Exception Handling in Amazon IVS Realtime: Exploring PendingVerificationException

Introduction

When developing real-time applications using Amazon IVS Realtime, developers often encounter exceptions that need to be handled gracefully. One such exception is the PendingVerificationException, which is thrown when there is a pending verification required for a particular operation. In this article, we will dive deep into this exception, understand its significance, and explore how to effectively handle it in your code.

Understanding PendingVerificationException

The PendingVerificationException is a specific type of exception provided by the com.amazonaws.services.ivsrealtime.model package in the Amazon IVS Realtime SDK. This exception is thrown when a verification process is required, generally for certain sensitive operations, such as starting an Amazon IVS Realtime channel or updating channel configurations.

The verification process is in place to ensure the security and integrity of the operations. It often involves verifying ownership or permission before allowing the operation to proceed. During the verification process, the operation is in a pending state, and hence the exception is thrown.

Handling PendingVerificationException

It is crucial to handle the PendingVerificationException gracefully in your code to provide a smooth user experience. Let’s explore a few ways to handle this exception effectively.

1. Retry Mechanism

Since the verification process is usually time-bound, you can implement a retry mechanism in your code to periodically check the verification status until it is completed. This approach prevents the user from getting stuck and keeps them informed about the progress.

Here’s an example of how you can implement a retry mechanism using exponential backoff algorithm:

try {
    // Perform the operation that throws PendingVerificationException
} catch (PendingVerificationException ex) {
    int retries = 0;
    int maxRetries = 5;
    int baseDelay = 1000; // 1 second

    while (retries < maxRetries) {
        try {
            Thread.sleep(baseDelay * Math.pow(2, retries));
            // Check verification status, break the loop if completed
        } catch (InterruptedException ignored) {
        }
        retries++;
    }
}

By implementing a retry mechanism, you allow the operation to proceed once the verification process is completed, ensuring a seamless user experience.

2. User Notification

Instead of implementing a retry mechanism, you can notify the user about the pending verification and provide instructions on how to complete it manually. This approach is useful when the verification process requires user action, such as confirming an email or completing a multi-factor authentication.

try {
    // Perform the operation that throws PendingVerificationException
} catch (PendingVerificationException ex) {
    System.out.println("Please check your email for verification instructions.");
    System.out.println("Once the verification is complete, retry the operation.");
}

Notify the user about the pending verification and guide them through the necessary steps. Once the verification is completed, the user can retry the operation.

3. Exception Bubbling

In some scenarios, you may prefer to propagate the PendingVerificationException to the caller instead of handling it within the current code block. This approach allows the higher-level code to decide how to handle the exception.

public void performSensitiveOperation() throws PendingVerificationException {
    // Perform the sensitive operation that may throw PendingVerificationException
}

public void callerMethod() {
    try {
        performSensitiveOperation();
    } catch (PendingVerificationException ex) {
        // Handle or propagate the exception as necessary
    }
}

By bubbling up the exception, you provide flexibility to handle the pending verification process at a higher level.

Conclusion

Handling the PendingVerificationException effectively is crucial to ensure a smooth user experience in Amazon IVS Realtime applications. Whether it’s implementing a retry mechanism, notifying the user, or propagating the exception, choosing the right approach depends on the specific use case.

In this article, we explored how to handle the PendingVerificationException gracefully, ensuring the security and integrity of real-time operations. By implementing these approaches, you can seamlessly navigate the verification process and deliver a reliable real-time experience to your users.

To learn more about exception handling in Amazon IVS Realtime, refer to the official documentation.

Happy coding!