The Power of Cache and Flow Control Shapes in Patchworks Process Flows

Flow control shape
Ideal for scenarios where the target system requires data in smaller batches, the Flow control shape divides incoming records into manageable chunks, enhancing compatibility and efficiency. Whether it’s one-at-a-time processing or maximum record limits, streamline your integration process for seamless results.
For more information, please check out our technical documentation.
Cache shapes
The Cache Shape within a process flow serves as a repository for capturing and retaining a data snapshot at a precise moment, thereby preserving its current state. This stored data can subsequently be used for future reference or processing, offering a range of duration options, including for the ongoing flow execution, the entire flow, or even company-wide accessibility. This versatility in data management provides enhanced flexibility.

Add to cache* and Load from cache shapes can be incredibly powerful components in a process flow. Drop an Add to cache shape into your flow to store the payload at that point in time, and retrieve data later in the flow (or even in other process flows) via a Load from cache shape.

* For more information, please check out our technical documentation.

Use case:

Whether you are syncing data between applications, applying transformation or orchestrating complex workflows, our cache and flow control shapes ensure that the data needed for these tasks is readily available - resulting in smoother operations, increased efficiency and in many cases API usage cost savings.

Here is a real life scenario:

The Add & Load from cache shapes can be configured to save one large page or multiple pages to suit your incoming payload structures, all configurable by the toggle settings of append and save all pages.

But that's not all! Cached data can also be referenced in the Map shape, with a Cache lookup transformation function. Here, you can look up values from specific data elements within a cache and map these to fields in a target system, merging multi payloads together.

How long is cached data available?

You control how long cached data remains available, and where it can be used. Having dropped an add to cache shape into a process flow, you can choose the type of cache to be created - this setting determines how long the data persists and where it can be used subsequently.

You can choose from:

Flow run
A Flow run cache stores data for the duration of a process flow run. Once the flow run completes, the cached data is cleared.
Flow
A Flow cache stores data for up to 7 days, for reuse in the same process flow.
Company
A Company cache stores data for reuse in any process flow that is built for your company profile. Company caches are retained for 7 days*. Unique to Patchworks, company caching is a smart way to share data across multiple process flows in order to meet the needs of different areas within your business.

* Longer retention periods can be configured.

For more information on how the difference cache levels work, please check out our documentation.

Why use cache shapes?

We all want powerful tools that work fast, save on cost an enable us to grow efficiently. Using cache shapes in process flows can help with this in a number of ways.

1. Reduce latency & achieve faster response times

In the realm of data integration, speed is key. By storing frequently accessed data for easy retrieval on demand, Add to cache and Load from cache shapes drastically reduce the time spent on retrieving data from external sources. When a request for data is made, the Load from cache shape swiftly provides the cached data, resulting in significantly reduced latency and faster response times. This is especially crucial when dealing with real-time interactions, where a split-second delay can make all the difference.

2. Boost system efficiency

Fetching data from external sources can put pressure on external APIs, leading to increased processing times and network congestion. Add to cache and Load from cache shapes ease this burden by minimising the need for continuous data retrieval. By storing data within the cache, subsequent requests are serviced with no additional pressure on the source system or network. This boosts efficiency and allows systems to allocate resources more efficiently.

3. Reduce costs

APIs play a pivotal role in integrations, but excessive API calls can lead to escalating costs. Utilising Add to cache and Load from cache shapes reduces the frequency of API requests by serving cached data whenever possible. This can be the difference between pricing tiers with some ERPs and third party software solutions, and therefore a significant saving.

4. Streamline integrations with data transformations

The power of cached data extends even further with a Cache lookup transformation function, which can be used in the Map shape. When mapping source fields to target fields, the Cache lookup transformation function can be used to 'pick' values from a given cache and then map these to fields in a target system. In this way, you can merge data from different caches - and so potentially different systems - into your target connection.