Connection Protocols

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Connection Methods

• REST APIs: They are secure and scalable connections via HTTP/HTTPS, supporting JSON and XML payloads. APIs are needed for real-time data exchange with modern Saas and Web services. The choice of authentication methods depends on the specific system being integrated. These APIs are widely used for modern web services.
  • API key: Ekyam uses a unique key that is issued by one system to another. The client system includes this key in its request to the server API.  In addition, the API Secret key varies from  system to system.
• OAuth 1.0 & OAuth 2.0 (Authorization Framework for Delegated Access): Ekyam uses OAuth 2.0 JWT authorization framework that allows a user to grant the client limited access to their resources on a service without sharing their login credentials with the third-party app. It does this by issuing access tokens. Implying that these are secure authorization protocols for API access.

• System Authentication to Hit the API: While OAuth 2.0 enables a client system to hit an API, it is doing so on behalf of a user or on its own behalf (using client credentials).

• Basic Authentication: Basic Authentication refers to the use of a standard username and password combination to verify identity. When an application or user attempts to connect, these credentials are sent, and if they match the records, access is granted.
• Digest Authentication: It is a  more secure challenge-response authentication method. Unlike Basic Authentication, which transmits credentials in an easily decodable (Base64 encoded) format, Digest Authentication is a more secure challenge-response authentication method. It’s designed to ensure that a user or system proves their knowledge of a password without ever sending the password itself in plain text across the network.

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• Various Data Sources

• Database Connectivity: Whether it’s the transactional history from the POS system or the intricate product details managed in a specialized internal database, Ekyam provides the capability for direct access to the enterprise data stores and systems of record.

• Structured Documents: For handling complex B2B and enterprise formats like EDI and iDOCs, Ekyam has an extensive EDI module that can read EDI-standard data from various systems, transform it, and map it to other systems for seamless integration across platforms.
• Cloud File Storage: Ekyam ensures that retailers can leverage the immense power and scalability of modern cloud infrastructure by seamlessly integrating with leading Cloud File Storage services. Ekyam deeply integrates with the industry’s top-tier cloud storage providers like Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage, Azure Blob Storage.
• Data Lakes: Ekyam’s robust capabilities ensure it facilitates seamless connection to the centralized data repositories, be it structured (like database tables), semi-structured (like XML or JSON files), or unstructured (like images, audio, or social media posts), serving as the crucial bridge between your operational systems and your comprehensive data strategy.
• File-Based Workflows (Cloud & Local): Ekyam’s Universal Connector can even leverage email attachments (via services like Gmail) as powerful triggers for automated workflows.

1. Imagine your 3PL (Third-Party Logistics) partner sends you a daily email with a sales_report.csv file attached.
2. Ekyam deploys a specialized component, which we can call the “Email Parsing Agent.” This agent is exposed as an endpoint within Ekyam’s FastAPI integration layer.
3. When a new email matching specific criteria (e.g., sender, subject line) arrives in your connected inbox (e.g., Gmail), a mechanism (it could be a webhook from Gmail) “hits” this FastAPI endpoint on the Ekyam server. This “hit” acts as the trigger for the workflow.

• Once the FastAPI endpoint is hit, a predefined function is executed on the Ekyam server.
• This function’s immediate task is to go into that specific email body, identify, and securely fetch the attached CSV file.
• This initial data retrieval from the external source (the email/3PL) is handled by the first of Ekyam’s multiple AI agents, specializing in data retrieval. It ensures the data is safely pulled from its source and brought into Ekyam’s processing environment.

• Now that the raw CSV file is within Ekyam’s system, it’s passed to the second AI agent: the “Parsing Agent.
• This AI agent doesn’t just read the file; it intelligently parses its content. It understands the structure of the CSV (columns, data types), identifies key metrics (e.g., product IDs, quantities sold, revenue, dates), and even cleans or normalizes the data.

• Finally, the clean, parsed, and often enriched data is handed over to the third AI agent.
• This agent’s role is to send the processed response to its designated place. This could mean:
  • Pushing the sales data into your ERP (e.g., Netsuite or SAP).
  • Updating inventory levels in your WMS or e-commerce platform (e.g., Shopify).
  • Feeding a data lake for analytical processing.
  • Triggering another automated workflow