We were tasked with developing a specialized API to integrate our client's logistics platform with their customers' Business Intelligence (BI) systems. The logistics platform itself is a high-load software that processes vast amounts of data daily: from product information and categories to details about movements, shipments, as well as various analytics and forecasting.

Our client's customers needed fast and stable access to this data from their BI tools, so the primary goal of the project was to create a reliable mechanism for transferring large volumes of information in near real-time mode.

A key feature of the project was handling huge datasets. Some queries could contain up to 100,000 records, with each record comprising over 40 fields. The system needed not only to transmit such data but to do so quickly, without delays, and with a high degree of stability. This was essential to ensure that the clients' reports and analytical dashboards within their BI systems remained consistently up-to-date.

To meet these demanding requirements, we selected appropriate technical solutions and system architecture approaches.

To successfully implement the project, we set a goal to create a reliable, high-performance, and easy-to-connect API that would allow clients' BI systems to receive large volumes of logistics data without delays or complex configuration. To achieve this, we needed to design the access architecture, prepare clear specifications, ensure high stability, and thoroughly test the project for quality. Particular attention was paid to integration convenience: it had to be as clear as possible for clients to understand how to connect and retrieve data.

Key Project Tasks:

• Formulating requirements and conditions for integration implementation.
• Preparing detailed API specifications in OpenAPI format.
• Developing the API and conducting functional testing.
• Setting up automated testing scenarios.
• Preparing documentation and instructions for users - both from the logistics company's side and for BI clients.
• Creating an interactive testing environment (including the use of Spectacular DRF).
• Configuring test requests and automated tests in Postman.
• Designing the authorization architecture, including API access via tokens.

We developed a high-performance REST API that facilitates fast and stable data exchange between the logistics platform and clients' BI systems, such as Power BI, Tableau, Qlik Sense, etc. An implemented custom caching mechanism significantly reduced response times for huge queries, while token-based authorization and standardized OpenAPI specifications ensured secure and straightforward access.

For convenient testing and integration, we prepared an interactive testing environment and Postman collections. Comprehensive documentation enabled clients to connect as quickly as possible. The API reliably operates under high load and with large data volumes, ensuring stability and predictable performance.

Django Rest Framework, drf-spectacular documentation, django.core.cache

• Maximum data per request: up to 100,000 records.
• Peak load: up to 10 requests/second.
• Project team: 5 people.
• Hours invested: 150.
• Project complexity: 7 out of 10.