API management, a must for business growth
API management is essential for optimized use and appropriate monitoring. It also enables seamless reactivity to update data and constantly improve the user experience.
What are the challenges of API Management? What are its functionalities? And what about API management for microservices architecture? We take a look.
What is API Management?
API Management: definition
An API (Application Programming Interface) is the link between an application (private or public) and a back-office interface, the purpose of which is to deliver reliable, real-time data or information to the application.
API Management is a set of tools, practices and technologies that developers can use to create, design, control and analyze APIs in the most secure environment possible. This includes :
- defining usage policies ;
- performance monitoring ;
- access and authorization management;
- API security;
- API documentation and promotion.
The aim of API management is to facilitate the integration of different applications and systems, improve collaboration between teams and foster innovation. It's also a good way for developers to create new applications using existing APIs.
The challenges of API Management
- Facilitating integration : APIs facilitate communication between applications and systems. API management facilitates this integration by providing developers with tools for creating, testing and documenting APIs. API Management also helps manage different versions of APIs.
- Guarantee security: API Management helps secure APIs by providing authentication and authorization mechanisms, as well as features to detect attacks and abuse.
- Optimize performance : API Management enables you to monitor API performance and optimize its use to guarantee fast response times and maximum availability.
- Control access : API Management allows you to control access to APIs, offering features to restrict use to specific users, request quotas or specific times.
- Facilitate monetization : API Management enables the creation of business models for monetizing APIs, by offering functionalities for the manufacturer of API usage to third parties, or for offering paid APIs to customers.
- Develop innovation: APIs can be used to target new business opportunities by enabling developers to create innovative applications. API Management helps foster innovation by providing tools and resources to third-party developers, facilitating collaboration and delivering analytics to identify trends and opportunities.
How do you set up API management?
It all starts with an inventory:
- which APIs already exist in the organization?
- What are they used for?
- Who uses them?
This diagnosis is crucial to establishing a solid API governance policy.
Then comes the design phase. Each enterprise API must be designed for a clear use: internal, external, partner. Access rules, formats and use cases must be defined. In short, avoid spaghetti APIs.
It's time to choose a management tool: cloud platform or on-premise solution? The important thing is to be able to manage the API lifecycle:
- creation,
- publication,
- versioning,
- withdrawal.
And, of course, to integrate API security and traffic control functions.
Implementation also involves a developer portal. This is the showcase for your API services. It contains documentation, access keys and code examples.
Finally, don't neglect monitoring. Performance analysis, error rates, latency, usage: all this data enables you to adjust your API management platform in real time.
What are the 8 benefits of API management?
1- A portal for developers
A portal for developers means :
- complete, up-to-date documentation with clear instructions to avoid the risk of errors ;
- access to development tools to help developers create, test and evaluate API-based applications;
- technical support in the event of problems;
- an online community to discuss issues and get advice;
- simplified monetization (billing tool, subscription and license management, etc.).
2- Analysis functions
API management provides access to precise, detailed statistics and analyses on API usage:
- number of requests,
- response times,
- number of errors, etc.
3- Support for API monetization
By offering open APIs to third parties, companies can create new revenue streams by monetizing the use of their data or functionality.
4- Enhanced user experience
With well-designed, documented and easily accessible APIs, companies can offer a smoother, more consistent user experience across different channels.
5- Increased developer productivity
Well-managed APIs enable developers to focus on innovation and the creation of new functionalities, rather than reinventing a new API every time they need to access a resource or connect systems.
6- Accelerate application development
By using APIs, developers can draw on existing code rather than building functionality from scratch, speeding up application development and time-to-market.
7- Reduced costs
API management enables companies to integrate different systems, services and applications more easily, which can reduce costs and improve operational efficiency.
8- Enhanced security
By managing APIs centrally, companies can implement authentication and authorization mechanisms to protect sensitive data and resources.
API management for microservices architecture
Microservices are applications divided into several autonomous services that communicate with each other. Each does its own thing, but everyone speaks the same language, thanks to API management. And why is that? Because it provides a standardized, well-documented interface for accessing shared resources and data. So exchanges are fluid, reliable and well-organized.
But that's not all. microservices are designed to be flexible and scalable. API management means you can add a new service or modify an existing component without breaking the bank. The architecture remains stable, even when everything moves.
Another benefit is greater clarity thanks to a centralized viewof available services. API governance simplifies the reading of your system and enables continuous monitoring.
It also helps you better manage service versions. No more bugs due to update conflicts. You can migrate to a new version of a service smoothly, without traumatizing the entire ecosystem.
☝️ What about security?
Microservices have an Achilles heel: multiple points of entry. Too much access means more risk. API management enables you to set up authentication mechanisms, reinforce access control and protect sensitive data.
Key features of API management tools
API access control
API management tools enable you to implement security policies to protect APIs, such as :
- access authorization management,
- user authentication,
- request quota management and protection against DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks.
API creation, design and publication
These tools can also create APIs from existing data sources, or develop new APIs from scratch. They make it easy to publish these APIs on a platform.
Customizable developer portal
This feature provides a dedicated space for developers to discover, test and use APIs. Options can be included to customize :
- branding
- colors,
- portal style, etc.
in addition to other customizable features (documentation, personal access for each developer, statistics and analysis, etc.).
API documentation
API management tools provide functionality for documenting APIs, including technical specifications, code examples and user guides.
API key management
They provide the ability to manage API keys for authorized users. This can include :
- creation of new keys ;
- revoking existing keys;
- limiting the use of keys according to various criteria.
API analysis
This feature enables you to monitor and analyze API usage, including traffic, performance and errors. This can then help developers identify problems, optimize performance and improve the quality of their APIs.
That's what Lobster_data's ergonomic, advanced API management solution offers you . Specializing in electronic data interchange (EDI) and API integration, Lobster_data is a middleware that manages, secures and accelerates the integration of your APIs.
- You can easily create interfaces between your heterogeneous systems (ERP, CRM, etc.) and applications to enable them to talk to each other, in addition to automating your data flows, digitizing your processes and benefiting from a real-time monitoring center .
- What's more? Its no-code technology makes it very easy to use, and allows you to involve your business teams more closely in the modernization of your company!
Lobster_data
API lifecycle management
API management tools offer features for managing the API lifecycle, including API versioning, update management and removal of obsolete APIs.
Integration with other tools
They can be integrated with other development tools, such as 👍
- continuous integration platforms (CI/CD),
- and integrated development environments (IDEs)
to facilitate API integration and deployment.
5 examples of API management tools
Amazon API Gateway
Amazon API Gateway is an AWS-managed service for creating, publishing, securing and monitoring large-scale REST, HTTP and WebSocket APIs.
It automatically manages scalability through caching, traffic throttling and access control features. It integrates seamlessly with Lambda for serverless architectures, but also works with containers or traditional backends.
Everything is secured with IAM, Cognito or customized authorizers. Logs and metrics are directly available via CloudWatch, and auditing is possible with CloudTrail.
If you're looking for a robust cloud solution for large volumes of traffic, you've clearly come to the right place.
DreamFactory
DreamFactory is an open source API management platform that automatically generates RESTful APIs from relational or NoSQL databases.
It runs on most environments, whether local, VM or containerized, without being dependent on any particular cloud.
It is highly appreciated for its speed of implementation, particularly by SMEs. DreamFactory features a developer portal, an easy-to-use administration console and automatically generated Swagger documentation.
In terms of security, it supports OAuth, JWT, LDAP, Active Directory, RBAC and SAML.
A turnkey solution for transforming a SQL database into an API service that can be used in a matter of minutes.
Azure API Management
With Azure API Management, Microsoft offers a complete API governance platform designed for cloud, hybrid or on-premise environments.
It consists of a gateway, a management plan and a customizable developer portal.
You can define complex authentication policies, manage quotas, monitor traffic in real time and secure exchanges with certificates, JWT tokens or Azure AD identities.
The tool also enables version management, performance analysis via Azure Monitor, and automatic load scaling.
It's a very powerful solution, especially if your information system is already based on the Microsoft ecosystem.
Google Cloud Apigee
Apigee, integrated into Google Cloud, is one of the most comprehensive API management tools on the market.
It supports all types of API, from REST and GraphQL to SOAP and gRPC.
You can define security, caching or transformation policies, monitor service performance and access detailed analysis dashboards.
Apigee also offers a rare feature: API monetization with pay models, quotas or licenses.
The developer portal is customizable, making API use easier for external teams.
Thanks to its high level of security and performance, Apigee is particularly well suited to large enterprises requiring end-to-end API governance.
Zapier
Zapier is the joker in the pack. It's not a classic API management solution, but a code-free integration tool based on thousands of third-party APIs.
It lets you connect applications together without writing a single line of code.
You create automations - called " Zaps" - that trigger actions based on events. For example, every time a lead arrives in your CRM, Zapier can send an e-mail, create a task, or update a Google Sheet.
This is the magic of APIs, in its accessible version. If you want to automate your business and improve day-to-day API use without a developer, Zapier works wonders.
Zapier
API Management in a nutshell
API Management is a set of tools and practices for creating, monitoring, securing and optimizing a company's APIs.
Good API management is essential, as it enables you to :
- control access to APIs ;
- secure them by protecting sensitive data;
- monitor traffic;
- deliver comprehensive documentation to help developers;
- customize access policies and authorizations for different users;
- facilitate API monetization.
Managing APIs means being flexible and scalable, particularly in the context of microservices architecture. It's also a way of further enhancing the user experience.