Updates to the Backend API base URL and the Data Browser URL structure (updated)

Update (25 May 2023): The new base URL structure can now be used for legacy deployments.

The API Management page now displays both the legacy and the new base URL structure for the Backend API per deployment:

This allows you to update your code with one consistent URL structure across legacy and new deployments. We strongly recommend using the new base URL for legacy deployments, as this will be a requirement for the migration of these deployments into the updated backend system in the future.

Update (1 February 2023): We have successfully released these updates on 31 January 2023.

We have released updates to our backend database architecture which introduce more performant and scalable backend environments for apps, and pave the way towards a premium feature where your apps can have isolated, single-tenancy backend environments.

This notice details the changes these updates bring to new app deployments. Throughout this notice we are referring to any deployment created before 31 January 2023 (i.e. the release of the above-mentioned backend updates) as legacy deployments, and deployments created after 31 January 2023 as new deployments.

1. New deployments have a different base URL structure for the Backend API 

New deployments' Backend API URL structure will be:

https://{app-deployment-id}.backend.{region-code}.journeyapps.com/api/v4/{backend-deployment-id}

Example:

https://62d541f4156bc4dd685318da.backend.us.journeyapps.com/api/v4/615ae1ee8c5ef500078a4908

Whereas legacy deployments' Backend API URL structure is:

https://run{deployment-environment-and-region-code}.journeyapps.com/api/v4/{backend-deployment-id}

Example:

https://run-testing-us.journeyapps.com/api/v4/615ae1ee8c5ef500078a4908

Top tip:

To see the deployment environment for a backend base URL for new deployments, paste the part preceding "/api/v4/{backend_deployment_id}" into your browser. This will open up the data browser for the deployment, where the deployment environment and region is visually highlighted:

2. New deployments have a different URL structure for the Data Browser

New deployments' Data Browser URL structure will be:

https://{backend-partition-id}.backend.journeyapps.com/databrowser/{backend-deployment-id}

Example:

https://62c436046ac84b2746f9b668.backend.journeyapps.com/databrowser/615ae1ee8c5ef500078a4908

Whereas legacy deployments' Data Browser URL structure is:

https://run{deployment-environment-and-region-code}.journeyapps.com/databrowser/{backend-deployment-id}

Example:

https://run-testing-us.journeyapps.com/databrowser/615ae1ee8c5ef500078a490

Note: The URL for a particular deployment's data browser could update in future, although this should be rare. OXIDE's Open deployment in data browser action will always reference the correct URL.

3. journey.server should be replaced with journey.env in your app source code

journey.server can currently be used to parse the user's deployment environment (i.e. testing, staging or production) from the returned server URL (e.g. for legacy deployments, journey.server will return a URL in the form of https://run-testing-us.journeyapps.com).

Per point 1 above, the deployment environment will no longer included in the server URL for new deployments.

To reliably get the user's deployment environment we have recently introduced journey.env.

journey.env returns an object with information about the user's enrolled deployment. For example, journey.env.url will return the server URL of the deployment, and journey.env.deploymentEnvironment will return the environment of the deployment that the user is enrolled in ("testing", "staging" or "production").

journey.env was introduced in version 4.85.6 of the JourneyApps Runtime, and was also added to Runtime versions 4.84.16 and 4.83.7. It is compatible with both legacy and new deployments, so you should be able to replace journey.server with journey.env regardless of which deployments your app uses.

4. Additional domains need to be whitelisted

If your organization is whitelisting JourneyApps domains, the following domains should be added to your whitelist once you make use of new deployments:

• https://{app-deployment-id}.backend.us.journeyapps.com/*

  • Or, use a wildcard: .backend.us.journeyapps.com/

  • Replace us with eu if your app is hosted in the EU region

  • Replace us with au if your app is hosted in the AU region

• https://{app-deployment-id}.cloudcode.us.journeyapps.com/*

  • Or, use a wildcard: .cloudcode.us.journeyapps.com/

  • Replace us with eu if your app is hosted in the EU region

  • Replace us with au if your app is hosted in the AU region

Migration of legacy deployments

Eventually legacy deployments will be migrated into this updated backend system. We are currently working on a migration plan to make the transition as seamless as possible, and will share additional information as soon as it is ready. We will continue to support legacy deployments for the foreseeable future.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.