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jrtwynam
2019-08-27T17:48:01Z
Hi,

I have a situation where I need to use an HTTP task to pull a report from a third-party web-hosted application. I can do this manually by logging in and visiting the reporting page and telling it to download the report, but I'd like to automate this process. I've been fiddling around with a web traffic logger (which, ironically, is actually called "Fiddler"), which has helped me with part of this. I've been able to successfully create an HTTP task in VC to do the login part of this - the output of that task is this:

SS1.png

Now the issue I'm having is that the second HTTP task, although from what I can tell I've pointed it to the proper URL and send the proper headers and stuff, it doesn't realize that I've already logged in, so it takes me to the login page. This is the HTTP traffic from the login action:

SS2.png

So it does create a PHP session, but I don't know how to get that value and pass it in the second HTTP task. Or if that's even possible.

The application does have an API, but the problem is that I can't use that because they've put intrusive restrictions on the number of records we can pull at a time. We can only pull up to 4999 records per hour; what I'm trying to do is pull all our inventory to do a cross-check with our warehouse management system. With almost 6000 products, that means we can't pull them all in one shot. We'd have to pull say 2000, cross-check those and update the application's inventory. Then once an hour has passed, pull the next 2000, and so on. Using the report available manually, I can pull all inventory in one shot, so I'm trying to automate that piece.

Thanks.
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Support
2019-08-28T07:39:41Z
Originally Posted by: jrtwynam 

Hi,

I have a situation where I need to use an HTTP task to pull a report from a third-party web-hosted application. I can do this manually by logging in and visiting the reporting page and telling it to download the report, but I'd like to automate this process. I've been fiddling around with a web traffic logger (which, ironically, is actually called "Fiddler"), which has helped me with part of this. I've been able to successfully create an HTTP task in VC to do the login part of this - the output of that task is this:

SS1.png

Now the issue I'm having is that the second HTTP task, although from what I can tell I've pointed it to the proper URL and send the proper headers and stuff, it doesn't realize that I've already logged in, so it takes me to the login page. This is the HTTP traffic from the login action:

SS2.png

So it does create a PHP session, but I don't know how to get that value and pass it in the second HTTP task. Or if that's even possible.

The application does have an API, but the problem is that I can't use that because they've put intrusive restrictions on the number of records we can pull at a time. We can only pull up to 4999 records per hour; what I'm trying to do is pull all our inventory to do a cross-check with our warehouse management system. With almost 6000 products, that means we can't pull them all in one shot. We'd have to pull say 2000, cross-check those and update the application's inventory. Then once an hour has passed, pull the next 2000, and so on. Using the report available manually, I can pull all inventory in one shot, so I'm trying to automate that piece.

Thanks.



We store cookies between sessions but there is no straightforward way to store session ids. I suggest you use the web macro task and logon every time.

You could make a post in the "feature request" section if you want the HTTP task to store sessions. This feature exists in web macro task however
Michael
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jrtwynam
2019-08-28T13:30:14Z
Cool, I didn't even think to try the Web Macro task, but that's exactly what I was trying to emulate with the HTTP tasks. Thanks!
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