Integration basics
Everything we’ve written.
Newest first. Most pieces take 4 to 6 minutes.
MCP for city IT: what the Model Context Protocol means for your systems
The Model Context Protocol lets AI assistants use tools in other systems. What it is in plain terms, where it helps city IT, and the access controls to insist on before connecting anything.
Read article →Value maps: the code tables behind clean integrations
One system says Public Works, another wants PW. Value maps translate codes between systems in one place, so every flow agrees and nothing is quietly mistranslated.
Read article →Running a flow when a database row changes
Three ways to start a flow when rows change in a city database: polling with a changed-column watermark, SQL Server Change Tracking, and PostgreSQL LISTEN/NOTIFY. When to use each.
Read article →Webhooks vs polling for city systems
Should a flow wait for a system to call in, or ask it for changes on a schedule? Here is how to choose, how to make each one safe, and what to do with databases.
Read article →Data inspection before you integrate
Most integration problems are data problems: blank fields, odd formats, unexpected codes. Looking at real records at every step before you go live catches them early.
Read article →What an OpenAPI file is, and why it saves weeks
An OpenAPI file describes an API in a way software can read: addresses, sign-in, records and fields. If your vendor has one, connecting to their system gets much faster.
Read article →Using AI to draft integration flows, without giving it your records
AI can draft and explain integration flows from settings and field names alone. Where the line sits between helpful and risky, the guardrails to require, and the questions your security team will ask.
Read article →Connecting 311 to Accela without custom code
Code-enforcement complaints arrive in 311 and are worked in Accela. Here is how to connect the two in both directions, what Accela requires first, and where cities usually get stuck.
Read article →SFTP is not dead: bank files and billing exports
Banks, lockbox processors and billing vendors still deliver files over SFTP. Here is how to read them safely, check every row, and stop someone from re-keying payments.
Read article →From 311 request to work order, and back to the resident
Service requests arrive in 311; crews work them in an asset or work order system such as Cityworks. How to connect the two, keep IDs on both sides, and close the loop so residents hear back.
Read article →Testing integration flows before go-live
A practical testing routine for city integrations: preview on real records, tests with made-up data, a dry run against test systems, and a watched first week. How to do it without writing to production by accident.
Read article →Publishing to your open data portal automatically
How to keep Socrata datasets and ArcGIS Hub layers current without manual uploads: choosing public fields, avoiding duplicates, refresh schedules, and the privacy review that should come first.
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