The document outlines the development of a COVID-19 data platform powered by MuleSoft, aiming to gather, unify, and deliver trusted data globally. It details the API-led approach to data integration, focusing on user experience and usability, while emphasizing the importance of accessible and standardized data sources. The project has resulted in significant engagement, with high API request rates and successful live deployment despite challenges.

1. All contents © MuleSoft, LLC
Matt McLarty, @mattmclartybc
Sanjna Verma, @_sanjuverm
Data with a Mission
A COVID-19 API Case Study

2. All contents © MuleSoft, LLC
The digital data explosion
2
From https://www.zdnet.com/article/by-2025-nearly-30-percent-of-data-generated-will-be-real-time-idc-says/

3. All contents © MuleSoft, LLC
The API-enabled data opportunity
APIs can help...
● Provide practical access to
data
● Embed data inferences
into core capabilities
● Weave data-derived
insights into user
experiences
3
Value Capture
User data collected
from API-powered
interactions
Value Creation
Data insights produced
using ML model-based
analytics
Value Delivery
Captivating user
experiences powered by
insight-based APIs
From
https://blogs.mulesoft.com/biz/api/value-from-data-with-ai-api-business-model/

4. All contents © MuleSoft, LLC
APIs and data value
API value depends on context
● Why will the data be used?
● How will the data be used?
API usefulness
● Who are the consumers?
● What problems do they want to solve?
API usability
● How do consumers want to access the data?
● How can access methods be optimized for all?
4
From http://semanticstudios.com/user_experience_design/

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Vision Gather, unify, and deliver trusted COVID-19 data to organizations around the world.
5

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infected?
sick?
hospitalized?

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infected?
sick?
hospitalized?

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COVID-19 Data Platform
Gather, unify, and deliver trusted COVID-19 data, powered by Salesforce
Highly curated data sources
Standardized data models
Resilient data pipeline
Accessible to all
Free to everyone!

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Secure and
standardized
model
COVID-19 Data Platform: Pipeline
ingest & normalize
MuleSoft
Anypoint
Platform
deliver
Tableau
Prep
Data Sources
Data warehouse
store
Tableau
MuleSoft
Tableau Public
AWS Data
Exchange
Data partners
Salesforce
Traction on
Demand
SI/ISV Partners
MuleSoft Public
Empowering our ecosystem with reliable data
COVID Data
Tracking API
Crisis Response
Developer Portal
curate
Coming
soon!
Coming
soon!
Hyper API
validated by industry experts
consumers

10. All contents © MuleSoft, LLC
Secure and
standardized
model
COVID-19 Data Platform: Pipeline
ingest & normalize
MuleSoft
Anypoint
Platform
deliver
Tableau
Prep
Data Sources
Data warehouse
store
Tableau
MuleSoft
Tableau Public
AWS Data
Exchange
Data partners
Salesforce
Traction on
Demand
SI/ISV Partners
MuleSoft Public
Empowering our ecosystem with reliable data
COVID Data
Tracking API
Crisis Response
Developer Portal
curate
Coming
soon!
Coming
soon!
Hyper API
validated by industry experts
consumers
Data Sources
curate
Coming
soon!
Coming
soon!
validated by industry experts

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Medical Resource DataPublic Health Data Other Public Data
What data will be in the COVID-19 Data Platform?
These are the categories of global data that are critical to making informed decisions
Coming soon!

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REST OData GraphQL
Choosing the API protocol and architecture
12
We knew that we
wanted this API to be
web accessible
Mule messages (XML) Data has grown from a
few KB to a few
hundred GB. With over
100 different attributes,
something like
GraphQL is important
to consider
Future

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Data in Processing Data out
How to consider the data flow
13
JSON or CSV Mule messages (XML) JSON

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Secure and
standardized
model
COVID-19 Data Platform: Pipeline
ingest & normalize
MuleSoft
Anypoint
Platform
deliver
Tableau
Prep
Data Sources
Data warehouse
store
Tableau
MuleSoft
Tableau Public
AWS Data
Exchange
Data partners
Salesforce
Traction on
Demand
SI/ISV Partners
MuleSoft Public
Empowering our ecosystem with reliable data
COVID Data
Tracking API
Crisis Response
Developer Portal
curate
Coming
soon!
Coming
soon!
Hyper API
validated by industry experts
consumersingest & normalize
MuleSoft
Anypoint
Platform
Secure and
standardized
model
deliver
Data warehouse
store
MuleSoft
COVID Data
Tracking API

15. All contents © MuleSoft, LLC
Process
layer
Experience
layer
System
layer
API-led approach: how data enters the pipeline
15
NYT system API EU CDC
system API
COVID Tracking
Project system
API

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Process
layer
Experience
layer
System
layer
API-led approach: how data enters the pipeline
16
NYT system API EU CDC
system API
COVID Tracking
Project system
API
Snowflake
system API

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Process
layer
Experience
layer
System
layer
API-led approach: how data enters the pipeline
17
Data Synchronization Process API
(with scheduler)
NYT system API EU CDC
system API
COVID Tracking
Project system
API
Snowflake
system API
Data Aggregation Process API
Inbound queue
(partner only)
Outbound queue
(to snowflake)

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Process
layer
Experience
layer
System
layer
API-led approach: how data enters the pipeline
18
Data Synchronization Process API
(with scheduler)
NYT system API EU CDC
system API
COVID Tracking
Project system
API
Snowflake
system API
Data Contributions API
Data Aggregation Process API
Inbound queue
(partner only)
Outbound queue
(to snowflake)

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Designing the ingestion pipeline
- API-led connectivity for the overall
applications structure
- Mule application architecture for reusable
components
- API-design first to start building each
individual API
19
OPERATE
DESIGN
DEPLOY
DEV &
TEST
ENGAGE

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Designing API specifications
Data in
20
Tools used: API designer, Studio 7, Exchange, GitHub
Custom sys
APIs
Reusable
fragments

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2
API fragments with reusable
libraries for error handling
21
15 1
API specifications built – all
RAML
Master library with the rules
to respect the CDM

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Implementing the ingestion pipeline
- Time to implementation: 3.5 weeks
- 65% of time spent on nailing DataWeave
scripts
- 35% of time spent on testing applications
and validating the flow of data via pipeline
- Hard to quantify “reuse”
22
OPERATE
DESIGN
DEPLOY
DEV &
TEST
ENGAGE

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Developing the core API implementations
23
Tools used: Mule, Studio 7, DataWeave Playground, MUnit
DataSense
loading
DataWeave
scripting

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Testing the core implementations
24
Unit testing
Acceptance
testing
Tools used: Mule, Studio 7, DataWeave Playground, MUnit

25. All contents © MuleSoft, LLC
Secure and
standardized
model
COVID-19 Data Platform: Pipeline
ingest & normalize
MuleSoft
Anypoint
Platform
deliver
Tableau
Prep
Data Sources
Data warehouse
store
Tableau
MuleSoft
Tableau Public
AWS Data
Exchange
Data partners
Salesforce
Traction on
Demand
SI/ISV Partners
MuleSoft Public
Empowering our ecosystem with reliable data
COVID Data
Tracking API
Crisis Response
Developer Portal
curate
Coming
soon!
Coming
soon!
Hyper API
validated by industry experts
consumers
Tableau
Prep
Tableau
MuleSoft
COVID Data
Tracking API
Hyper API

26. All contents © MuleSoft, LLC
Deploying the ingestion pipeline
- Deploying our APIs did not mean “going
live” with the platform
- Deploying is more clicks than code, but it’s
a lot of context-switching
- We rolled back twice
26
OPERATE
DESIGN
DEPLOY
DEV &
TEST
ENGAGE

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API output (raw) and the visualization output
Comparing the outputs
27
Tools used: Runtime Manager, Postman, Tableau

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Sharing the APIs so users could use the API
- Behavioral changes: we published a live
API implemented endpoint to Anypoint
Exchange
- Thus, going live meant we nailed how to
“engage” or publicize our APIs and ensure
it was usable
- Many challenges in going live, including
understanding how a user could actually
use the API
28
OPERATE
DESIGN
DEPLOY
DEV &
TEST
ENGAGE

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Expectations of API usability
29
Request
access for
“open” API
Live
implemented
endpoint

30. All contents © MuleSoft, LLC
Results since the go-live
- Survived a minor DOS attack: having a
CDN protected us even more
- Averaged ~600K unique API requests
- Averaged ~30K views to the Tableau
visualizations
30
OPERATE
DESIGN
DEPLOY
DEV &
TEST
ENGAGE

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API-led in action
31

32. All contents © MuleSoft, LLC
Secure and
standardized
model
COVID-19 Data Platform: Pipeline started
ingest & normalize
MuleSoft
Anypoint
Platform
deliver
Tableau
Prep
Data Sources
Data warehouse
store
Tableau
MuleSoft
Tableau Public
AWS Data
Exchange
Data partners
Salesforce
Traction on
Demand
SI/ISV Partners
MuleSoft Public
Empowering our ecosystem with reliable data
COVID Data
Tracking API
Crisis Response
Developer Portal
curate
Coming
soon!
Coming
soon!
Hyper API
validated by industry experts
consumers
Tableau
Prep
Tableau
MuleSoft
COVID Data
Tracking API
Hyper API

33. Secure and
standardized
model
COVID-19 Data Platform: Pipeline today
ingest & normalize
MuleSoft
Anypoint
Platform
deliver
Tableau
Prep
Data Sources
Data warehouse
store
Tableau
MuleSoft
Tableau Public
AWS Data
Exchange
Data partners
Salesforce
Traction on
Demand
SI/ISV Partners
MuleSoft Public
Empowering our ecosystem with reliable data
COVID Data
Tracking API
Crisis Response
Developer Portal
curate
Coming
soon!
Coming
soon!
Hyper API
validated by industry experts
consumers

34. All contents © MuleSoft, LLC
Process
layer
Experience
layer
System
layer
API-led approach: how we started
34
Data Synchronization Process API
(with scheduler)
NYT system API EU CDC
system API
COVID Tracking
Project system
API
Snowflake
system API
Data Contributions API
Data Aggregation Process API
Inbound queue
(partner only)
Outbound queue
(to snowflake)

35. All contents © MuleSoft, LLC
Process
layer
Experience
layer
System
layer
API-led approach: where we are today
35
Data Synchronization Process API
(with scheduler)
NYT SYS
API
EU CDC SYS
API
COVID Tracking
Project SYS API
Snowflake
SYS API
Data Contributions API
Data Aggregation Process API
Inbound queue
(partner only)
Outbound queue
(to snowflake)
KFF SYS
API
Washington
SYS API
Texas SYS
API
MIT SYS APIOXFORD SYS
API
System
Checker
SYS API

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Contextualized data is in high
demand
Make proprietary business and external data
readily accessible and understandable
Data needs to be consistent and
available
Data needs to be available in different
ecosystems and places at once
Developer readability needs to be
maximized
Ensure data can be human AND machine
readable
Lessons learned
Theme-specific data is curated for global analysis and visualization
AWS Data
Exchange
Work.com
Command Center
MuleSoft
Exchange
Traction on
Demand
Tableau Data
Hub
Salesforce Core
40K users
Global
reach

37. All contents © MuleSoft, LLC
For more information...
37
Click here to book a
workshop to explore
your Data+API Strategy
Click here to access
the COVID Data
Platform APIs
Click here to learn
about MuleSoft’s data
integration solutions

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THANK YOU!
@_sanjuverm
@mattmclartybc