_api, architecture, backend, reliability_Every business runs on integrations. CRM to ERP, payment processors to marketing automation—modern enterprises depend on dozens of interconnected systems. Yet most integrations fail not because of technical limitations, but because they're built as afterthoughts.
Why Most Integrations Fail
- Rate limit violations cascade through dependent systems
- Inconsistent data formats break parsers silently
- Network timeouts leave operations in unknown states
- Version mismatches trigger after API updates
Core Principle #1: Contracts First
Define payloads and error semantics before writing code. Use OpenAPI/Swagger specs, explicit error codes, versioning from day one, and contract tests.
Core Principle #2: Idempotency by Design
Every sync operation should be safe to retry without side effects. Generate unique operation IDs client-side, store results server-side. Retries return cached results.
Core Principle #3: Observability First
Build comprehensive monitoring from the beginning. Use correlation IDs to trace requests through services. Track: request rate, latency percentiles, success rate, retry attempts, queue depth.
Error Handling Patterns
Request-Response: Distinguish transient from permanent failures. 5xx = retry, 429 = backoff, 4xx = don't retry. Use exponential backoff with jitter.
Event-Driven: Version events, include all needed context, use dead letter queues, implement checkpointing.
Circuit Breaker: CLOSED → OPEN (after threshold failures) → HALF_OPEN (test recovery) → CLOSED.
The Real Impact
These patterns delivered: 99.95% uptime, 94% reduction in manual reconciliation, zero unexpected data loss in 18 months.
Start with contracts. Add idempotency. Implement observability. Every integration built with these foundations survives production.
Need help building reliable integrations? LogicLeap builds battle-tested API integrations that don't wake you up at 3am.
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