API gateway for API Connect

You can connect a gateway service to IBM® API Connect through the configuration of the API Connect gateway service in a DataPower® domain. The name of the DataPower domain where you configure the API Connect gateway service must be the same on each DataPower Gateway.

To run and secure APIs for API Connect integration, 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 for API Connect connection and management.

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 edit an object and its configuration status is external, your changes no longer exist after the DataPower Gateway restarts. 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.

The administrator for the API Connect Cloud Manager registers a gateway service that connects to the gateway service through a management interface. When the API Connect API Manager successfully connects to the gateway service, the service starts a process that retrieves the configuration data from API Connect. This configuration data is converted and stored 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 set to V5 compatible, a Multi-Protocol Gateway is created, which is compatible with API Connect V5.
  • When not set to V5 compatible, an API gateway is created.