What is API and API migration?

An API (Application Programming Interface) is a set of guidelines and protocols that allows one software application to communicate with another. API migration refers to the process of migrating an API from one environment, platform, or version to another.

What is IBM API Connect?

IBM API Connect is an integrated API management platform designed by IBM to create, manage, secure, and socialize APIs across different environments (cloud, on-premises, or hybrid). Below are the steps to go through the APIC interface.

What is Apigee?

Apigee is a full lifecycle API management platform developed by Google Cloud, designed to help organizations create, manage, secure, and scale APIs. Enterprises prefer Apigee because of its robust security features, advanced analytics capabilities, scalability to large enterprises and compatibility to multiple clouds. Below are the steps to go through the Apigee interface.

Why APIC and Apigee is needed?

IBM API Connect and Apigee are two comprehensive API management tools that allow organizations to create, secure, manage, and analyze APIs. Here are the advantages why they are needed:

• API Management and Governance
• Security and Compliance
• API Analytics and Monitoring
• Developer Ecosystem Management

Why would a company choose to switch from APIC to Apigee, and what are the advantages?

              An organization or user will choose API migration when they need to improve their API infrastructure, adapt to new business needs, or implement better technologies. Choosing between Apigee and IBM API Connect depends on the specific needs and priorities of an organization, as each platform has its strengths. However, Apigee may be considered better than IBM API Connect in certain aspects based on features, usability, and industry positioning. Using Apigee is more flexible, where we can easily analyze API monitoring, API metrics, and generate custom reports. The following are some advantages that make Apigee a better option:

• Google Cloud Integration and Ecosystem
• Advanced Analytics and Monitoring
• Developer Experience
• Security and Rate Limiting
• API Monetization

Migration Process:

Applications Used to Migrate:

Below are the applications that we have utilized in the process of migration.

• IBM API Connect
• Apigee Edge/Apigee Hybrid
• Swagger Editor

IBM API Connect

Fetching APIC migration details

• To migrate API/product from the API Connect, go to the login page and provide USERNAME/PASSWORD, then click on sign in.

APIs:

• Access APIs by clicking on the APIs
• After locating the API details, confirm that the type is REST/SOAP and, if multiple versions are displayed, choose the appropriate one.
• Next, choose the API and navigate to the Assemble section to determine whether the API is Passthrough or Non-Passthrough.
• Proceed to the Design page and take note of the necessary information that is mandatory.
  1. Name of the API
  2. Basepath
  3. Consumes (JSON/XML)
  4. Security Definitions, Security
  5. Properties -> Backend Endpoint URL
  6. Paths

• Next, navigate to the API’s source page and retrieve the swagger file that is accessible.

Products:

• Select the Products tab, use the search box to locate the right product, and then click on it.

• Determine how many APIs refer to the same product.
• Verify the number of plans available for that product.
• Next, select each plan and take note of the required fields shown below.

1. 1. Rate Limits (calls/time interval)
   2. Burst Limit (calls/time interval)

Apigee Edge/Apigee Hybrid

Migration of APIs and Products in Apigee

• Go to the login page, enter your username and password, and then click “sign in” to create an API or product.

APIs:

• To build a new API, select the API Proxies section and click +Proxy.
• Choose Reverse Proxy/No Target to manually construct an API.

• For Reverse proxy provide API name, basepath and Target server which we have noted from IBM API Connect.
• Make sure to establish the flow paths in accordance with APIC after creating the proxy, including the get, post, put, and delete methods.

• Click on the policies section to add the Traffic Management policies, Security policies, Mediation policies and Extension policies as per APIC/our requirement.

• Using the host and port from the APIC Endpoint URL, establish a target server, modify the Apigee Target Endpoint XML code as needed, and make the URL dynamic.

             <HTTPTargetConnection>

                    <SSLInfo>

                         <Enabled>true</Enabled>

                   </SSLInfo>

                   <LoadBalancer>

                         <Server name = “TS-testAPI” />

                   </LoadBalancer>

                   <Path>/</Path>

            </HTTPTargetConnection>

Compare and debug the flow:

• After the API development is completed, we must verify and compare the API flow between API Connect and Apigee to determine whether the flow looks similar.
• Once the API has been implemented, deploy it to the appropriate environment and begin testing it using the client’s provided test data. Check the flow by using the DEBUG/TRACE section once you’ve reached the proxy endpoint URL.
• Pre-production testing should be done by the client using real-time data to verify the service’s end-to-end functioning status prior to the production deployment.

Products:

• Click on the API Products section and click on + API Product to create a new product.
• Provide product name, display name, quota and burst limits which we have noted from IBM API Connect.
• Then add APIs that refer to the existing product in the Operations (In Hybrid)/API Resources (In Edge) section.

• If the product contains more than one plan in APIC, repeat the same process and provide required fields to create other plans.

Swagger Editor

Swagger Editor is an open-source, browser-based tool that allows developers to design, define, edit, and document APIs using the OpenAPI Specification (OAS) format.

• As we have collected the swagger file from the APIC, as per our requirement, we need to edit the file and change the version of the swagger file if required using the swagger editor.
• From the swagger file we can remove IBM-related tags and add our security variables as per our code.

Apigee Portal Publishing:

• The swagger file must be published on the Apigee developer portal once it is ready.
• Go to the Apigee Home page, select the Portals section, and then click on API Catalog to begin the portal publishing process.
• Click the plus button to add an API product in the catalog. After choosing the product, click the next button, fill out the below required fields, and then click save to publish.
• Check the published check box.
• Check the OpenAPI document in the API documentation section.
• Select the swagger file and upload.
• Select API visibility as per the specification.

Summary:

Migrating from IBM API Connect (APIC) to Apigee involves moving API management capabilities to the Apigee platform to leverage its more advanced features for design, deployment, and analytics. The process of migration involves the assessment of existing APIs and dependencies, exporting and adapting API definitions, mapping and recreating policies like authentication and rate limiting, and thorough testing to ensure functionality in the new environment.

Application programming interfaces, or APIs, are crucial to the ever-changing digital transformation landscape because they enable businesses to interact with their data and services promptly and effectively. Effective administration is therefore necessary to guarantee that these APIs operate as intended, remain secure, and offer the intended advantages. This is where Apigee, Google Cloud’s premier API management solution, is helpful.

What is Apigee?

Apigee is an excellent tool for businesses wanting to manage their APIs smoothly. It simplifies the process of creating, scaling, securing, and deploying APIs, making developers’ work easier. One of Apigee’s best features is its flexibility—it can manage both external APIs for third-party access and internal APIs for company use, making it suitable for companies of all sizes. Apigee also works well with security layers like Nginx, which adds a layer of authentication between Apigee and backend systems. This flexibility and security make Apigee a reliable and easy-to-use platform for managing APIs.

What is Gemini AI?

Gemini AI is an advanced artificial intelligence tool that enhances the management and functionality of APIs. Think of it as a smart assistant that helps automate tasks, answer questions, and improve security for API systems like Apigee. For example, if a developer needs help setting up an API, Gemini AI can guide them with instructions, formats, and even create new APIs based on simple language input. It can also answer common user questions or handle customer inquiries automatically, making the whole process faster and more efficient. Essentially, Gemini AI brings intelligence and automation to API management, helping businesses run their systems smoothly and securely.

Why Should Consumers Opt for Gemini AI with Apigee?

Consumers should choose Gemini AI with Apigee because it offers more innovative, faster, and more secure API management. It also brings security, efficiency, and ease of use to API management, making it a valuable choice for businesses that want to streamline their operations and ensure their APIs are fast, reliable, and secure. Here are some key benefits: Enhanced Security, Faster Development, and Time-Saving Automation.

Below is the flow diagram for Prospective Developments in APIGEE.

Greater Emphasis on API Security

• Zero Trust Security:  The Zero Trust security approach is founded on “never trust, always verify,” which states that no device or user should ever be presumed trustworthy, whether connected to the network or not. Each request for resource access under this architecture must undergo thorough verification.
• Zero Trust Models: APIs will increasingly adopt zero-trust security principles, ensuring no entity is trusted by default. The future of Zero-Trust in Apigee will likely focus on increasing the security and flexibility of API management through tighter integration with identity management, real-time monitoring, and advanced threat protection technologies.
• Enhanced Data Encryption: Future developments might include more substantial data encryption capabilities, both in transit and at rest, to protect sensitive information in compliance with Zero Trust principles.
  
  

Resiliency and Fault Tolerance

 The future of resiliency and fault tolerance in Apigee will likely involve advancements and innovations driven by evolving technological trends and user needs. Here are some key areas where we can expect Apigee to enhance its resiliency and fault tolerance capabilities.

• Automated Failover: Future iterations of Apigee will likely have improved automated failover features, guaranteeing that traffic is redirected as quickly as possible in case of delays or outages. More advanced failure detection and failover methods could be a part of this.
• Adaptive Traffic Routing: Future updates could include more dynamic and intelligent traffic management features. This might involve adaptive routing based on real-time performance metrics, enabling more responsive adjustments to traffic patterns and load distribution.
• Flexible API Gateway Configurations: Future enhancements could provide more flexibility in configuring API gateways to better handle different fault scenarios. This includes custom policies for fault tolerance, enhanced error handling, and more configurable redundancy options.

Gemini AI with Apigee

Gemini AI and Apigee’s integration has the potential to improve significantly API administration by enhancing its intelligence, security, and usability. Organizations can anticipate improved security, more effective operations, and better overall user and developer experience by utilizing cutting-edge AI technologies. This integration may open the door to future breakthroughs and capabilities as AI and API management technologies develop. If the API specifications that are currently available in API Hub do not satisfy your needs, you can utilize Gemini to create a new one by just stating your needs in basic English. Considerable time is saved in the cycles of development and assessment.

Gemini AI can inform you about the policy documentation in parallel while adding policies to the Apigee development. Gemini AI can guide you with the formats used in the policies. We can automate the query region like chatbots with Gemini AI. We may utilize Gemini AI to improve and get answers to questions about the APIs available on the Apigee portal.

If any integration is currently in use. We can use Gemini AI to accept inquiries from customers or clients and automate the most frequently asked responses. Additionally, Gemini AI can simply reply to customers until our professionals are active.

Overview

Apigee, Google Cloud’s API management platform, plays a key role in digital transformation by securely and flexibly connecting businesses with data and services. Future advancements focus on stronger security with a “Zero Trust” approach, improved resilience through automated failover and adaptive traffic routing, and enhanced flexibility in API gateway settings. Integration with Gemini AI will make Apigee smarter, enabling automated support, policy guidance, API creation, streamlining development, and improving customer service.