In order to be able to improve on the fly, many companies have started to use the microservice architecture while they are developing their software suite. Microservice architectures allow you to easily develop, change and maintain your software, but it is not an easy as it sounds. There are many details that need attention in order for the architecture to work properly. One such issue may be the understanding of API and API management for the microservice architecture.
Let’s imagine that we have a shopping application. The client is responsible with the following: the items available, stock, orders and delivery. Each of them is a mircroservice subsequently connected to one or several microservices. Because of this on or several of the issues listed below may appear.
- Too many microservices directly connected to the client may overload it, along with connection and authentication issues.
- The variety of services complicates the policy enforcement process since there is no unified policy protocol
- Data reporting and inter-service communication can be hampered by several clashing data feedbacks
How can APIs and API management help you?
- Unified microservices
The first step is to unify several services, which simples the overall complexity of the program and connected services. IT will also increase the speed of the service, which should please consumers.
- A more attractive interface
A well-made API will make your service more attractive, since they will not be exposed to the inner workings of the program.
- Increased security
Each of the services listed in the example used above may use one of several security protocols. A unified API gateway service will allow all the service to use a similar security protocol, preventing many issues between one service and another. This will help you in the long run, as consumers that encounter multiple security problems (a failed login being the most common) tend to look for alternative services more often.
Easy incremental updates
The unified API also allows you to more easily update all your services, either all at once or each one individually. As your business develops, you will have the freedom to add more services overtime without needing to redesign the whole client from zero.
There are other advantages that further enhance your experience:
- As it unifies the services, only one connection is needed in order to use all the features it offers.
- Using automation tools the patches can be easily launched and done.
- Since it is facile to deploy and install, the gateway needed is also light and flexible. It can run even on modest servers with minimal requirements. They can also backed-up and restored if something goes wrong.
In conclusion, API and API management can greatly improve your business management and development. Feel free to explore several APIs before you choose the one that is best for your needs.
Henry Lares is still early into his career as tech reporter but has already had his work published in many major publications including Tech Crunch and the Huffington Post. In regards to academics, Henry earned an engineering degree from Apex Technical School. Henry has a passion for emerging technology and covers upcoming products and breakthroughs in science and tech.