---
title: "Resolving API Endpoint Issues During Migration from BigPicture Server to Cloud"
canonical: "https://support.appfire.com/space/SUPPORT/3558834211/Resolving%20API%20Endpoint%20Issues%20During%20Migration%20from%20BigPicture%20Server%20to%20Cloud"
format: markdown
---
This article summarizes a resolved support case about calling BigPicture Cloud API endpoints during a migration from BigPicture Server/Data Center to BigPicture Cloud. The core issue was a mismatch between Server-style base URLs and Cloud-specific API endpoints, which resulted in HTTP 404 responses even though authentication was valid.

Teams migrating automation or integrations from on-premise BigPicture environments to BigPicture Cloud can run into a subtle problem: the authentication token may work, but requests still fail because the Cloud API uses a different base URL structure and different endpoint paths. In the referenced case, the customer successfully authenticated with a bearer token, but the script was still targeting a Server-style URL pattern, which caused endpoint-not-found errors.

# What happened

A customer testing migration from BigPicture on-premise/server to BigPicture Cloud in a sandbox environment reported that an existing script worked against Server APIs but failed against Cloud APIs. The script used a bearer token and attempted requests to a URL in the format `https://cloud.softwareplant.com/bigpicture/jiracloud/120/rest/ppm`.

The diagnostic output showed:

- Authentication method detected successfully as **Bearer**
- A basic connectivity check returned **404**
- A GET request to `/public/ppm/skills` also returned **404**

> A 404 in this scenario did not indicate a token problem. It indicated that the requested Cloud path or base URL was incorrect for the BigPicture Cloud API.

Support confirmed that the base URL structure used by the customer’s Server/on-premise script did not apply to BigPicture Cloud. After the customer double-checked the Cloud base URL documentation and used the newer Cloud API section, the requests worked successfully and the ticket was resolved.

# Root cause

The issue had two parts:

- **Incorrect base URL**: the integration reused a Server-style URL pattern instead of the Cloud-specific base URL described in the BigPicture developer documentation.
- **Incorrect endpoint path**: the script attempted paths based on older or Server-oriented API expectations, while the Cloud API exposes a different set of documented endpoints.

> 📝 A valid bearer token alone is not enough to guarantee a successful call. If the URL or endpoint path is wrong, BigPicture Cloud can still return HTTP 404.

# How the issue was resolved

Support advised the customer to validate three things against the BigPicture Developer Portal:

1. **Use the Cloud-specific base URL** rather than the Server/Data Center URL pattern.
2. **Authenticate with a technical user token** generated from BigPicture settings and send it as a bearer token.
3. **Match every endpoint path to the Cloud API reference**, since Cloud paths differ from Server API paths.

The customer later confirmed that the integration worked after:

- correcting the base URL
- switching to the proper Cloud endpoint definitions
- using the new Cloud API documentation as the source of truth

> ✅ Resolution confirmed by the customer: once the correct Cloud base URL and Cloud endpoint paths were used, the API calls succeeded and the ticket was closed.

# Practical guidance for migrations

If you are moving custom scripts, middleware, or internal tools from BigPicture Server/Data Center to Cloud, do not assume API compatibility at the URL level. Even if the business purpose of an endpoint sounds similar, the route structure may differ between hosting models.

| Area to validate | Server/Data Center assumption | Cloud expectation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Base URL | May use self-hosted or legacy BigPicture URL patterns | Must use the Cloud-specific base URL documented in the developer portal |
| Authentication | May rely on Server-era configuration habits | Use a technical user token with `Authorization: Bearer <token>` |
| Endpoint paths | Older or on-premise paths may appear familiar | Must be validated against the Cloud API reference |

Recommended migration checklist:

- [ ] Confirm the integration is targeting the BigPicture **Cloud** API documentation, not Server/Data Center references.
- [ ] Verify the exact Cloud base URL before testing any endpoint.
- [ ] Generate and use a valid technical user token from BigPicture settings.
- [ ] Send the correct headers, including `Authorization: Bearer <token>` and `Accept: application/json`.
- [ ] Re-check each endpoint path individually instead of reusing Server script routes.
- [ ] Treat repeated 404 responses as a likely URL or endpoint mapping issue before assuming authentication failure.

# Key lessons learned

- **Authentication success does not validate endpoint correctness.** A working token can still be used against a non-existent path.
- **Cloud and Server APIs should be treated as separate integration targets.** Reusing old URL patterns is risky during migration.
- **The developer portal is the authoritative reference.** For BigPicture Cloud, always start with the Cloud-specific base URL and endpoint documentation.