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ZEDAL gRPC Integration

Overview

ZEDAL provides a modern gRPC-based API for high-performance integration scenarios. This section covers the fundamentals of gRPC and Protocol Buffers, as well as specific implementation details for integrating with ZEDAL services.

What is gRPC?

gRPC (gRPC Remote Procedure Calls) is a modern, open-source, high-performance Remote Procedure Call (RPC) framework developed by Google. It enables efficient communication between distributed systems and microservices.

Key Features of gRPC

  • High Performance: Built on HTTP/2, providing features like multiplexing, flow control, and header compression
  • Language Agnostic: Supports multiple programming languages including C#, Java, Python, Go, and more
  • Strongly Typed: Uses Protocol Buffers for interface definition, ensuring type safety
  • Streaming Support: Supports client-side, server-side, and bidirectional streaming
  • Built-in Authentication: Includes SSL/TLS encryption and token-based authentication
  • Code Generation: Automatically generates client and server code from service definitions

Benefits for Integration

  • Efficiency: Binary serialization reduces payload size and improves performance
  • Reliability: Built-in error handling and status codes
  • Scalability: HTTP/2 multiplexing allows multiple concurrent requests over a single connection
  • Maintainability: Strongly typed interfaces reduce integration errors

What are Protocol Buffers?

Protocol Buffers (protobuf) is Google’s language-neutral, platform-neutral, extensible mechanism for serializing structured data. It serves as the Interface Definition Language (IDL) for gRPC services.

Key Characteristics

  • Compact: Binary format is smaller than JSON or XML
  • Fast: Efficient serialization and deserialization
  • Schema Evolution: Backward and forward compatibility through versioning
  • Cross-Platform: Works across different programming languages and platforms
  • Strongly Typed: Defines clear data structures and service contracts

How gRPC and Protocol Buffers Work Together

  1. Service Definition: Services and message types are defined in .proto files using Protocol Buffer syntax
  2. Code Generation: The protobuf compiler generates client and server code for your target language
  3. Implementation: Server implements the service interface, client uses generated stubs to make calls
  4. Communication: gRPC handles the underlying HTTP/2 communication and protobuf serialization

ZEDAL gRPC Integration

ZEDAL’s gRPC API provides efficient access to document management, workflow automation, and integration capabilities.

Connection Requirements

  • Endpoint: Secure gRPC endpoint (TLS required)
  • Authentication: Token-based authentication with subscriber credentials
  • Client Identification: Each client must provide a name and version for monitoring

Getting Started

To begin integrating with ZEDAL’s gRPC API:

  1. Obtain Credentials: Contact ZEDAL sales to get subscriber ID and authentication tokens
  2. Download Proto Files: Get the latest service definitions from ZEDAL
  3. Generate Client Code: Use the Protocol Buffer compiler for your target language
  4. Implement Integration: Use the generated client stubs in your application

Implementation Guides

Support and Resources

For additional support with gRPC integration:

  • Review the specific SDK documentation for your programming language
  • Contact ZEDAL technical support for integration assistance
  • Refer to the official gRPC documentation at grpc.io
  • Consult Protocol Buffers documentation at developers.google.com/protocol-buffers