IMPORTANT NOTE- Digital Transformation with IBM API Connect
By Isabella Morgan / July 11, 2024 / No Comments / ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, IBM and Microsoft Exams
The minimum configuration requires a topology comprising a gateway service, a portal service, and an analytics service. In order to utilize that configuration, first, you must add an email server and define it in the notification settings.
Once your Provider organization has been established, the owner of that organization can invite users to API Manager to start developing and managing APIs.
API Manager
API Manager is where you manage the packaging and deployment of APIs and their life cycles. The following screenshot is of a logged-in user in API Manager:

Figure 2.5 – API Manager
When you access API Manager, you represent the user of a Provider organization. As a member of the organization, you have the ability to develop APIs and products, manage Catalogs, manage resources, and manage other supplemental settings depending on your role.
Roles
Roles can vary and are initially assigned by the owner of the Provider organization. You have choices that enable or limit permissions for the organization. These permissions allow various actions to be performed. The following predefined roles are available in API Connect. A short description is provided for each of these roles to enhance your learning:
- Organization owner: They have full permissions, by default, for all of the API Connect manager functions.
- Administrator: They have the same functions as the owner but can be updated.
- API administrator: They manage API life cycles and the publishing of APIs to the Developer Portal.
- Community manager: They manage the relationship between the Provider organization and the app developers, provide API analytics, and provide support to the app developer teams within the community.
- Developer: They design and create APIs and products with the ability to stage and publish those products to a Catalog or space within the Provider organization. These permissions do not apply when a developer is assigned to a specific Catalog or Space. Those users can only manage products within the Catalog or Space assigned.
- Member: They are a read-only member of the Provider organization.
- Viewer: They are a read-only member of the Provider organization.
Tip
For more details regarding these roles, please refer to the v10.0.1.5 API Connect Knowledge Center at https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSMNED_v10/com.ibm.apic.overview.doc/overview_apimgmt_users.html#overview_apimgmt_users__apim_manager_roles.
Knowing who is assigned to what role is something that should be decided from the outset. You can create a custom role by using the Manage Settings option and then adding a new role. Generally, one out-of-the-box role should suffice, but if you desire more granular roles, you have that capability through a custom role.
Important Note
API Manager holds a database that keeps track of the APIs, products, life cycles, subscriptions, and other relevant information. When a backup of API Connect is conducted, it is this database that maintains the state of the environment.
Developing APIs and products
Of course, the reason you have API Connect is to create APIs and manage them. You will be creating various types of APIs and publishing them through a packaging mechanism called a product. Similar to the product that you learned about in the 4 Ps of Marketing, in the Chapter 1, Digital Transformation and Modernization with API Connect, this product is what consumers subscribe to. A product is the packaging of the services your consumers will use within their user experience APIs. How you create an API definition is shown in Figure 2.6:

Figure 2.6 – Creating APIs and products
As you might have gathered, there are various ways and types of APIs that you can create. You will learn how to create these APIs in a three steps, in Chapter 4, API Creation.