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What is an API?
API stands for Application Programming Interface and is a set of definitions and protocols that allow you to build and integrate application software.
What is the working principle of APIs?
APIs allow your product or service to communicate with other products and services without knowing how they are implemented.
This enables app developers to save time and money by simplifying their development. APIs are useful when you design new products or manage existing ones. They allow you to be flexible, simplify administration and use, and offer opportunities for innovation.
APIs make it easier for developers to integrate new components into existing architectures.
This makes IT and business teams more productive. Businesses often need to adapt quickly to changing digital markets. New competitors could change the landscape of an entire industry by creating new apps.
It is essential to encourage rapid development and deployment of new services to remain competitive. Cloud-native app development is a straightforward way to speed up development. It relies on the connection of microservices architectures through APIs.
APIs allow you to connect to your infrastructure via cloud-native app development.
They also let you share your data with other customers.
API Management platforms Overview
API management platforms are essential for protecting APIs. Each service provider faces the challenge of ensuring that APIs are secure, especially when they expose backends.
Only authorized users can access APIs through the single platform.
It ensures that sensitive data is not lost or misused, preventing APIs from being compromised.
The API management platforms provide that traffic spikes are well managed.
These spikes could be intentional, which could mean that malicious users are attacking the system or result from users sending too many requests at once.
If these spikes become excessive, they can slow down the system and cause malfunctions that could have unintended consequences for the business.
What are API Management Platforms?
The API management platform allows companies to scale up, manage and analyze their digital businesses, and to grow API programs to meet increasing demand.
API Management Platform allows enterprises to create and manage APIs that user interface that enable users to share data and services securely.
API management platforms guard your APIs against hacks and sudden spikes of traffic.
They ensure that all queries are controlled, so the system does not become overwhelmed by too many. API management platforms can also be helpful when you want to restrict which developers, partners, and applications have access to your API.
This is accomplished by using authentication, which allows only authorized programs or people to access your backend system. They ensure that your company's data complies with all regulations and standards.
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Analytics and usage report: The API management platform gives insight into the number of requests and their source.
This usage data is essential for developing and implementing measures to address spikes in traffic that could cause API disruption.
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API key, authorization management: This function ensures that only authorized programs and personnel can access the API.
This is both for business and security purposes.
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API community management API management platforms offer the ability to create your developer community for your API.
You can also share your API with other developers authorized to use the same APIs.
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API Security - Features for managing security like threat protection, schema validation, and encryption.
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App Connection Provisioning: This platform allows applications to connect to your API by creating unique identifiers and controlling how they use them.
What is API management?
API management is about centralizing control over your API program, including analytics, access control, and monetization.
It also includes developer workflows. Red Hat 3scale API Manager provides reliability, flexibility, quality, and speed. An API management solution must provide access control, rate limits, and usage policies to achieve these goals and ensure both internal and public APIs are secure and consumable.
The following features are common to most API management solutions:
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A portal for developers. This is a best practice in API management.
Developer portals often provide API documentation and onboarding processes such as signup and account management.
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An API gateway. This gateway is the point of entry for all clients.
Policy-based policies are used to determine how clients interact with APIs.
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API management. APIs must be managed from conception through implementation until retirement.
Red Hat 3scale API Management leads in API lifecycle management.
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Analytics. You need to understand what's happening with your APIs.
For example, which consumer or app calls which API most often? It is also essential to know which APIs have failed and why.
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API monetization support. Use usage contracts to monetize access to microservices behind APIs.
API management allows you to define usage contracts based on metrics such as the number of API calls.
You can segment your consumers and offer different access tiers to them.
These capabilities are included in the API's design to allow the API to use cloud or self-managed components to control traffic, security, access policy enforcement, and traffic control.
A well-designed API can be shared, protected, distributed, maintained, and even monetized using an infrastructure platform that is optimized for performance, customer control, future growth, and future growth.
API management and microservices
Microservices and APIs provide the foundation for rapidly developing innovative application components to meet business needs.
This approach is known as cloud-native app development. However, this approach comes with its challenges.
Microservices are best formed by breaking down larger systems into smaller parts.
As we have already mentioned, these smaller components can connect to data sources. APIs enable them to do this.
A microservices architecture presents another challenge: how to coordinate multiple, frequently changing microservices.
This is made more accessible by service discovery. API management allows for the discovery of available microservices and the sharing of documentation through the developer portal.
Security must be integrated for microservices. Security mechanisms vary depending on the API type.
External-facing services need different security mechanisms from internal ones. Simple protection with API keys for less-critical APIs is sufficient. OAuth is a better security option for critical APIs.
How can I determine the success of my API Management efforts?
We cannot measure the success of our efforts if we don't measure them. Analytics can provide data about API activities, but we must still define success.
These five key performance goals for APIs are essential to consider when determining success within your company.
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Dependability: Availability is the availability and accessibility of the API to developers.
Downtime is a helpful indicator of reliability.
Is the API always accessible? Another indicator is a quote, which determines how many API calls a developer can make in a given period.
A quota helps protect an API from abuse and makes it easier to manage.
Percentages are essential to some API providers' business models and pricing plans.
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Flexibility: Flexibility refers to the choices developers have when using APIs.
Greater flexibility in an API will mean more effort and cost for the API manager.
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Quality: Quality is the API's consistent conformance to the developer's expectations.
This is a measure of the developer's satisfaction with using the API.
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Speed: Speed is measured by latency and throughput.
Techniques like caching or throttling can influence the rate.
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Cost: Developers want to get the most value for their money.
Each of the four objectives contributes to the cost objective in some way.
Top API Management platforms
Here is the list of top API platform
- Mulesoft Anypoint Platform
Anypoint Platform solves connectivity issues across SOA, SaaS, and APIs. It is a highly effective and unified hybrid integration platform that creates seamless applications networks of apps, data, devices, and API-led connectivity.
Anypoint is a platform that allows data and application integration to be combined across legacy systems, SaaS apps, and APIs. It also offers hybrid deployment options for maximum flexibility. Mule is a package that combines orchestration and connectivity with a managed API.
Mule is a leader in hybrid integration, both on-premises, and in the cloud.
- Apigee
Apigee allows you to create, secure, analyze and scale your APIs using the Apigee API platform.
Apigee develops and deploys API proxy servers in the cloud using your Open API (Swagger), transforms your SOAP services to scalable REST APIs, and deploys your APIs wherever your apps are. It also manages them centrally. Apigee is the leader in API technology and services for developers and enterprises.
Apigee is used by hundreds of companies, including Walgreens and Gilt Groupe, eBay, Pearson, and eBay, as well as thousands of developers, to facilitate the delivery, management, and analysis of APIs.
- Azure API Management
API Management (APIM), which allows organizations to publish APIs to partners, internal, and external developers, unlocks the potential of their data.
It also provides core competencies that ensure a successful API program by providing developer engagement, business insight, analytics, security, protection, and security. API Management features include self-service API key management, Auto-generated API catalog, documentation, and code samples.
OAuth-enabled API console allows you to explore APIs without writing code and signing in with popular Internet identity providers and Azure Active Directory. Simplified and optimized responses and requests with transformation policies. Secure APIs with key, JSON Web Token.
- Kong
Kong is the most popular open-source Microservice API Gateway. It makes managing, orchestrating, and securing microservice APIs more accessible than ever.
Kong offers Kong Community Edition, which provides a lightning-fast open-source microservices API gateway. Kong Enterprise Edition is for large organizations and provides a microservices API platform. Kong Community Edition includes features like API & Microservices Gateway and Open-Source plugins.
Load Balancing, Service Discovery (Health Checks), Community Support, and Load Balancing.
5.SwaggerHub
SwaggerHub, an integrated API management platform, provides faster and more standardized API design.
SwaggerHub allows for more immediate team design without compromising quality or consistency. It uses a powerful editor that conforms to the latest Swagger standards. SwaggerHub supports a team's API design workflow by providing features like brilliant error feedback, syntax auto-completion, and API mocking.
This allows for virtualizing operations without writing any code.
- CA API Management
CA API Management facilitates digital transformation. It provides users the tools to connect systems, secure integrations, provide better customer experiences, and take advantage of new opportunities.
CA API Management assists users in solving the challenges of integrating systems and adapting services, orchestrating information, and quickly creating enterprise-grade APIs. CA API Management provides trusted, consistent, and repeatable security for integration across devices, apps, and businesses.
CA API Management offers the tools and capabilities to speed up development and reduce app time-to-market.
- WSO2 App Cloud
WSO2 App Cloud offers a complete cloud ecosystem for easy integration, identity, and API management.
WSO2 App Cloud allows you to host multiple languages and runtimes of applications. This reduces the time and costs associated with configuring and managing infrastructure. It also promotes resource optimization.
It also integrates with popular build and continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) systems such as Maven and Jenkins. WSO2 App Cloud provides self-service, enterprise-ready hosting for different types of applications.
- Akana
Akana assists businesses in digital transformation. It secures their reach across multiple channels, including mobile app, cloud, and the Internet of Things.
Akana allows enterprises to connect and integrate apps, share data as APIs and generate intelligent insights into their operations and business. Akana Platform is a complete API design platform. A graphical tool allows users to create their API or import the API descriptor languages they choose.
After the company's design is complete, the platform will automatically generate all standard API descriptor documentation for users.
- SnapLogic Enterprise Integration Cloud
SnapLogic is an open-source web-based solution. SnapLogic is a web-based solution that provides an innovative data flow solution to your organization.
It allows you to connect with SaaS applications such as Netsuite, SugarCRM, and Salesforce. There are unlimited connectors available through SnapStore. SnapLogic's scalable architecture will enable you to manage your organization's data flow from any source to any destination.
This will benefit your business by allowing you to attract, retain and grow customers. SnapLogic architecture works in the same way as web servers.
- Mashery
Mashery provides vital API management capabilities for digital transformation initiatives.
It offers a complete range of capacities, including API creation, packaging, and testing, as well as the management of APIs. API security can be provided via an optional on-premise API gateway or embedded. Mashery features include REST APIs, SOAP APIs Creation, Cloud or On-Premise data connection, API and Payload Transformations Definition, Specific Routing Rules, and Model API Choreography.
Interactive API Documentation supports API Composition, Defines API Packaging, and On-Board and Manage Partners. Supports Geo-Caching and Hybrid Gateway Options.
- Postman
Postman comprises collection, Built-in tools, and workspaces. These workspaces simplify the work of development teams.
Postman provides a workspace for individual developers to use for their projects, experiments, or WIPS. Postman's shared workspace is great for couples. They can use it to share workstations and encourage collaboration.
Postman provides admins and team leaders a platform to gain project-specific insights, permissions, and oversight. Postman's mock and design features allow you to mock and design APIs. The publish feature will enable developers to be added to an API of a business.
- Agama API
Agama API, an API management platform, fully applies to API management. It offers a modular structure that allows for customization to meet the needs of each user.
Agama API gives users complete control, allowing them to access source codes and configurations to avoid locking quickly. Agama API offers infinite flexibility, enabling users to use it for internal and external purposes. Agama API's performance is exceptional and allows for vertical and horizontal scaling.
- Dell Boomi
Dell Boomi includes critical features such as application and data integration, a master data center, B2B/EDI administration, API design management, workflow automation, and app development.
This integrated platform provides a great platform to connect all applications and data sources in the hybrid IT landscape. This allows developers to unlock data silos and enable pervasive integration. The master data hub allows for the synchronization and enrichment of data.
This will help organizations trust their data and make better business decisions.
- Apiary
Apiary, an API management platform, offers the following features: a dashboard and access control.
It also allows for roles, provisioning, templates, and customization. Apiary works well for any size team, large or small. It ensures that everyone has the correct position to view or edit API blueprints.
The administrators also have administrative control over the people working on the project. The dashboard feature provides a great platform to access a dedicated web-based team and API blueprint management. Access control allows for role-based access to the API documents.
- Oracle API Manager
Oracle API Manager allows you to create APIs exposing backend services and systems functionality.
Oracle API Manager enables the creation of APIs to be made available for developers. They can also be monitored and managed at runtime. Oracle API Manager provides many benefits, including the ability to create and secure APIs that allow access to backend APIs.
It supports both SOAP APIs as well as REST APIs. This facilitates the understanding, discovery, and use of APIs. You can also control runtime API access and track their performance.
- Google Cloud Endpoints
Google Cloud Endpoints has three steps for APIs. These are to develop and deploy APIs on any Google Cloud Backend.
Google Cloud Endpoints are an excellent platform for creating, protecting, monitoring, and deploying APIs. Google Cloud Endpoints provides API developers with all the tools they need to develop APIs. It also offers to log, trace, and track with Stackdriver.
Google Cloud Endpoint allows businesses to control who has access and validates each call using JSON Web Tokens or Google API keys.
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- Tyk
Tyk is an open-source API Gateway allowing you to take control of API Management, is Tyk.
Tyk provides an API Gateway, an easy-to-use API Management Dashboard, API analytics, and a developer portal. Tyk is available as a cloud service, on-premises, or multi-cloud for the best of both. You can deploy to AWS, Google, Azure, Heroku, and your bare metal.
Tyk runs on commodity hardware as well as the public cloud. It is independent and scalable. Tyk is API Management in a Microservice World and Dev Ops.
- Cloud Elements
Cloud Elements is the most popular API integration platform for SaaS businesses and digital enterprises.
It was built from the ground to integrate API management and management with a data-centric approach. Cloud Elements products include API Integration tool, Unified APIs and Virtual Data Model, Elements Catalogs, Element Builder, Integration Marketplace UI, and Elements Catalog.
Cloud Elements provides a standard-based, unified API layer that can be used in all environments. This ensures that integration users, developers, and their use cases are not dependent on the backend services they depend on.
- 3scale
3scale is an API management platform. It provides flexible and highly scalable solutions for packaging, distributing, controlling, and monetizing users' APIs.
This allows them to make the most out of their API program. 3scale will enable users to share company data, content, or services via Web or mobile apps and to provide an API to other organizations, internal teams, or both.
It saves users the time and hassle of creating a new solution. 3scale provides API management features via a distributed cloud-hosted layer.
- WebMethods
webMethods has an intuitive user interface. It runs on all modern browsers. The interface supports guided development and wizards that allow users to create integrations.
webMethods' interface also uses standard-based HTML 5. This makes it mobile- and tablet-friendly. The service orchestration feature automates or synchronizes data and synchronizes them in real time.
This feature allows integration monitoring and management from one central location.
- AWS CloudTrail
AWS CloudTrail simplifies compliance audits by recording and storing event logs of actions taken within an AWS account.
AWS CloudTrail is integrated with Amazon CloudWatch Logs, which makes it easy to search log data, speed up incident investigations, respond to auditor requests quickly, and identify out-of-compliance events. AWS CloudTrail provides resource and user activity visibility by recording API calls, AWS management console actions, and other AWS management console actions.
Using the event history feature, you can view, search, and download the most recent AWS account activity.
- Sentinel
Sentient's security feature allows for secure communications between APIs and applications regardless of integration environments, such as exposure to business partners.
This security feature allows for managed authorization and authentication of API calls. It supports all standard security modules and custom security. Businesses can get security-pass by using advanced security mediation scenarios.
Monitoring allows real-time monitoring of the performance and usage of SOA services and RESTAPIs. It allows for the creation of historical and analytic reports.
- SAP Cloud Platform
SAP Cloud Platform features include analytics, business services, and collaboration tools.
Data and storage are also available. Integration services are also offered. Analytics allows for real-time insights into business processes. Analytics features include a predictive service, which helps perform predictive analysis on data stored in the SAP HANA database.
Analytics features include streaming analytics, which allows for the processing of continuous streams and real-time analysis of event data. The results are then acted upon. Business services will enable you to develop applications quickly and take advantage of the best practices in SAP and its ecosystem.
- RepreZen API Studio
RepreZen API Studio, an API management platform, offers a top-of-the-line OpenApi editor that helps keep the API design in mind.
OpenAPI is a fully-featured platform that allows you to create custom templates and provide content assistance. It also outlines the navigation so that you can quickly design your API. Live documentation view is a great tool to gain insight and clarity from the API user's point of view.
RepreZen API Studio offers interactive diagrams that allow you to visualize the API's design. Interactive charts allow API users to view and generate the API design in any browser quickly.
- Stoplight
Stoplight's API designer allows you to describe endpoints, create models, and perform flexible and dynamic mocking.
The API designer is an excellent platform for quickly creating complex models using the JSON schema editor. You can then refer to the models. Flexible mocking platforms allow the mocking of specific endpoints or the whole API.
Dynamic mocking will enable you to define response schemas for endpoints. Hosted docs include basic authentication, custom JavaScript and enabling some integrations. Layout and theming tools allow you to choose between constrained or large structures.
Conclusion
This article has the best open-source and commercial API integration tools.
Apigee offers the best monetization tools. 3scale's developer portal is the best. Akana is the best lifecycle management platform. Kong is an open-source platform for API management.
Integration of cloud applications is a specialty of Dell Boomi. Mashery is the best choice for conversion to RESTful or SOAP protocols.
MuleSoft is the best choice for connecting applications. CA Technologies is the best API gateway.
Apigee and Dell Boomi offer free plans. Azure offers a Consumption plan that provides 1,000,000 free calls.
IBM offers a Lite plan that provides 50K free calls every month. MuleSoft, CA Technologies Mashery, Akana, and 3scale offer a free product trial.
