Understanding and Handling HTTP Request Errors in NetSuite SuiteScript

In the world of NetSuite development, managing HTTP requests efficiently is crucial, especially when integrating with external systems. The N/http module in SuiteScript 2.x allows both client and server scripts to send HTTP requests, but developers often encounter errors if not handled correctly. This article explores common errors and best practices for managing them.

Common HTTP Request Errors

When working with the N/http module, developers may encounter several errors, each with distinct causes and solutions. Below are the most notable ones:

SSS_INVALID_HOST_CERT

This error indicates that the SSL certificate provided by the target host is untrusted, unsupported, or invalid. This typically happens when the client-server communication cannot negotiate security protocols, rendering the connection ineffective.

Key Considerations:

• Verify that the domain name in the options.url is correctly spelled and formatted.
• Ensure SSL certificates are up-to-date and cover the domain in question.
• Domain names should not exceed 63 characters, and must start and end with a letter or number.

SSS_INVALID_URL

This error arises when the options.url parameter does not specify a fully qualified HTTP or HTTPS URL. Such issues might occur due to typographical errors or incomplete URLs.

Best Practice Tip:

• Always double-check URL formats and ensure they begin with http:// or https://.

SSS_MISSING_REQD_ARGUMENT

Missing required arguments often trigger this error, specifically the options.method or options.url. Properly structuring your HTTP request is crucial.

Troubleshooting Steps:

• Review your HTTP request to confirm all required parameters are included.
• Check that options.method is correctly set using the http.Method enumeration.

Handling Timeouts

Another critical aspect of handling HTTP requests is managing timeouts effectively. An important consideration is that NetSuite's HTTP requests will timeout if:

• The connection to the server takes more than 5 seconds.
• The request payload takes longer than 45 seconds to send.

Performance Recommendations:

• Optimize payload size to reduce transfer time.
• Implement proper error handling and retry logic in scripts to manage occasional timeouts.

Governance and Limits

Each HTTP request in SuiteScript consumes 10 governance units. Being mindful of this is essential for scripts running in environments with limited script execution governance.

Sample Code Usage

While understanding potential errors is crucial, seeing them in action can also be helpful:

var headerObj = {
  name: 'Accept-Language',
  value: 'en-us'
};
var response = http.request({
  method: http.Method.GET,
  url: 'https://www.example.com',
  body: 'Optional body data',
  headers: headerObj
});

This simple snippet sets up an HTTP GET request with a header, but remember always to adapt the method, URL, and headers according to your needs.

Key Takeaways

• Always validate your SSL certificates and domain names to avoid SSS_INVALID_HOST_CERT errors.
• Ensure URLs are fully qualified to prevent SSS_INVALID_URL issues.
• Check for all required arguments to avoid SSS_MISSING_REQD_ARGUMENT errors.
• Optimize for performance to handle timeouts efficiently.
• Monitor governance units consumption to maintain script efficiency.