Business API Gateway

The Business API Gateway is a development framework that includes the Business API SDK, Rest Services Gateway (RS Gateway), Gateway Proxy, and application tier. It allows custom mobile applications, Web clients, and other custom implementations to integrate with MATRIXX Digital Commerce.

Business API Gateway Architecture

Figure 1 shows the Business API Gateway in the MATRIXX Digital Commerce architecture.
Figure 1. Business API Gateway
Business API Gateway with communication between external clients, RS Gateway, Gateway Proxy, and network

The following sections describe each component in the Business API Gateway. For more information about the MATRIXX Digital Commerce architecture, see Architecture Overview.

REST APIs and RS Gateway

Application tiers communicate with the RS Gateway using REST services (XML and JSON). Use the APIs to do the following:
  • Query events from the Event database, any in-process aggregated events, and the Event Repository. Multiple data sources are queried to present a seamless, real-time view of all available events. Queries can filter events by subscriber, time ranges, and event type to provide flexibility when presenting product offer and balance usage information.
  • Query in-progress aggregated events.
  • Query balances.
  • Query delivered notifications for subscriptions and groups.
  • Create devices and associate them with a subscription.
  • Add subscriptions and groups to groups.
  • Remove subscriptions and groups from groups.
  • Associate users with specific roles with groups.
  • Use search terms to query specific information about subscribers and groups, including members of a group, subscribers who are administrators, all administrators of a group, and sub-groups of a group.
  • Query pricing cache details from the lazy-loaded pricing cache.
  • Query delivery event confirmations.

See the discussion about Business API Gateway APIs for more information. For more information about the SubMan APIs, see Subscriber Management (SubMan) API.

Note: When you deploy the rsgateway.jar file, you can access the documentation for the Java bindings and SubMan API calls from the RS Gateway administration UI.

You can extend the APIs with new services or enhance and replace existing services. For more information about customizing the APIs, see Business API SDK.

The RS Gateway uses the Spring Security Framework to authenticate clients. Roles assigned to the client define authorization for specific URLs. For more information about security, see Installation and Configuration.

Gateway Proxy

The Gateway Proxy provides the services that enable external applications to send data securely to MATRIXX Engine through the MDC Gateway. It communicates with the RS Gateway and acts as an intermediary for clients making requests to MATRIXX Engine and for responses from MATRIXX Engine to external applications. In installations that include a Traffic Routing Agent (TRA), the MDC Gateway Proxy communicates with the TRA to route SubMan calls.

Business API SDK

The Business API Software Development Kit (SDK) provides the APIs, libraries, and other resources needed to write client applications that integrate with MATRIXX Digital Commerce.

Application Tier

The application tier includes MATRIXX Backoffice Customer Tool and the Notification Server. Use MATRIXX Backoffice Customer Tool to view and manage subscriber and group account information, including purchased offers, services, and balance amounts. The Notification Server delivers notification messages to configured delivery channels and returns the notification message text and delivery ID to the Charging Server. Spring Security handles user authentication and authorization. For more information about gateway security, see the discussion about configuring RS Gateway security in Installation and Configuration.