The main feature of this week’s platform update will help a select, but growing and important group of people; developers who build software that interfaces with agileBase via the API and who utilise a test server.
A test server (or virtual private server) is often used in this scenario, to test your API calls against as a way to reduce the chance of any bugs affecting live data.
For example, if you have an API call which creates new contacts in your CRM system and it gets stuck in a loop, creating thousands of duplicate contacts, you’d want that bug to be found when running on a test system rather than on the live one.
Up until now there was one issue that was slowing adoption of this service down, random object IDs.
When you use an API, you reference the agileBase object (e.g. a table, field or view) by its internal name. When an object is created, it is assigned an internal ID made up of random characters. The problem is that if you add an object to the test system, run some tests, then add it to the live system, the live one will have a different internal ID. Hence any API calls referencing it need to be updated, introducing possibilities for errors that can’t be checked without actually going live.
But not any more – internal IDs are now completely deterministic. An object created in one instance will have exactly the same ID as one of the same type with the same name in another.
Thanks to One Team Logic for bringing this feature idea to our attention.
If you’re interested in accessing your own test instance, please let us know, we’ll be happy to discuss your requirements.
Data security updates
For a long time we’ve been championing Two Factor Authentication (2FA) as a breakthrough improvement to account security and we regularly like to release updates that encourage adoption and enhance security – most recently requiring 2FA to be enabled before someone can export any data to spreadsheet.
Thanks to all users who’ve jumped onto the 2FA train – some accounts now have over 90% adoption rates.
This release continues that work. Any user who doesn’t yet have 2FA enabled will get a reminder email once a month, informing them of the benefits of doing so.
Please keep the ideas coming, we look forward to hearing from you.
Source: Agilebase