SaaS Data Extract: API or Webhook or Websocket or DataMirror

This age is of data, big data and AI. And with advent of SaaS providers there is always a need for enterprises to make sure that they have replicated outside the SaaS provider. This necessity would be due to risk mitigation in case SaaS goes under or it could be that that data is becomes part of Data Warehousing system and reporting.

Whatever the reason for the need, next question is, always, how to get access to the data from the SaaS provider. The answer is it depends!! on various factors, first and foremost is what method does SaaS provider supports. Then comes what capability the enterprise have to use a given method. Another factor is how real time does the enterprise need that the data, is it for live reporting or is it part of a workflow where given SaaS is part of whole workflow where other SaaS providers would be involved and would need upto date data to process next steps.

API

It is pretty common for SaaS providers to provide API interfaces which allow enterprise to get data out.

Advantages

Have wide support, regardless of technologies being used to call them.

OpenAPI makes it easy to share the interface specification and hence better and quicker integration

Control is in hands of the data owner as APIs can be called when required. It could in regular interval or in batch at non-peak hours

Better security in a way that…