Planning a streaming API for changing data

Some environmental, logistics and planning applications need data to move continuously rather than through occasional manual downloads.

A streaming API can deliver new observations and processed signals as they become available, with endpoints shaped around the application’s area and purpose.

The connection must define what counts as a new event, how records are identified, whether updates replace or add to earlier values, and how the receiving system handles duplicates or records that arrive in the wrong order.

Timing also depends on the source. A newly captured observation may still require provider processing, quality checks and preparation by Arche Zero before delivery. The service level should reflect the full path rather than only API response time.

A dependable service needs documented update behaviour, consistent formats, replay and error handling, and enough detail for receiving systems to determine what changed.