SOA Software has released its
Enterprise API catalog, an enhancement to its API Management Platform to foster the creation of API communities inside the enterprise.
The API catalog combines the collaborative, open practices of external API Portals with search, controlled visibility, selective provisioning, and integration with enterprise security for internal development.
Compared to open or public APIs, internal APIs have many distinct characteristics that require a different approach to management and security. While an enterprise might have only a few external APIs, it might deploy hundreds of internal services delivered in multiple protocols and transports including REST, SOAP, and POX, over HTTP/S, AMQP, MQ, JMS.
To foster re-use, speed, efficiency, and agile application development, enterprises need to be able to publish their internal APIs in a searchable catalog. They need all the capabilities of an external API portal combined with the kind of security controls and visibility restrictions often required for internal scenarios.
Modeled on open API developer communities but adapted for the enterprise, the API catalog features an internal developer portal. Services can be imported directly into the API catalog from existing repositories. From the portal, developers can engage with one another, learn about available APIs, make agreements to use them, and integrate them into the application development lifecycle (ALM.)
Aspects of the API catalog include:
Search index driven: Makes it easy for developers to find internal services and APIs. The catalog indexes discussions, documents, and published metadata. Results can be filtered.
Flexible API and service types: Goes beyond basic REST/JSON APIs to support SOAP, AMQP, MQTT, POX, JMS services and more.
Comprehensive documentation: Minimizes developer workload by presenting accurate, useable documents that help the developer effectively consume the API or service.
Group support for security and community management: Shares API and service visibility only with appropriate groups and develop communities of interest around particular areas.
Enterprise identity system support: Leverages existing identity systems, extending them to support the developer and app user communities adding modern standards such as OpenID Connect and OAuth.
API and app lifecycle management: Maintains the privacy, accuracy and timeliness of the information presented in the catalog.
Closed loop operations and auditing: Ensures that all decisions are effected and audited with a closed loop integration between the catalog, the runtime gateway, and the lifecycle management solution.
External API consumption: Allows the enterprise to subscribe to an external API once, but allow multiple internal developers to leverage the same API for internal application development.