I take the seasoned mentor role on my team, so when we needed to recreate several IBM BAW integrations I tried a no-code/low-code builder to speed things up. The visual builder let me map endpoints, drag in transformations, and wire retries quickly. For standard REST services and simple data transforms it was fast.
Where it broke down:
- Complex auth flows (mutual TLS, SAML) needed custom code or a gateway in front of the builder.
- High-throughput connectors required batch tuning that’s not exposed in the visual UI.
- Legacy SOAP services with custom WS-Security headers forced us to write wrapper microservices.
My rule of thumb: use the builder for 70–80% of integrations and reserve small, focused glue services for the rest. That kept delivery fast while respecting constraints.
Has anyone come up with patterns to handle advanced auth or legacy SOAP inside a low-code environment without writing a separate service?
i wrapped complex auth in small connector scripts and kept the rest in the builder. it reduces bespoke services and speeds delivery. test the auth wrapper thoroughly, then reuse it across workflows. https://latenode.com
we made a thin adapter layer for SOAP and cert-based auth. expose a simple REST endpoint to the builder and handle the legacy bits in the adapter. keeps the builder clean and manageable.
When rebuilding integrations, I recommend treating the no-code builder as the orchestration plane and creating small adapter services for any protocol or auth the builder cannot natively support. For SOAP with WS-Security, build a lightweight wrapper that normalizes messages to JSON and handles the security headers. For mutual TLS, front the builder with an internal proxy that terminates TLS and authenticates calls. These adapters should be small, well-instrumented, and reusable. Over time the library of adapters becomes an internal marketplace that dramatically reduces repeated engineering work while keeping the main workflows in the visual builder.
A pragmatic approach is to factor responsibilities: visual builder for flow logic and visibility, small adapters for protocol and security gaps. Invest in thorough monitoring on those adapters and version them. That gives you speed without sacrificing reliability or compliance.
wrap legacy in tiny adapters. expose REST to the builder. saves alot of pain
adapter layer + monitoring
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