing processes/VBO's as SOAP services is simple HTTP Basic auth. I would definitely look at setting up SSL for those connections for added security depending on your environment.

Cheers,

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Eric Wilson
Director, Integrations and Enablement
Blue Prism Digital Exchange
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[bruce.liu]

Hi Sumit,

You need to provision Hub and Authentication Server so that you can be sure that the Blue Prism API services is authorised to access your Blue Prism environment (via Hub Service Account), and is able to perform calls that are authorised by the owner of the Blue Prism platform (Blue Prism user role associated with the Hub Service Account). 

In deciding the REST API vs. SOAP solution, an important factor to consider is the speed of the execution. In my experience, you will be able to complete the simpliest Blue Prism object wrapped in a SOAP web service at 2-3 seconds per call. Not only that, you will need to put infrastrutures behind it to support high volumes to ensure those Blue Prism objects can be consumed in the expected timeframe. The REST API would offer a much more superior throughput, and is much speedy in response as well. If you start from the ground-up, I see more merits in implementing the REST API as compared to the SOAP web services option.

Hope this helps.

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Bruce Liu
Senior Product Consultant, Professional Services
Blue Prism
Australia/Sydney
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[SumitGupta]

@ewilson @Bruce Liu  Thanks for your response

It clearly makes sense to setup HUB and authentication server to use Rest API's instead of exposing process/object as simple SOAP service. Setting this up will be 'one off'  effort and will be more resilient and faster

Requirement : Setup Dev and Non-prod instance on same app server, web server and message broker server

We are looking to have three environment with Dev and Non-prod on one app server by creating two instance on the same server. Now as we are looking to setup HUB on separate web server with Message broker server. Is it possible to setup Dev and non-prod instance on same web server and Message broker server connecting to app server or do we have to setup separate server (Hub, Message broker server) for Dev and non-prod

What is you recommendation for SQL server. Can we utilize same SQL server on which BP DB has been setup to setup Hub and other database or should we have separate SQL server to setup Hub, authentication DB etc.

Note : For prod we will have separate servers for each of the components. Above question is only related to Dev and non-prod environment 


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Sumit Gupta
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[bruce.liu]

Hi Sumit,

While it may be possible to configure multiple environments in one machine using manual workarounds, you would be better off peforming installation for each environment in its own server(s). The installer is not created with multi instances in mind.

It is not easy to answer your question without knowing what is the capability of your SQL Server instance, databases already running in the SQL Server, its current loading level, your expected usage of the Blue Prism environment. It is nevertheless technically feasible to have all Blue Prism databases hosted in one SQL Server instance.

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Bruce Liu
Senior Product Consultant, Professional Services
Blue Prism
Australia/Sydney
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