Introduction
This website gives you information to help you integrate your application with the CloudFactory Platform. You can use our API to programmatically send work into and receive results from a production line in the Platform.
Key Concepts
Unit
A Unit, also called Production Unit, is a piece of work that needs to be done.
The CloudFactory Platform is designed to extract a fixed set of data points from a large number of similar items. A single instance of these items is called a unit. The following table illustrates what a Unit is for different types of projects.
| Data Project | Description | Unit | Data Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audio/Video Transcription | Process a large collection of audio/video files and transcribe each of them. | A single audio or video file | Transcribed text |
| Image Tagging | Process a large collection of images and identify objects in each of them | A single image | A list of objects identified in each image |
| Receipt Digitization | Process a large collection of scanned receipts and extract key data points from them | A single receipt | Store name, total amount, transaction date etc. |
Production Line
A Production Line is a digital construct that takes input for a unit, processes it by routing it through various work stations, and generates an output for it.
In reality, the production line may return other types of data as well in addition to the unit output - input and meta data. Thus, the full result returned by the Platform consists of:
- Input - The original input of the unit, e.g. image url.
- Output - The data points extracted by the production line, e.g. store name, total amount etc.
- Meta - Other data describing the unit, e.g. status, processed date.
Production Run
A Production Run is a batch of units being processed together in the Platform. A production run consists of at least one unit. However, multiple units can be batched together in a production run. All the units in a production run are sent together in the Platform. They are also posted back together to a callback URL after processing is complete.
Quick Integration Guide
In order to send work programmatically into the Platform, you need a production line designed to process your work. Currently, a production line can be created only by an in-house production team at CloudFactory. Get in touch with them.
Here are the steps you need to follow for complete integration of your application with the Platform:
- Have a user account created for you by talking to your production team at CloudFactory.
- Have your production team create a production line for you.
- You need username and password to access the Platform API. Obtain your username and password from the Setting page in the Platform.
- Obtain the id of your production line.
- Prepare and structure the unit input as prescribed by your production team.
- Configure your application to create production runs.
- Obtain the production run results back and save it in your application.
API Reference
The endpoints, methods, parameters, and data formats of the Platform API can be browsed here.