IMPORTANT NOTICE to Tesco API Developers
Both the CTP (Community Technical Preview) and Beta editions of the Tesco grocery API will be off-air from 6pm - midnight UK (17:00-23:00 UTC) from 26 April until 4th May inclusive.
This is so that the Tesco.com IT teams can progress the final move of customers from the old 'BOB' grocery service to the new 'Martini' service with minimum disruption during peak loading times.
Furthermore, on the evening of the 4th May, the CTP API will be shut down for the final time, never to return to service. This version of the API uses the old 'BOB' grocery service which will no longer have any customers on it. This version of the API sits at http://www.techfortesco.com/tescoapi/tescoapi.svc until its final shutdown at 6pm UK (17:00 UTC) on 4th May 2010.
Apologies for this short notice and for any inconvenience caused to evening developers working on applications that use the Tesco API, which contributes significant traffic to our grocery servers. However, if we can get all the customers across in the next couple of weeks it will be worth the pain.
Best regards
Nick Lansley
"which contributes significant traffic to our grocery servers"
ReplyDeleteAre you going to be adding more Grocery servers or is this already in progress?
If the API calls are causing significant traffic now, I imagine this to multiple at least 10fold when customers are using the apps & not just devs making them!
Hi Doug,
ReplyDeleteOh yes more servers are on their way - the fleet is already of a significant size but it's easy for us to add more because of our use of virtualisation.
The API is being turned off in the evenings primarily because if a customer is moved from 'BOB' to 'Martini', they disappear from one API and appear in the other (which many third party apps aren't programmed to cope with).
On the other hand if a customer is online using their web browser when their account is moved, they are just sent back to the login page. When they login they see their new 'Martini' look.
Nick,
ReplyDeleteSorry I slightly mis-read this - I thought it was off for a week completely!
Re-reading I realise it's just in the evenings, this is brilliant as I'd decided to start development this week on my own application for Android.
Brilliant, I knew we mainly relied on virtualisation for servers which is excellent, simple boot up - would love to know more if we ever get the chance to meet up.
Sounds, on the outside, to be a smooth change over for our customers, I do love the "new" site!