Warehouse reference · Integration & data
Idempotency and duplicate protection
Idempotency means a repeated operation has the intended effect without introducing an unintended additional business change. Warehouse interfaces need deliberate duplicate protection because retries and repeated delivery can occur during normal recovery.
How it works in practice
Define a stable operation identifier, duplicate-detection behavior, and the response for previously completed work. Test concurrent duplicates and requests repeated after partial failure under the supported interface design.
A warehouse example
A shipment confirmation is resent after a timeout. The downstream system should recognize the same event rather than subtracting the inventory quantity again.
Illustrative scenario, not a claim about a client engagement.
What to watch for
Using a new identifier for every retry can defeat duplicate detection. At the same time, genuinely new events must not be mistaken for old ones.
A useful question
Which reference distinguishes a retry from a new business transaction?
Terminology and configuration differ by product. These notes explain general concepts and are not operating instructions for equipment, a compliance determination, or a replacement for your site’s approved procedures.
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