Table API vs Inbound web service

[Arvind14]

Hello connections,

Currently I am working on inbound integration, which means a third party application will create incidents in ServiceNow. For this I need to create some inbound APIs for creation and updating of incidents in ServiceNow and then share the endpoints with the 3rd party.

Now I have two options:

1. Use the Table API - (here I can directly get the end points)

2. Create an inbound web service - (this will create a transform map and then I can get the endpoint and then share with the 3rd part)

Now I want to understand in which case I should go with option 1 and when I should go with the option 2?

And what is the difference between these 2, I want to know what is the logic behind having these 2 separate options.

Could you please suggest on this?

Thanks

[MD AQUIB KHAN]

Hi Arvind,

Now I have two options:

1. Use the Table API - (here I can directly get the end points):  It is not good practice to expose our table (incident). It can create bad data directly into our table. Personally, I don't do it.

2. Create an inbound web service - (this will create a transform map and then I can get the endpoint and then share with the 3rd part): It is far better option than above one.  we can create our own validation based on the source data. 

Also, first the data comes into the staging table and then we do transformation with target table.  Also, it is easier to debug any bad data and validate the records .

[Rob_RJ]

Hi Arvind,

1.  Table Api is used where we are not integrating service-now with 3rd party system and dont want to Audit the data which is coming from 3rd party system to service-now. So, mostly table API is used to read the data from servicenow.

2.  When ever we integrate 2 system there has to be an interface in between, so staging table with transform map is a best practice for inbound integration and it has lot of benefits as well from development perspective. 

    1.  Staging table provides a way to easily check what is coming from external system before transforming the data into actual record.

    2.  Field- Value mapping between external system to Servicenow while transformation , if there is an value miss match between 2 systems.

   3. Data Validation.