API Testing- benefits, Type of APIs, API Gateways

What is API?

Application programming interface

• Software creation
• System interaction
• Consists of
• Protocols
• Functions
• Objects
• Commands
• Code does not have to be rewritten
• Available for web, window and mobile apps

 

Key benefits of using APIs

• Conform to standards
• Can be provided as a service
• Data and functionality can be outsources
• APIs can be offered by local systems
• Allows developers to focus on other important aspect of application development

 

Decoupling services from applications

• Consuming application is not connected to the servicing infrastructure
• Service providers have great flexibility
• Endpoint service delivery remains unchanged
• API contract

 

Remote APIs

Overview of Remote APIs

• Access and manipulate remote resources
• Utilizes various protocols and standards
• Independent of language and platform

 

Web APIs

• Standards for connecting application to an API
• Network or internet connections
• Hypertext Transfer protocol
• Web API
• Web addressable endpoints
• Support HTTP commands
• Various internet based APIs

 

Common browser APIs

• Document manipulation in browser
• Fetch data from server
• Audio
• Video
• Create and manipulate graphics like canvas and webGL

 

RestAPI

• representation state transfer
• web service access protocols
• Rest aims to address soap shortcomings
• Rest is lighter weight
• Relies more on URL than xml
• Provides flexibility on data output form

 

REST API tasks

• GET -to retrieve
• POST – to create
• PUT – to update
• Delete- to delete

 

REST API Advantages over SOAP

• Designed similar to existing web technology
• Does not require expensive tools
• Easier to learn
• No excessive processing
• More efficient- smaller messaging

 

SOAP API

• Simple object access protocol
• Web service access protocols
• Well established
• More rigid than rest api
• Relies on XML – can become highly complicated
• Highly extensible
• Difficulty depend on language used
• http vs SMTP

 

SOAP advantages over rest API

• independent of language and platform
• independent of transport protocols
• standardized
• ideal for distributed environments
• WS* standards
• Build in error handling
• Automation

 

API gateways

• Classic API gateways
• Sit between provider and consumer
• Web services
• Centralize functions
• Microservice architectures
• Microgateways
• Functions are a subset of classic api gateway functions
• Unique and automated deployment method
• Scalability

 

Security functions

• Multilayered API protection
• Authentication
• Authorization
• Identity mediation
• Security monitoring
• Traffic encryption and signatures
• Key and certificate management

 

Monitoring and Administration functions

• Real time monitoring
• Alerts
• Insights and trends
• Managing daily operations
• Client management
• Other integration scenarios

 

Control functions

• Control and governance
• Service level agreement
• Throttling
• Load balancing
• Content based routing
• Blocking
• Quote management

 

Transformation functions

• Bidirectional transformation
• Less time to market
• Numerous protocols, formats and various standards
• Replacement of existing systems
• Lightweight API orchestration tools

 

API Endpoints

• Web service entry point : URL
• Used to reduce latency
• Some services support regional endpoints
• Multiple region deployment
• Custom domain name
• Route clients to low latency regions

 

Cheers.

TJ