Azure API Management

Secure, publish, and analyze your APIs

Introduction to Azure API Management

Azure API Management (APIM) is a hybrid, multi-cloud management platform that enables customers to take the latest hybrid and multi-cloud approaches for their on-premises and cloud-based applications. It helps organizations to unlock the value of their data and services by providing a secure and scalable platform for publishing and managing APIs.

Key Capabilities

  • API Gateway: A single entry point for all client requests, handling routing, request/response transformation, and security.
  • Developer Portal: A self-service portal where developers can discover, learn about, and test APIs.
  • Security: Robust security features including authentication, authorization, rate limiting, and IP filtering.
  • Analytics: Comprehensive insights into API usage, performance, and potential issues.
  • Policy Engine: A powerful mechanism to programmatically control the behavior of APIs.

Important Note

API Management is crucial for modern application development, allowing for the controlled exposure of backend services to internal and external consumers.

Getting Started

Begin your journey with Azure API Management by following these essential steps:

Quickstart Guide

The quickstart provides a streamlined path to deploying and configuring a basic API Management instance. It's designed for rapid familiarization with the core components.

Go to Quickstart Guide

Creating an API Management Service Instance

You can create an API Management service instance using the Azure portal, Azure CLI, or programmatically via ARM templates. This involves selecting a pricing tier, region, and resource group.

Steps:

  1. Navigate to the Azure portal.
  2. Search for "API Management services".
  3. Click "Create".
  4. Fill in the required details: Subscription, Resource group, Name, Publisher email, and select a Pricing Tier.
  5. Click "Review + create" and then "Create".

Configuring the API Gateway

The API Gateway is the front door to your APIs. After creating your service instance, you'll typically import or define your APIs within the service.

Core Concepts

Understanding these fundamental concepts will help you leverage Azure API Management effectively.

API Definitions

APIs in API Management are represented by definitions that describe how to access backend services. These definitions can be imported from OpenAPI specifications (Swagger), WSDL, or created manually.

API Definition Structure

An API definition includes operations, parameters, request/response schemas, and documentation.


{
  "info": {
    "title": "Sample API",
    "version": "1.0.0"
  },
  "paths": {
    "/items": {
      "get": {
        "summary": "List all items",
        "responses": {
          "200": {
            "description": "A list of items."
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Policies

Policies are a set of statements that are executed sequentially as the request travels through the API Management gateway. They allow you to modify requests and responses, enforce security, control traffic, and more.

Policies are defined using an XML-based syntax within the <policies> element.

Example: Setting a response header


<policies>
    <inbound>
        <base />
    </inbound>
    <backend>
        <base />
    </backend>
    <outbound>
        <set-header name="X-Powered-By" exists-action="override">
            <value>Azure API Management</value>
        </set-header>
        <base />
    </outbound>
    <on-error>
        <base />
    </on-error>
</policies>

Products

Products are collections of APIs offered to developers. They serve as a container for APIs and are used to group related APIs together, often with associated subscription keys and usage quotas.

Users and Groups

Users and Groups are used to manage access to APIs. Users can be associated with groups, and then access can be granted to groups, simplifying management.

Subscriptions

Subscriptions are the mechanism by which developers gain access to APIs. Each subscription is associated with a product and is identified by a subscription key.

Tip

Always protect your subscription keys and avoid committing them to source control.

Tutorials

Dive deeper with our guided tutorials covering common scenarios:

API Reference

Explore the detailed API reference for Azure API Management management APIs, allowing you to programmatically manage your services.

View Management API Reference

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Find solutions to frequently encountered problems:

Example API Response (Successful)


{
  "status": "success",
  "data": {
    "message": "API request processed successfully.",
    "timestamp": "2023-10-27T10:30:00Z"
  }
}