Post
Ask Question

Seamless Integration: Power Automate & Laserfiche API in C#

1. Understand Power Automate and Laserfiche

  • Power Automate (formerly Microsoft Flow): Power Automate is a service that helps you create automated workflows between your favorite apps and services to synchronize files, get notifications, collect data, and more.
  • Laserfiche: Laserfiche is an enterprise content management platform that allows organizations to manage, share, and secure documents and business process management.

2. Identify Integration Points

  • Determine what actions or events in Laserfiche you want to trigger or be triggered by Power Automate.
  • Identify the endpoints and operations available in Laserfiche's API that will allow you to perform these actions.

3. Set Up Laserfiche API Access

  • Obtain API credentials (such as API keys or OAuth tokens) from Laserfiche. This typically involves registering your application with Laserfiche and obtaining the necessary authentication tokens.
  • Understand Laserfiche's API documentation to know how to authenticate and interact with it.

4. Design the API Endpoints

  • Determine the endpoints you need to create in your API to bridge Power Automate and Laserfiche.
  • Define the request and response structures for each endpoint, considering the data that needs to be exchanged between the two platforms.

5. Implement the API

  • Develop the API using a programming language and framework of your choice. Popular options include Node.js with Express, Python with Flask or Django, or C# with ASP.NET Core.
  • Implement authentication mechanisms to secure access to the API endpoints.
  • Write code to interact with Laserfiche's API endpoints based on the identified integration points.

6. Test the API

  • Test each API endpoint to ensure it behaves as expected.
  • Verify that the API can successfully communicate with both Power Automate and Laserfiche.
  • Handle errors and edge cases gracefully.

7. Deploy the API

  • Deploy the API to a server or cloud platform where it can be accessed by Power Automate and other clients.
  • Ensure the necessary infrastructure is in place to support the expected workload and performance requirements.

8. Integrate with Power Automate

  • Use the "HTTP with Azure AD" connector in Power Automate to send HTTP requests to your API.
  • Configure the Power Automate workflows to trigger the appropriate API endpoints based on your business logic.

9. Monitor and Maintain

  • Monitor the API's performance and usage to ensure it meets your requirements.
  • Handle any issues or bugs that arise promptly.
  • Keep the API up-to-date with any changes or updates to the Power Automate or Laserfiche platforms.

Below is an example of a basic C# API code using ASP.NET Core that connects Power Automate and Laserfiche.

using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
using System;
using System.Net.Http;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

namespace LaserficheIntegration.Controllers
{
    [ApiController]
    [Route("[controller]")]
    public class LaserficheController : ControllerBase
    {
        private readonly IHttpClientFactory _clientFactory;
        private const string LaserficheBaseUrl = "https://your-laserfiche-instance.com/api";
        private const string LaserficheApiKey = "your-laserfiche-api-key";
        private const string PowerAutomateUrl = "https://your-power-automate-endpoint.com";

        public LaserficheController(IHttpClientFactory clientFactory)
        {
            _clientFactory = clientFactory;
        }

        [HttpPost]
        public async Task<IActionResult> CreateDocument([FromBody] DocumentModel document)
        {
            try
            {
                // Create document in Laserfiche
                using var httpClient = _clientFactory.CreateClient();
                var laserficheRequest = new HttpRequestMessage(HttpMethod.Post, $"{LaserficheBaseUrl}/documents");
                laserficheRequest.Headers.Add("Authorization", $"Bearer {LaserficheApiKey}");
                laserficheRequest.Content = new StringContent(Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.SerializeObject(document), Encoding.UTF8, "application/json");
                var laserficheResponse = await httpClient.SendAsync(laserficheRequest);

                // Log the response from Laserfiche
                var responseContent = await laserficheResponse.Content.ReadAsStringAsync();
                Console.WriteLine("Laserfiche response: " + responseContent);

                // Example: Notify Power Automate about successful document creation
                var powerAutomateRequest = new HttpRequestMessage(HttpMethod.Post, $"{PowerAutomateUrl}/notification");
                powerAutomateRequest.Content = new StringContent(Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.SerializeObject(new { message = "Document created successfully in Laserfiche." }), Encoding.UTF8, "application/json");
                await httpClient.SendAsync(powerAutomateRequest);

                // Send response to Power Automate
                return Ok(new { message = "Document created successfully in Laserfiche." });
            }
            catch (Exception ex)
            {
                Console.WriteLine("Error: " + ex.Message);
                return StatusCode(500, new { error = "An error occurred while creating the document in Laserfiche." });
            }
        }
    }

    public class DocumentModel
    {
        public string DocumentName { get; set; }
        public string DocumentContent { get; set; }
    }
}

This code sets up an ASP.NET Core API with a single POST endpoint /Laserfiche that receives requests from Power Automate. When a request is received, it extracts the document name and content from the request body, and then creates a new document in Laserfiche using the Laserfiche API. After successful document creation, it sends a notification to Power Automate and responds with a success message.

Make sure to replace 'https://your-laserfiche-instance.com/api' with the actual base URL of your Laserfiche instance and 'your-laserfiche-api-key' with your Laserfiche API key. Similarly, replace 'https://your-power-automate-endpoint.com' with the actual endpoint of your Power Automate workflow.

Ensure that you have added the necessary NuGet packages (Microsoft.Extensions.Http and Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.NewtonsoftJson) to your project for HttpClientFactory and JSON serialization.

This is a basic example to get you started. Depending on your specific requirements and the complexity of interactions between Power Automate and Laserfiche, you may need to expand and customize this code further. Additionally, ensure proper error handling, logging, and security measures are implemented as per your application's needs.


Similar Articles