National Addressing System

Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning in the Sultanate of Oman

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reference:system-architecture:address-editing-and-query-api

Address Editing and Query API

This API provides methods to interact with the core addressing data model such as creating, reading, updating and deleting address objects as well as querying them and keeping them in sync with application data and external copies/cached data.

1. Integration with Third-Party GIS Platforms

The API supports integration with several third-party Geographic Information System (GIS) platforms via standard open protocols:

  • GeoServer: Supports WFS, WMS, and GeoAPI.
  • (ArcGIS Enterprise: Utilises the ArcGIS REST API)

2. Suitable technologies for implementing API

Selecting the right technologies is crucial for efficient APIimplementation. Two primary technologies are recommended:

  • Microsoft .NET Core: This framework is selected for its compatibility with the organisation’s software environment. It provides high performance and operates as a lower-level language, though it is marginally more complex.
  • Python: Known as the universal language for data scientists, Python integrates smoothly with GIS platforms. ArcGIS utilises Python for analytics and extensions, making it a preferred choice for GIS programmers. Its use within the Microsoft platform further encourages its adoption.

3. Technical requirements

From the outset, the technical approach involves utilising:

  • Fast API: Known for its speed and efficiency.
  • Python >= 3.12: The latest iteration of the Python programming language.
  • Containerization using Docker: The leading technology for containerization of server applications
  • Linux operating system: A robust and proven platform for hosting services.

This structure aims to enhance the National Addressing System's functionality, supporting accurate and efficient data management and integration across various platforms.

3.1 Performance Management, Rate Limiting, Caching, and Developer Enablement

To ensure reliable, scalable, and fair access to the NAS API ecosystem—particularly as integrations expand to include both public and private third-party systems—the platform should adopt additional operational controls and developer support mechanisms:

3.2 Rate Limiting and Caching

The NAS API layer will benefit from the implementation of rate limiting to prevent abuse, ensure equitable resource allocation, and protect backend systems from overload during periods of high demand. Rate limiting policies will be clearly defined in API documentation and enforced per API client or token, with the flexibility to grant higher limits to critical government and infrastructure partners.

Complementing rate limiting, API-level caching mechanisms (e.g., in-memory caches, reverse proxies, or CDN-based edge caching) will be deployed to accelerate the most frequently accessed data and reduce repeated queries to the primary database. Caching strategies will be tailored according to data volatility and use-case, balancing data freshness against system responsiveness.

3.3 Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for Integrations

For all external integrations, especially those with business-critical third-party systems, formal Service Level Agreements (SLAs) will be established. SLAs will define key parameters such as guaranteed uptime, target response times, maintenance notification windows, and escalation procedures for incidents. This transparency fosters trust among stakeholders and ensure predictable quality of service for mission-critical operations.

3.4 Performance Benchmarks and Scalability Thresholds

To guide system sizing and support future growth, the NAS API and underlying infrastructure will be subject to regular performance benchmarking. Metrics such as average and 95th percentile response times, throughput under load, and maximum supported concurrent connections will be documented. Scalability thresholds (e.g., API requests per minute, data volume limits, user concurrency) will be specified and reviewed as usage patterns evolve.

3.5 Sandbox Environments for Integration Testing

To facilitate secure and efficient onboarding of new integrators, a sandbox environment—mirroring the production API but operating on test data—will be provided to registered developers. This environment enables third parties to prototype and validate their integrations without risk to production data or services. Comprehensive API documentation, test credentials, and sample data will be made available within the sandbox to accelerate development and troubleshooting.

4 Required API methods

The API must as minimum implement the following methods. Authentication is exempt but implicitly required for acceptable system operations.


Tag

Method

Endpoint

Description

address-unit

GET

/address-unit/read-all

Read all address units

GET

/address-unit/read/{adrutid}

Read one address unit

POST

/address-unit/upsert

Insert or update an address unit

DELETE

/address-unit/delete/{adrutid}

Delete an address unit
POST/address-unit/syncSynchronise uploaded dataset with server

sub-address

GET

/sub-address/read-all

Read all sub-addresses

GET

/sub-address/read/{adrutid}

Read one sub-address

POST

/sub-address/upsert

Insert or update a sub-address

DELETE

/sub-address/delete/{adrutid}

Delete a sub-address
POST/sub-address/syncSynchronise uploaded dataset with server

street

GET

/street/read-all

Read all streets

GET

/street/read/{adrutid}

Read one street

POST

/street/upsert

Insert or update a street

DELETE

/street/delete/{adrutid}

Delete a street
POST/street/syncSynchronise uploaded dataset with server

street-segment

GET

/street-segment/read-all

Read all street segments

GET

/street-segment/read/{adrutid}

Read one street segment

POST

/street-segment/upsert

Insert or update a street segment

DELETE

/street-segment/delete/{adrutid}

Delete a street segment
POST/street-segment/syncSynchronise uploaded dataset with server

issues

GET

/issues/read-all

Read all issues

GET

/issues/read/{adrutid}

Read one issue

POST

/issues/upsert

Insert or update an issue

DELETE

/issues/delete/{adrutid}

Delete an issue
POST/issues/syncSynchronise uploaded dataset with server

start-stop

GET

/start-stop/read-all

Read all start-stop points

GET

/start-stop/read/{adrutid}

Read one start-stop point

POST

/start-stop/upsert

Insert or update a start-stop point

DELETE

/start-stop/delete/{adrutid}

Delete a start-stop point
POST/start-stop/syncSynchronise uploaded dataset with server
query
GET/query/free-text
GET/query/streets
GET/query/wilayat
GET/query/governorate
download GET/download/all
GET/download/changes/{since}

A reference implementation of the API has been prepared and may be used directly or built on when implementing the final system

reference/system-architecture/address-editing-and-query-api.txt · Last modified: by runarbe