How to check a 3rd-party API endpoint if online before trying to connect to it?

[zitroware]

Hello,

Happy Easter!

I tried to search the forums but I can’t find any information (yet). So far, from my search, the possible solution is to implement the Wappler Bull Queues extension. But it is somewhat complicated for my part as I need to use REDIS.
I would like to know if someone has a solution already implemented for my inquiry.

What I would like to do is to check first if a 3rd-party API endpoint is online before I send a query via API.
What is currently happening from what I understand is that nodejs connects to the 3rd-pary API endpoint and will timeout (ETIMEDOUT error) after several seconds. I would like to catch this timeout error and reflect in my dashboard that the API servers are offline. If it is not possible to catch this, then is there a way to check whether that API endpoint is offline or online?

Using the Wappler Bull Queues extension will allow me to use a timeout in connecting to the 3rd-party API. Is there any other solution?

Thanks in advance.

[Apple]

Basically you want an API Action step with timeout, you started to overcomplicate when you added Bull MQ to the discussion

API server action timeout

It looks like api.js accepts a timeout value, but the server action API (the external api action) does not present this. I’ve added it in code view: "module": "api", "action": "send", "options": { "timeout": 15000, @patrick is this valid, and can/should it be added to the UI of the API action? Related, I think “internal” API’s (server workflows) used to have a timeout for the entire flow on settings, but I’m not seeing it now, was that just for PHP, or has that been droppe…

@zitroware

What I would like to do is to check first if a 3rd-party API endpoint is online before I send a query via API.

No one does this exact solution, use the timeout option for the API Action instead. You can make use of Try/Catch step to mark somewhere (e.g. in your database) the API Action is offline (Catch)

[zitroware]

Hi @Apple, thanks for the response. I saw that topic last time but it was not confirmed to be valid.
Were you able to make it work?

[Apple]

Hi zitrowave,

I haven’t personally tested if it works, I guess you’ll need to test it

Ken (the creator of that topic) is a well-known Wappler expert, therefore unless proven otherwise I believe his solution is valid (despite the lack of confirmation).

@zitroware

thanks for the response

You’re welcome!

[zitroware]

Hi @Apple, I used the Try/Catch step and not set the time-out. I guess this is okay for my use for now.

Thank you!