Preparing to install API Connect in VMware

Download the product files, setup the apicup command-line tool, create your API Connect project directory, and accept the API Connect licence.

Before you begin

Review VMware deployment overview and requirements.

About this task

In these first steps, you use the apicup command to create a project directory that contains the configuration file apiconnect-up-v10.yml. When you configure your subsystem API Connect using the apicup command, the configuration settings are saved in the apiconnect-up-v10.yml file.

All API Connect subsystems in your deployment must be configured from the same project directory.

Installation and configuration of DataPower® Gateway on an appliance (physical or virtual) is completed after you install the API Connect subsystems. For the gateway service in a VMware environment, use the instructions in Deploying DataPower Gateway virtual appliance.

Note:

When maintaining API Connect, do not use kubectl exec commands to access API Connect pods unless advised by IBM.
Do not make any changes on the deployed VMs unless documented here or otherwise advised by IBM. Attempting to manually update packages, adding new users, or installing new software will likely cause problems. Operating system updates are handled by API Connect fix packs.

Procedure

Obtain the API Connect installation files.
The following files are used for initial deployment on VMware:
IBM API Connect <version> Management for VMware

Management subsystem files

IBM API Connect <version> Developer Portal for VMware

Developer Portal subsystem files

IBM API Connect <version> Analytics for VMware

Analytics subsystem files

IBM API Connect <version> Install Assist (apicup) for <operating_system>

The apicup installation utility. Required for all installations on VMware.

IBM API Connect <version> Security Signature Bundle File

Signature files that you can use to verify the integrity of your downloads.

IBM API Connect <version> Toolkit for <operating_system>
Toolkit command line utility. Packaged standalone, or with API Designer:
- IBM API Connect <version> Toolkit for <operating_system>
- IBM API Connect <version> Toolkit Designer for <operating_system>
Not required during initial installation. After installation, you can download directly from the Cloud Manager UI and API Manager UI. See Installing the toolkit.
IBM API Connect <version> Local Test Environment

Optional test environment. See Testing an API with the Local Test Environment
Complete the steps in Verifying the integrity of IBM product files to verify that the downloaded product files are not corrupted.
Install the apicup command-line tool.
1. Locate the apicup file, which you downloaded in step 1: Install Assist (apicup) for <operating_system>
2. Rename the file to apicup.
3. Linux® and macOS only: Make the apicup file an executable file by entering the following command:
```
chmod +x apicup
```
4. Set your path to the location of your apicup file.
  - For the OSX and Linux operating systems:
```
export PATH=$PATH:/Users/your_path/
```
  - For the Windows operating system:
```
set PATH=c:\your_path;%PATH%
```
Create a new directory from where you want to manage your API Connect deployment. This directory is referred to as your API Connect project directory.
1. Create the project directory for your API Connect deployment:
```
apicup init <apic project directory name>
```
  where <apic project directory name> is the name of the directory you want for this API Connect deployment.
  
  The command creates a new directory called <apic project directory name>, and an empty apiconnect-up-v10.yml file inside this directory.
  
  Important: The project directory must be in a secure and permanent location. The files inside the project directory contain encoded password information and other information that is exposed in text format.
2. Copy the apicup executable into the project directory.
3. From within your project directory, specify the API Connect license:
```
apicup licenses accept <License ID>
```
  The <License ID> is specific to the API Connect program name that you purchased. To view the supported license IDs, see API Connect licenses.

What to do next

Proceed to install each API Connect subsystem: