FAST vs. REST
| FAST | RESTful |
| Resources and functions are two different ways to access the functionality of server | Everything is a resource |
| Functional calls will not have side effects in FAST architecture | Any call can have side effects |
| A function can be accessed through “parameters” | Access is through get and post to resources. URL parameters are inline with RESTful philosophy |
| Both architectures allow for stateless interaction between client and server | |
| Both architectures allow for interaction over HTTP |
FAST vs SOAP/RPC
| SOAP/RPC | FAST |
| A session needs to be maintained between client and server | No session needs to be maintained |
| Calls can have side effects / change sin state | Only RESTful calls will have side effects, pure functional calls will not have any side effects |
| The API needs to be known in advance | API can be discovered during interactions |
| Strong coupling leads to less scalable design | No coupling can be used to build scalable systems |
Advantages of FAST Architecture
FAST architecture is superior to RESTful architecture in several ways:
- Clean design: Segregation of resource management and functional computation allows for modular development and ease in testing.
- Efficiency: Parallelization can be done automatically by the server, thus taking the burden of efficiency from the client.
- Security: Both resources and functions can have authentication and rights.
