API management, an essential part of business growth
API management is essential for optimised use and appropriate monitoring. It also enables seamless responsiveness when it comes to updating data and constantly improving 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
The 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 data or information to the application in real time.
API Management is a set of tools, practices and technologies that developers can use to create, design, control and analyse APIs in the most secure environment possible. It includes :
- defining usage policies
- performance monitoring ;
- access and authorisation 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 encourage innovation. It is 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 to manage the different versions of APIs.
- Guaranteeing security: API Management helps to secure APIs by providing authentication and authorisation mechanisms, as well as features for detecting attacks and abuse.
- Optimising performance : API Management allows you to monitor API performance and optimise its use to guarantee fast response times and maximum availability.
- Control access : API Management allows you to control access to APIs by offering features to restrict use to specific users, request quotas or specific times.
- Facilitating monetisation : API Management can be used to create business models for monetising APIs, by offering functions for manufacturing API usage for 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 to foster innovation by providing tools and resources to third-party developers, facilitating collaboration and delivering analysis to identify trends and opportunities.
How do you set up API management?
It all starts with an inventory:
- what APIs already exist in the organisation?
- What are they used for?
- Who uses them?
This diagnosis is crucial to establishing a solid API governance policy.
Then comes the design. Each API must be designed for a clear purpose: 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, 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 monetisation (billing tool, subscription and licence management, etc.).
2- Analysis functions
API management gives you access to precise, detailed statistics and analyses of API usage:
- number of requests
- response times
- number of errors, etc.
3- Support for API monetisation
By offering open APIs to third parties, companies can create new sources of revenue by monetising the use of their data or functionality.
4- Improved user experience
With well-designed, documented and easily accessible APIs, companies can offer a smoother and more consistent user experience across different channels.
5- Increased developer productivity
Well-managed APIs allow developers to focus on innovation and creating new functionality rather than reinventing a new API every time they need to access a resource or connect systems.
6- Accelerating application development
By using APIs, developers can use existing code rather than building functionality from scratch, speeding up application development and time-to-market.
7- Reduced costs
API management enables businesses to integrate different systems, services and applications more easily, which can reduce costs and improve operational efficiency.
8- Enhanced security
By managing APIs centrally, organisations can put in place authentication and authorisation 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 one does its own thing, but everyone speaks the same language thanks to API management. And why is that? Because it provides a standardised, well-documented interface for accessing shared resources and data. So exchanges are fluid, reliable and well-organised.
But that's not all. microservices are designed to be flexible and scalable. API management means that you can add a new service or modify an existing component without breaking everything. The architecture remains stable, even when everything is moving.
Another benefit is greater clarity thanks to a centralised viewof available services. API governance simplifies the reading of your system and enables continuous monitoring.
It also helps you manage service versions more effectively. No more bugs linked to update conflicts. You can migrate to a new version of a service smoothly, without traumatising the entire ecosystem.
☝️ And what about security?
Microservices have an Achilles heel: multiple entry points. Too much access means more risk. API management makes it possible to set up authentication mechanisms, reinforce access control and protect sensitive data.
Key features of API management tools
API access control
API management tools can be used to implement security policies to protect APIs, such as :
- management of access authorisations
- 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.
Customisable developer portal
This feature provides a dedicated space for developers to discover, test and use APIs. Options can be included to customise :
- branding
- the colours
- portal style, etc
in addition to other customisable 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 authorised users. This can include :
- creating new keys
- revoking existing keys
- limiting the use of keys according to various criteria.
API analysis
This feature allows API usage to be monitored and analysed, including traffic, performance and errors. This can then help developers identify problems, optimise performance and improve the quality of their APIs.
That's what Lobster_data's advanced, user-friendly API management solution offers . A specialist 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 systems (ERP, CRM, etc.) and heterogeneous applications to enable them to talk to each other, as well as automating your data flows, digitising your processes and benefiting from a real-time monitoring centre .
- What's more? Its no-code technology makes it very easy to use, so you can get your business teams more involved in modernising your business!
Lobster_data
API lifecycle management
API management tools provide functionality 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 the integration and deployment of APIs.
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. It integrates seamlessly with Lambda for serverless architectures, but also works with containers or traditional backends.
Everything is secured with IAM, Cognito or custom authorizers. Logs and indicators 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 works on most environments, whether local, on a VM or in a container, without being dependent on a particular cloud.
It is highly appreciated for its speed of implementation, particularly by SMEs. DreamFactory offers 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 just a few 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 customisable developer portal.
You can define complex authentication policies, manage quotas, monitor traffic in real time and secure exchanges using certificates, JWT tokens or Azure AD identities.
The tool can also manage versions, analyse performance via Azure Monitor, and automatically scale according to load.
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 highly detailed analysis dashboards.
Apigee also offers a rare feature: monetisation of APIs with pay models, quotas or licences.
The developer portal is customisable, making it easy for external teams to use the API.
Thanks to its high level of security and performance, Apigee is particularly suited to large enterprises that want 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, 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 optimising a company's APIs.
Good API management is essential, because it enables you to :
- control access to APIs
- Secure them by protecting sensitive data;
- monitor traffic;
- deliver exhaustive documentation to help developers;
- customise access policies and authorisations for different users;
- facilitate API monetisation.
API management means being flexible and scalable, particularly in relation to microservices architecture. It's also a way of further enhancing the user experience.