API Connect is not only about creating APIs – it’s also about API management. API Connect is configured with a program called Cloud Manager and an API Manager console where you can configure your environment to fit your needs. Cloud Manager is shown here:
Figure 1.7 – API Connect Cloud Manager
As you can see, Cloud Manager lets you configure your cloud, specify a topology that can include multiple availability zones, manage resources such as user registries, create provider organizations to establish a development team, and download a toolkit that provides offline development. It also provides a command-line interface so that you can begin building DevOps pipelines to drive agility in your deployments.
API Connect lets you create APIs, develop process/interactive APIs, and integrate with general-purpose or BFF APIs that work with system APIs. All of these APIs need to be managed. The consumers of the APIs need to be able to discover them, quickly understand how to interface with them, and review the documentation on how to apply security and quickly test the APIs. Here are some of the things that need to be managed
- Versions of your API Products and Open API source code.
- Creating and managing provider organizations. Provider organizations create the APIs, so you will need to add/maintain users to your provider organization.
- Creating Catalogs for provider organization users that they can deploy to testing and production. You must also maintain users and roles for the respective Catalogs.
- Creating and managing user registries for authentication/authorization.
- Creating and managing security for your APIs with TLS certificates and OAuth provider resources.
- Managing the life cycles of API products as you publish them to Catalogs and portals.
- Community manager roles that manage consumer organizations.
- Product manager roles that ensure API deployments are released properly.
- Customizing your Consumer Portal and socializing your APIs.
The following screenshot shows the Developer Portal that is presented to consumers:
Figure 1.8 – API Connect Developer Portal
This un-customized portal shows features that you have learned are important in satisfying digital user experiences such as self-service, social interaction, search, and much more.
You’ll learn more about these activities in Chapter 3, Setting Up and Getting Organized.