A REST configuration is an XML file with a .RCM extension (short for REST Connection Manager) that describes a Web API. It stores all settings related to consuming a Web API in SSIS context - authentication, resources, endpoints, data sending and processing.
By supporting JavaScript snippets/expressions in XML attributes, a REST configuration enables handling any special requirements. As a result, the REST Execution Engine can easily support APIs that are not fully standards compliant (e.g. implementing a custom authentication).
The main elements of a RCM configuration include:
- Service - specify the base service URL (i.e. base address for API endpoints) and configure general error handling settings.
- Authentication - describe any authentication methods that the service supports. You can define
User parameters, which can be configured in the REST Connection Manager editor, Token - builtin functionality of REST engine that process and store OAuth token information.
- Resources - describe templates, resources and endpoints.
- Templates fields are fields that can be referenced by multiple resources.
- Template resources enable specifying common settings for multiple resources.
- A resource contains all fields that any of its related endpoint returns or accepts.
- There can be multiple endpoints that return particular resource data and also there can be zero or one endpoint corresponding to the different ways resource data can be modified (i.e. creating, updating, upserting and deleting).
- Script - contains custom JavaScript code to be referenced in some XML attributes. The scripts can be organized in modules for logical grouping (e.g. the code related to automating a particular authentication method can be isolated in its own module).
An XML Schema is available for documenting and validating the RCM format.
