Creating REST APIs

In webMethods Integration, you can trigger project workflows or flow services through API endpoints by using the REST APIs. You can build custom APIs or export existing ones, link them to your project workflows or flow services, and make API requests to run those workflows or services remotely. The Rest API builder feature works at the project level.

1. Go to the project where you want to create an API and click the APIs tab.
   You are redirected to the REST APIs page, which displays a list of all REST APIs available in the project.
2. Click Create API and on the New API page, select Create from scratch/Design new API, then click Next.
3. On the Basic Info page, provide the following configuration details for your API.
   • A suitable name for the API you want to create in the Name field.
   • A short description for the API in the Description field.
   • A unique version number for the API in the Version field.
   • Under Access network, select the networks from which the APIs can be accessed. A dedicated URL to the API access endpoint is enabled for each selected network type. The following access options are available.
     • Public domain creates and configures an endpoint that allows access to the API externally from the internet. This endpoint is listed under Public URL on the API details page. Always require authentication for APIs that are accessible from the public domain.
     • Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) creates an endpoint that allows access through an endpoint that is accessible only from an IBM webMethods network. This endpoint is listed under Private URL on the API details page.
     • IwHI capabilities in this environment creates an endpoint that allows access to the API only from other webMethods Hybrid Integration capabilities, but not externally from the internet. This endpoint is listed under Internal URL on the API details page. This option is enabled by default and cannot be disabled.

   When you select both the Public domain and Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) options for a single API, webMethods Integration enables all access endpoints for the API.

4. Select the content type that the API can use in the Consumes field. Currently, only application/json is supported.
5. Select the content type that the API can produce in the Produces field. Currently, only application/json is supported. Click Save.
6. Click Add Resource and add resources and methods to the API. Enter the resource path by using allowed special characters (The maximum path length is limited to 2048 characters.). The API resource path supports these special characters:(_) Underscore, (-) Hyphen, (.) Period, ($) Dollar sign, (!) Exclamation mark, (~) Tilde, (=) Equals sign, (:) Colon, (') Apostrophe, or single quotation mark, (*) Asterisk, and (,) Comma. These characters are accepted. Make sure that the resulting API URL complies with the standard API guidelines.
7. Choose an HTTP method like POST, GET, PUT, DELETE, or PATCH, and add a short description.
8. Select a workflow or flow service to run with the API. Review the Parameters section to see webhook payload keys and their sources, and add descriptions. If the path includes parameters like /postdata/{n1}/{n2} their values come from the workflow.
   • Only workflows with a webhook and tested Auto connect Return Sync on Webhook appear.
   • You can also select a flow service instead of a workflow. The following example describes steps that use a workflow.
9. After you select a workflow, enter the following details:
   1. In Parameters, provide the webhook payload keys along with their sources that are associated with the selected workflow are listed in the Parameters section. In the Description field, optionally you can add a description for these keys.
      For Workflows, if the path URL has parameters in the format /postdata/{n1}/{n2}, the values of n1 and n2 are derived from the workflow parameters.
   2. In Responses, enter response statuses for failed calls and add more if needed.
      You can update and delete the existing success response code. You cannot delete a response code that is the only response code for an API.
10. Click Done.
    The Resources and Methods page is displayed.

    You can select more than one HTTP method for a resource path in an API. For example, to use the same resource path /sample for POST and GET HTTP methods.

11. Click Save.
    The API is successfully created.

    Note:

    • To enable the execution of an API from webMethods API Gateway, use the Internal URL under the API Endpoints, which is displayed on the Rest API page.
    • Support for domains with -internal is being deprecated soon. Reconfigure the alias in webMethods API Gateway by using the Internal URL provided under API Endpoints on the REST or SOAP API details page.
    • In an existing API, when you change the selected value for the Access field from Private to Public or Public to Private, the changes take a while to propagate for the ongoing API executions.