Providing the gateway service to API Connect

You can connect a DataPower® gateway service to IBM® API Connect through the configuration of the API Connect Gateway Service in a DataPower domain.

To run and secure APIs that are developed and managed by API Connect, configure the API Connect Gateway Service.

  • Each DataPower domain has the API Connect Gateway Service configuration.
  • When you configure and enable the API Connect Gateway Service, a gateway service is created automatically based on the compatibility mode. This gateway service is ready to be connected and managed.

The administrator for the API Connect Cloud Manager registers a gateway service that connects to the DataPower gateway service through a management interface. When the API Connect API Manager successfully connects to the DataPower gateway service, the gateway service starts a process that retrieves the API configuration data from API Connect to convert and store this data as a DataPower service configuration. When changes are made to the configuration data on API Connect, the DataPower Gateway retrieves the updates and refreshes the configuration.

The API Connect Gateway Service can work in the following modes based on your setting.
  • When V5 compatible, a gateway framework is created that is compatible with API Connect V5.
    Figure 1. API Connect connecting to a DataPower V5 gateway framework
  • When not V5 compatible. an API gateway is created.
    Figure 2. API Connect connecting to a DataPower API gateway
Attention: Beyond the configuration of the API Connect Gateway Service and its referenced objects, never create or modify any other objects explicitly on the DataPower Gateway because their status is external. If you make a change to an object and its configuration status is external, your change no longer exist when the DataPower Gateway restarts because your changes cannot be saved to the startup configuration.
When you need to change your API configuration beyond the configuration of the API Connect Gateway Service, use the appropriate API Connect approach.
  • Change the configuration in API Connect API Manager.
  • Change the configuration that is defined in the OpenAPI files that API Connect manages.
  • Create files that define API Connect gateway extensions that API Connect manages.