REST client<->server authentification?

We have a client with a database full of items. They want us to create a website that can connect to their database and import their catalog over the net(different servers). Remote MySQL + SSL or SSH Tuneling looks to be a big headache for everyone. So we think about doing a "REST client server" that will create a local query send a JSON back to us over the net.

The question is about encryption and authentification.

[color="#0000FF"]We are thinking a symetrical encryption to send and receive data over the net with the client "encryption_key" in the main.php and the server "encryption_key" in our own database. Is this a good solution?[/color]

[color="#0000FF"]Second question: How can our server connect and authetificate with the client remotely(login)? Is CURL the only way?[/color]

Thank you for your time

if they have a REST API then you are good you can go ahead and use that, not only curl you can also do it php as well there are plenty of http clients for php (e.g. guzzle, buzz…)

http://guzzle.readthedocs.org/en/latest/

https://code.google.com/p/buzz-php-client/

Awesome thank you!

Which one do you think is the best? I stumble upon Yii CURL Extension Does CURL better because it’s older?

you can use that I also use the same ext works like a charm