Scatter Gather is a powerful routing message processor in MuleSoft that allows you to send a single message to multiple endpoints concurrently and then combine the responses into a single payload. This processor can be used to increase performance, improve reliability, and simplify integration flows. In this blog, we’ll explore Scatter Gather in MuleSoft and its use cases.
What is Scatter Gather in MuleSoft?
Scatter Gather is a message processor in MuleSoft that allows you to send a single message to multiple endpoints in parallel. It is a type of routing message processor that sends the same message to multiple destinations concurrently, which can be configured dynamically at runtime. Scatter Gather can receive one input message and broadcast it to a list of outputs defined in a separate configuration. Each output can then process the message independently and generate its own response. Once all responses have been received, the Scatter Gather processor combines them into a single payload.
How does Scatter Gather work?
Scatter Gather uses a parallel processing model to execute multiple routes simultaneously. When a message is received, the Scatter Gather processor splits the message into multiple copies, one for each configured output. These copies are then sent to each output destination in parallel, and each output processes the message independently. The responses from each output are collected and combined into a single payload, which is returned as the response from the Scatter Gather processor.
Use cases for Scatter Gather in MuleSoft
Scatter Gather can be used in a variety of use cases, including:
Aggregating data from multiple sources
Scatter Gather can be used to retrieve data from multiple sources, such as APIs or databases, and aggregate them into a single response. For example, a Scatter Gather processor can be used to send a single message to multiple APIs, each of which retrieves different parts of a customer’s information, and then combine the responses into a single payload.
Load balancing
Scatter Gather can be used to distribute messages evenly across multiple endpoints, allowing you to balance the workload and increase performance. For example, a Scatter Gather processor can be used to send messages to multiple instances of a service in a round-robin fashion, ensuring that each instance receives an equal number of requests.
Error handling
Scatter Gather can be used to handle errors by sending a message to multiple endpoints and then using the first successful response. For example, a Scatter Gather processor can be used to send a message to multiple endpoints, and if the first endpoint fails, it will automatically retry the message on the next endpoint until a successful response is received.
Parallel processing
Scatter Gather can be used to process messages in parallel, allowing you to increase throughput and reduce processing time. For example, a Scatter Gather processor can be used to send messages to multiple endpoints in parallel, each of which processes a different part of the message, and then combine the responses into a single payload.
In conclusion, Scatter Gather is a powerful message processor in MuleSoft that allows you to send a single message to multiple endpoints concurrently and then combine the responses into a single payload. It can be used in a variety of use cases, including aggregating data from multiple sources, load balancing, error handling, and parallel processing. If you’re looking to improve performance, reliability, and simplify your integration flows, Scatter Gather is definitely worth considering.