0800-DEVOPS #3 API management. Do you need it? Yes, you do!

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In focus: API management

API management platforms are increasingly becoming the cornerstone of organizational infrastructure. Organizations use API management platforms for delivering valuable services to external clients, but also internally, for hiding the dreadful complexity of legacy systems from anybody who needs to access them.

API management platforms form API contracts between various components and enable long-term system sustainability by separating service interfaces from their implementations. Having API management platform in place enables us to apply Strangler pattern and gradually replace/refactor legacy system, piece by piece.

There are a number of API management platforms today. Gartner currently keeps its eye on 49(!) such products. In our blog post we’re giving you a short comparison of four popular picks! Three of them are comprehensive products with commercial support: IBM API Connect, Red Hat 3scale and MuleSoft Anypoint API Manager. The fourth one is Spring Cloud Gateway, a popular DIY option packed with useful features. Ideal for rolling your own solution.

Worth of your time

+ “Whoa, let’s take a step back… What is actually API management?” No worries, this API management explanation will get you started.

+ “This API management thing sounds very much like my ESB! Both of them are just exposing REST services. Aren’t these two tools like the same thing?” Well, no. See here what are the main differences between ESB and API management platform.

+ “Yes, but they are so similar! For sure it would be a good idea to have one product with all functionalities combined. That would lower the complexity of the system.” Hmm, not exactly. API management platform and ESB have different responsibilities, see here why merging them into one tool isn’t a good idea.

+ If you’re still unsure whether you need API management platform, take a look at these 10 reasons (or common use cases) why you might need it.

Read with us

API Management: An Architect’s Guide to Developing and Managing APIs for Your Organization

Interestingly, there aren’t that many books on API management but we really liked this one. Starting with an interesting introduction to the world of APIs, the book provides best practices and patterns for designing, building, versioning, testing, securing and governing APIs… And of course gives a unique twist while answering the ubiquitous question: how are APIs different from SOA? 🙂

Funny

Developer and QA Engineer walk into a gun store…

Quote of the Day

“Our analysis is clear: in today’s fast-moving and competitive world, the best thing you can do for your products, your company, and your people is institute a culture of experimentation and learning, and invest in the technical and management capabilities that enable it.”

– Nicole Forsgren, DevOps consultant, expert and researcher.