RESTful Architecture

You can use Oracle Narrative Reporting Representational State Transfer (REST) API to view and manage Artifacts, Reports, Report Packages, and their content in the service.

The REST API is an application programming interface that provides a simplified way to manipulate data through HTTP calls from the client to the server.

REST API Architectural Features

The REST API uses the RESTful architecture style and HTTP methods to create, update, read, or delete data. This architecture includes the following features.

Feature	Description
Stateless	The client maintains the session state. Each request from the client contains the information that the server requires to respond to the client.
Caching	Oracle REST API supports resource caching when possible and uses cache headers to improve performance. The response header indicates whether or not you can cache the data. The etag header determines caching. If the resource changes, then the REST API creates the ETag. The client can use ETag to control caching.
Layering	An intermediary can exist between a client and a resource server.
Consistent interface	Oracle REST API uses the following design features to make sure the resources are consistent: Named URLs that identify each resource. Resource representation that manipulates each object. Each resource provides the metadata required to manipulate each object. Each response contains hypermedia links.
Hypermedia	Provides the Engine of Application State (HATEOAS). Hypermedia uses hypermedia links that include responses that can facilitate dynamic navigation of interfaces.

Each REST resource includes the following features:

• Uses the JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) format to support data interchange.

• Uses x-gzip/gzip to compress data and to deflate encoding compression methods.