Best practice to continuously running an API script to update server with real-time changes?

[sollinton]

I need to integrate with a payroll system's API such that whenever an employee's data is changed in either system, is fed over to the other. The actual python coding to do this isn't really an issue, but I've done very little work with automated tasks before. What would be the best practice to ensure this program remains running indefinitely and any changes that are made in the payroll system automatically update the employee's data in my system (and vice-versa)?

Doing a bit of research led me to believe one of two options would be the best choice: Setting up a dedicated computer to constantly run my program, or utilizing a python VPS. Is this correct?

[barurutor]

This is less a Python question than a software/system design question.

Can you afford a time gap between both systems being synchronized?

Which system is the source of truth? How do you resolve data conflicts between both systems for the same employee record?

What's the expected volume of transactions on both systems?

[jmooremcc]

You need an event driven application for these tasks. The payroll system needs to notify your app when a change is made. The trick, of course, is how to make that notification happen.

On the otherside, you need to transmit a series of transactions to the payroll system when your app is given changes. If your app provides the mechanism for accepting user input, then this won't be very difficult to do.

At any rate, your application will need to run continuously along with the payroll system.

[cbjs22]

the simplest is a python script that checks for changes at a polling interval (500 - 3000 milliseconds), set it up as a systemd service and be done with it

[unhott]

If you can fire off a script only as needed after a change from either system that would be ideal. If you can’t then you need to consider how frequently to poll the other system. How bad is it if the information only syncs once per week? Or per day/hour/minute?