Web API Data Limit

Does the request/response HAVE to be synchronous? You could (for example) send a very simple message to a WebAPI to start a process that then fetches the Excel document (from, say, a shared drive, using FTP or SFTP); which then performs the necessary validation; and then responds (asynchronously) to the end User (through whatever channel makes most sense)

Does the request/response HAVE to be synchronous? You could (for example) send a very simple message to a WebAPI to start a process that then fetches the Excel document (from, say, a shared drive, using FTP or SFTP); which then performs the necessary validation; and then responds (asynchronously) to the end User (through whatever channel makes most sense)