External data sources

Illuminate works with apps that use PubNub and with external systems. If your app does not use the PubNub Pub/Sub API, or if it has additional data outside the normal message flow, you can send that data to Illuminate using the PubNub Fire API.

When to use external data

Use the Fire API to send data to Illuminate when:

• Your app does not use the PubNub Pub/Sub API at all
• Your app uses PubNub, but you have additional data from an external system that you want included in Illuminate metrics

The Fire API

The Fire API is a PubNub method available in most PubNub SDKs and as a direct REST call. It sends a message to a channel on a keyset without storing it or replicating it to other points of presence.

Illuminate treats Fire API messages the same as Publish API messages. A Business Object configured to capture data from a channel captures data from both Fire API and Publish API messages arriving on that channel.

Data mapping

Map the data you send through the Fire API in a Business Object using the same JSON path structure you would use for Publish API messages. The Fire API payload format follows the same rules as the Publish API payload.

For guidance on mapping your payload structure, see Business Objects or contact support.

Sending results back

After Illuminate captures and processes data through a Decision, you can send results back to your external system in two ways:

• Configure a Webhook action in a Decision using the keyset on which you fired data to Illuminate. Illuminate calls your Webhook endpoint each time a rule fires.
• Subscribe to the channel that a Decision's Send Message action publishes to, using the PubNub Pub/Sub API. Your external system receives the result as a standard message.

For step-by-step instructions on sending external data to Illuminate, see Use external data sources.