Continuous API Management: Making the Right Decisions in an Evolving Landscape

This practical guide provides maturity models for individual APIs and multi-API landscapes to help you invest the right human and company resources for the right maturity level at the right time. It also teaches you how to manage your API landscape, design, deploy, and manage APIs using an API-as-a-product (AaaP) approach, and examine ten pillars that form the foundation of API product work.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 300 pages
\n Publication date: 29 October 2021
\n Publisher: O'Reilly Media, Inc, USA
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The process of releasing an API can be a significant undertaking, requiring substantial effort and resources. However, the returns on such investment may not always be immediate or substantial. In fact, overplanning before an API has fully matured can result in wasted resources, while underplanning can lead to catastrophic consequences. To navigate this complex landscape, it is essential to adopt a practical approach that considers the maturity of individual APIs and the broader multi-API landscape.

This guide aims to provide maturity models for individual APIs and multi-API landscapes, empowering developers and organizations to allocate the appropriate human and company resources at the right maturity level and time. By managing APIs as products through a continuous life cycle, developers can maximize the value of their APIs and ensure they remain relevant and effective over time.

One of the key challenges in API development is balancing the need for agility and speed with the requirement for robust and scalable operations. This guide offers insights from four experts from the API Academy, who share their expertise in software architecture, program management, and product ownership. They demonstrate how software architects, program directors, and product owners can leverage the API-as-a-product (AaaP) approach to design, deploy, and manage APIs effectively.

The AaaP approach involves treating APIs as products, with a clear focus on governance and lifecycle management. Developers are encouraged to consider which API decisions need to be governed and how and where to implement governance mechanisms. This includes defining policies, procedures, and standards that ensure the quality, security, and reliability of APIs.

The guide also examines ten pillars that form the foundation of API product work. These pillars encompass aspects such as API design, documentation, testing, security, performance, scalability, integration, monitoring, and evolution. By understanding and implementing these pillars, developers can create APIs that are not only functional but also robust and reliable.

Throughout an API's lifetime, continuous improvement is essential. The guide explores the five stages of a complete API product life cycle, including inception, development, deployment, operation, and evolution. Each stage presents unique challenges and opportunities, and developers are encouraged to adopt a proactive approach to ensure that APIs remain relevant and effective as they evolve.

In addition to technical considerations, API development also requires a collaborative effort involving various team roles. The guide delves into the roles needed to design, build, and maintain APIs, including developers, architects, testers, security professionals, and operations teams. It highlights the importance of effective communication, documentation, and collaboration to ensure that APIs are developed, deployed, and managed seamlessly.

Finally, the guide provides insights into managing an API landscape, which encompasses the set of APIs published by an organization. It emphasizes the need for a centralized approach to API management, including documentation, governance, and monitoring. By defining clear policies and procedures, developers can ensure that APIs are discoverable, accessible, and interoperable, while also promoting collaboration and reuse within the organization.

In conclusion, releasing an API requires substantial effort and resources, but the returns on such investment can be significant. By adopting a practical approach that considers the maturity of individual APIs and the broader multi-API landscape, developers and organizations can maximize the value of their APIs and ensure they remain relevant and effective over time. The API Academy's guide provides valuable insights and best practices for API development, governance, and management, empowering developers to create high-quality, robust, and scalable APIs that meet the evolving needs of their users and customers.

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Dimension: 232 x 178 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781098103521\n
Edition number: 2 New edition\n