Developing and publishing APIs with API Connect

When you create an API, you can publish and manage it with the tools that are provided by IBM® API Connect.

The following steps provide an overview of the process for developing, publishing, and managing your APIs with API Connect.

  1. Create your APIs.

    You can create APIs by using either the IBM API Studio (graphical interface) or the API command line interface. For details on how to create your APIs, see the topic, Developing your APIs and applications.

  2. Add your new APIs to a product so that you can easily stage and publish collections of related APIs.
    A product is a collection of related APIs that you will offer to your customers. Creating the product involves the following steps, which are described in the section, Working with products and plans:
    1. Defining the product.
    2. Staging the draft product for testing. When you stage the product, you an add it to the catalog of products that you want to offer to customers.
    3. Publishing the product so that customers can access it.
  3. Manage your APIs with the API Manager.
    The API Manager provides an interface for managing your APIs throughout their lifecycle. Key capabilities include:
    • Configuring security settings such as OAuth, API keys, and client authentication
    • Managing API lifecycles including versioning, deprecation, and retirement
    • Running analytics to monitor API usage, performance metrics, and identify usage patterns
    • Setting rate limits and quotas to control API consumption
    • Managing catalogs and spaces for organizing and deploying APIs
    For more information, see API Manager.
  4. Enable customers to discover and consume your APIs through the Developer Portal.
    The Developer Portal provides a self-service interface where customers can browse and subscribe to your APIs. Key features include:
    • API discovery and exploration with comprehensive documentation
    • Self-service subscription and API key management
    • Interactive testing sandbox for trying APIs before purchase
    • Community features including forums, blogs, comments, and ratings
    • Analytics to help customers understand API capabilities
    • Customizable branding and themes to represent your organization
    For more information, see Developer Portal.