[Events] [API] Review Palantir API for potential Event integration / migration

[FranECross]

Description

Another team (VEO) has created an API for an external events calendar https://www.palantir.com/docs/foundry/api/, and we would like a review of the API to determine the following:

• Assuming an enhancement in the other system which allows a PAO to select event(s) to feature, does the API have what we need to maintain the existing feature of promoting selected events on a facility's site? (In other words: does their API tie Events to a facility in such a way that we can present an Event on a Facility page.)

We are interested in:

1. Being able to point out from a VAMC site to the relevant section of this new calendar to see events for the relevant location.
2. Potentially: being able to pull featured events from that system over to display on VA.gov.

~Additionally, would we be able to filter in a variety of ways, such as:~

• ~by date~
• ~by date range~
• ~by key word(s)~
• ~by location~

User story

Scenario: As a PAO

AS A PAO, when I'm creating/publishing an event on VA.gov I WANT the ability to select an event to feature and promote on a facility's site SO THAT the event is one of the first things a Veteran et al sees when they look at the Facility's main online page

Scenario: As a Veteran

AS A Veteran viewing events on VA.gov I WANT the ability to filter events in a variety of ways e.g. date, date range, location, or keyword SO THAT I can find events that interest me quickly and efficiently with a minimum of angst

Engineering notes / background

Palantir is a white label API solution. VA has used it to configure VEO's events API. Palantir would need to share the Events-specific portions of the API, in order for us to evaluate. Notes in comments.

Quality / testing notes

Acceptance criteria

Verify that:

• [ ] The VA specific schema of the Palantir API provides data about whether an event has a "featured" flag / hook / parameter that can be used to display a featured Event on a Facility's VA.gov page
• [ ] The VA specific schema provides a way to reach all events for a Facility, or a front-end page for all events at a Facility, that could be linked to.
• [ ] ~The API will provide the ability to filter by specific date~
• [ ] ~The API will provide the ability to filter by date range~
• [ ] ~The API will provide the ability to filter by key words~
• [ ] ~The API will provide the ability to filter by location~
• [ ] Any other observations engineering feels is pertinent or important
• [ ] Findings are documented in ticket & reviewed with PO / PM

[jilladams]

Noting; the Palantir link does not appear to have specific information available around VEO's use of Palantir for Events issues. So we likely need more info from VEO about where the API docs are for their usage, so we can understand how we could integrate.

Also: Daniel noted that VA.gov's stance is that all API traffic in / out goes through vets-api. We will need to talk to Security about how we could connect to their API, if not through vets-api. OR: we will need to build a vets-api mechanism to reach it.

[mmiddaugh]

Palantir team response

• The event schema itself will not be in public docs as it’s VA data.
• Each Event property has an API name
  • For example, for Facilities, the property is called Coordinating Region ID and the associated API name is coordinatingRegionId.
  • For a VHA Facility the Coordinating Region ID would be the 3 or 5 digit station_id.

They are willing to provide the API name for the event property and/or meet with us to discuss the schema as necessary

[dsasser]

@mmiddaugh thanks for this it sounds like we might have what we need for attaching an event to a Facility.

Is there any chance we can get access to the APIs, existing documentation (if it exists), and the schema (or example datasets so we can derive the schema)?