The benefits of migrating from IBM API Connect v5 to v10

25. 08. 2021

Whenever we hear a product or a service we use is approaching the end of its lifecycle, we wonder what will new version bring us. The IBM API Connect v10 brings innovation, improved gateway performance, better architecture, and delivers more value! Migrating from IBM APIC v5 to v10 will also bring you a better Container and Cloud experience.

IBM API Connect currently has three versions on the market: V10.0.x (latest), V2018.x and V5.0.x. Therefore, we weren’t surprised to hear that the End of Support for the two oldest versions, API Connect V5 and API Connect 2018, is coming.

For APIC v5 EOS will occur on April 30th, 2022, while for APIC 2018 things will end a year later, on April 30th, 2023. By then, everyone using IBM API Connect V5 and APIC 2018 should upgrade to the new version – APIC v10.

Migration (tool)

When moving from V5 to v10, deployment flexibility is an important feature PRO. IBM API Connect Migration Utility (AMU) works just fine, but there are a couple of things that need to be addressed. Here are some of IBM’s key points for migration regarding AMU:

The IBM API Connect Migration Utility (AMU) will automatically move APIs to the v5-compatible Gateway on the v10 target system as per their status in the Product Lifecycle in the source v5 system
The AMU can port APIs, Products, Subscriptions, OAuth Providers, and Custom Policies to work with the Native v10 API Gateway by using the “port-to-apigw” command
Migration of gateway extensions is not currently supported but will be in a later release
Analytics Data is not migrated by the AMU
Any transient data (pending invitations, lifecycle/subscription approvals, etc.) in the v5 source system will not be migrated to the v10 target system
Any unsupported characters used in artifact names and versions on the v5 source system are “sluggified” (replaced with a hyphen/dash) by the AMU during migration to the v10 target system
The v5 source system setup can be migrated as is to the v10 target system if required or changes can be made (Catalog/Provider Organizations renamed/deleted) via mapping
OAuth shared secret keys are not migrated automatically by AMU. However, they can optionally be migrated by using the gateway service mapping file

What to expect from APIC v10

IBM claims that API Connect v10 delivers significant value over previous releases, meaning over v2018. Let’s see what exactly they had in mind.

Deliver innovation:

Multi-form API Management now including GraphQL support with schema import and inspection, governance policies, and portal socialization
API test case generation and integration to CI/CD pipeline
Next-generation interactive API Debugger with policy tracing and performance analysis
Enterprise secure and cloud-native install experience on Kubernetes

Standards:

Stronger security to protect your APIs through TLS 1.3
Build new APIs with the latest Open API 3.0 standard
Improved gateway performance:
Up to 10x better gateway performance when using the Native API Gateway
Up to 7x better performance when using new emulation features that simplify the upgrade

Delivers more value:

Consistent user experience across Cloud Pak for Integration and IBM Product Portfolio
Governance for universal policy enforcement through Global Policy pre-flow actions
Automate Portal customizations, promotion with integrations in your DevOps
Dynamic scale-out of key API management components as cloud-native technology helps automate scale and operations

More value in our platform:

Event endpoint management: Socialize more types of endpoints consistently, now including Kafka Topics leveraging AsyncAPI in API developer portals – easily discover & consume
Automated API Testing helps automate the creation of tests to improve coverage

Our experience

Our IBM Champion and API Connect expert, Vedran Vidović gave us his point of view on the new APIC v10.

“There are impressive performance improvements in the new APIC. However, when someone asks me what part of the new APIC I like the most, my answer is the new architecture. Cloud-native Kubernetes APIC architecture helps me make the most of my existing Kubernetes (or OpenShift) skills. These can hugely enhance your experience and are a valuable addition to already enhanced experience using the new APIC Designer, APIM UI, APIC CLI tool and APIC platform REST APIs.“

-Vedran Vidović, Software Development Consultant at CROZ

Migrations aren’t always easy but considering all the benefits IBM API Connect v10 brings you, it’s definitely worth it. However, everyone will have to upgrade in a year or two, so why not migrate now and experience all the advantages – more value, new architecture and improved performance. If you plan to migrate, need help or advice, feel free to contact us and we’ll make sure your migration goes as smooth as possible.

Photo by Carson Masterson on Unsplash.