Infor LN3 min readNetray Engineering TeamPublished February 13, 2026

Infor LN ION API Integration Guide

Short answer

The Infor ION API is the REST interface that the ION API gateway exposes for Infor applications such as LN, protected by OAuth 2.0. Infor ION (Intelligent Open Network) is the integration backbone for Infor LN and the broader Infor ecosystem. ION provides three integration mechanisms: BOD (Business Object Document) messaging for event-driven integration, ION API Gateway for REST API access, and ION Connect for file-based data exchange. Understanding when to use each mechanism and how to configure them is essential for connecting LN to external systems, other Infor products, and cloud services.

ION Architecture and Integration Patterns

ION operates as a middleware layer between LN and external systems. BODs are XML-based messages that flow through the ION messaging infrastructure when business events occur in LN, order creation, shipment confirmation, inventory adjustment. The ION API Gateway exposes LN functionality as REST endpoints for real-time request-response integration.

ION Connect handles batch file transfers for high-volume data exchange. Choose the pattern based on latency requirements and data volume.

Use BOD messaging for event-driven integration where LN pushes notifications to subscribing systems
Use ION API Gateway for real-time request-response integration requiring immediate data retrieval or updates
Use ION Connect for high-volume batch data exchange where real-time processing is not required
Combine patterns when needed: BODs for events, APIs for data lookup, Connect for bulk synchronization

BOD Configuration and Custom BODs

LN publishes standard BODs for common business events: SyncItem, ProcessPurchaseOrder, ShipmentReceipt, and dozens more. Each BOD contains a structured XML payload with the business data. Configure BOD publishing in the ION desk by activating the relevant document flows and mapping them to connection points.

For events not covered by standard BODs, LN supports custom BOD development through the BOD extension framework.

Activate standard BOD document flows in ION desk for the specific business events your integrations need
Configure connection points that route BODs from LN to the appropriate receiving systems or queues
Build custom BODs for LN-specific events not covered by standard Infor BOD definitions
Implement BOD error handling with dead-letter queues and alerting for failed message processing

API Gateway and Security Configuration

The ION API Gateway provides secure, authenticated REST API access to LN data and operations. 0 authentication for client applications. Rate limiting, request logging, and access policies protect LN from API abuse while providing the visibility needed for integration troubleshooting.

Configure OAuth 2.0 client credentials for service-to-service integrations through the ION API Gateway
Define rate limits per API client to prevent integration overload from affecting LN interactive performance
Enable API request logging for troubleshooting integration issues with complete request and response capture
Test API integrations in a non-production ION environment before promoting connection configurations to production

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Infor LN Integration Methods Reference

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A comparison table of the main ways to move data in and out of Infor LN, with typical use, direction and cautions.

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Method	Direction	Typical use	Strength	Caution
ION with BODs	Both	Application to application messaging, for example sales orders, items or partners with other Infor or third-party systems	Standard message format, monitored flow, decoupled systems	Needs ION set up and mapping work; check which documents your LN version supports
Exchange schemes	Both	File based import and export of LN data, and one-time migration loads	Built into LN, no extra platform needed	Field mapping is manual; error handling needs care for large loads
ASCII or CSV file transfer	Both	Batch interfaces with legacy systems, banks and partners	Simple, easy to test, works with anything	No built-in acknowledgment; needs file naming, archiving and reprocess rules
EDI (X12, EDIFACT)	Both	Orders, advance ship notices and invoices with customers and suppliers	Industry standard with trading partners	Partner specific mapping and testing take time
Web services	Both	Real time lookups and updates from portals and custom apps	Standard protocols and real time response	Check which services are exposed in your version and what load they can take
Business object interface	Inbound mostly	Programmatic creation or change of LN business objects from other programs	Runs business logic and validation	Needs developer skill and version checking
Read-only database access	Outbound	Reporting, data warehouse extracts and analytics	Fast to build for read cases	Never write directly; tables are version dependent and enumerates need translation
Reports and print to file	Outbound	Sending formatted documents to PDF or archive systems	Reuses existing print sessions	Layout changes break downstream parsing
Message queue or middleware	Both	Connecting LN to an enterprise bus with many systems	Central monitoring and retry	Another platform to run and secure
Shop floor or MES connector	Both	Production reporting, labor and machine data to and from LN	Near real time production data	Define master data ownership and posting rules first
Bank file formats	Both	Payments out and bank statements in	Automates reconciliation	Formats vary by bank and country and change over time
Data lake or analytics extract	Outbound	Feeding BI tools and AI projects with LN data	Keeps heavy queries off the transactional system	Plan incremental loads and data protection from the start

This is orientation, not a product specification. Exact capabilities depend on your LN version, licensed components and infrastructure, so confirm with your documentation or partner.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the Infor ION API?

The ION API is the set of REST endpoints published through the ION API gateway in Infor OS. Applications call it with OAuth 2.0 tokens to read and update data in Infor products such as LN. It sits alongside BOD messaging, which handles asynchronous, event-driven document exchange.

When should I use the ION API instead of BODs?

Use the ION API for synchronous request and response needs, such as looking up an order or posting a single transaction from another system. Use BODs for event-driven flows where LN publishes changes to subscribers, and batch or file-based exchange for high volume loads.

How do I authenticate to the ION API?

Create an API client in the ION API gateway for your service or application, grant it access to the needed APIs, and request OAuth 2.0 tokens with its credentials. Keep separate clients per integration so you can set limits and revoke one without affecting others.

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