A timeout (time limit) defines the maximum time in which a request (e.g. an HTTP/REST request) must receive a response from the server. If the server does not respond within this period of time, the connection is terminated and the client app receives an error message. This procedure serves to protect resources and protect the system from blocking or faulty processes.
Default timeouts
The following time limits apply to certain areas of application.
|
App area |
Timeout in seconds |
Description |
|---|---|---|
|
Views |
60 |
Is the maximum duration that a view (e.g. browser request) may wait for a response. |
|
Web service endpoints |
60 |
Is the maximum duration that a REST or HTTP service call waits for a response. |
Things to know about web services and background processes
Long-running processes can be problematic with web services. If the client app is disconnected due to the timeout, the server-side process may continue to run.
In terms of processes, this means the following:
-
Resources (e.g. CPU, memory, database connections) remain occupied.
-
This can lead to performance problems or an overload of the system.
-
The client app does not receive any feedback on the status or result.
Recommendation for time-intensive processes
Time-consuming processes should not be run directly in the request. Instead, the following has proven to be practicable in practice:
-
Outsource processes to tasks
-
Implement asynchronous processing
-
Implement deploying of results via polling
With these measures, the API remains stable, responsive and resource-efficient.