IT architects and developers have long recognized APIs as an evolution and continuation of integration-based architectures used within enterprise IT. But this is a limited view. APIs have become the foundational framework for development of scalable enterprise applications that connect user experiences to back-end data and services. How will this API-centric architecture play a role in your application systems and in your business? Join Ed Anuff and Brian Pagano as they discuss the many important implications of API-centric architecture. Learn: - the characteristics of an API-centric architecture - how APIs are influencing front-end, back-end, and app-to-app systems - how APIs change the way data is leveraged - why traditional architecture cannot address new business challenges

1. APIs != Integration

2. Ed Anuff
@edanuff
Brian Pagano
@brianpagano

3. groups.google.com/group/api-craft

4. youtube.com/apigee

5. slideshare.com/apigee

6. community.apigee.com

7. Agenda
• What is integration?
• The A in API is for apps
• All development is API
development
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8. Why?
• The app developer is king
• The right tool for the job
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9. What is Integration?
Typically backend-to-backend,
sometimes application to
application
Often connector-based
MQ, ESB, EAI, ORBs
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10. The A in API is for Apps
Rich clients
(Visual Basic, Delphi, etc.)
Web applications
(app servers)
Rich clients
(mobile apps)
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11. App
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12. Modern Server-side App
• Often runs in an app server
• Monolithic presentation and
business logic
• Hosted in an environment
(often a virtualized container)
• Increasingly lightweight
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13. App
Backend
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API

14. Apps Need Resources
• Databases and storage
• Email services
• Sometimes integration-
based, but increasingly API-
based
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15. 12-Factor Apps
MIT License
Adam Wiggins http://12factor.net/
IV. Backing Services
Treat backing services as attached resources

16. Cloud Business Services
• Database-as-a-Service
• Storage-as-a-Service
• Email-as-a-Service
• MQ-as-a-Service
All are already in widespread use…
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17. Internal Resources
Many new resource services
already are API-based
Developers prefer to use APIs
even with the added work of
learning APIs versus ESB
approaches
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18. App
Front end
Backend
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App
Backend
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API
API

19. App
code
SDK
Server
infrastructure
API
Mobile API Architecture
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20. Clients
Mobile clients talking to server-side
apps via an API
• TIGHTLY-COUPLED
•NOT INTEGRATION, NOT SOA
HTML5/JS and single page apps
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21. App
Front end
Backend
AppApp
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API
API
APIAPI

22. App-to-App
API-centric: app developers
expose their own APIs and
learns others’ APIs
Integration: normalized data
interchange
Agility trade-off
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23. Front end
Backend
AppApp
Service Service Service
Service Service Service
Service Service Service
Micro service architecture
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APIAPI
API
API

24. Micro-Services
Components are services, not
in-process objects
Allows polyglot programming
Easier to scale component
services individually
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25. to summarize…

26. APIs != Integration
APIs are used for both integration and non-integration use-
cases
APIs are used to facilitate communications to the backend
APIs enable powering engagement at the front-end
APIs connect applications to applications
App components are being built as micro-services
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27. Questions?
Ed Anuff
@edanuff
Brian Pagano
@brianpagano

28. community.apigee.com

29. Resources
Community: http://community.apigee.com/
Webcasts: http://apigee.com/about/api-best-practices/all/webcast
eBooks: http://apigee.com/about/api-best-practices/all/ebook
Institute: http://pages.apigee.com/institute.html
Learn: http://community.apigee.com/learn
I Love APIs: http://apigee.com/about/iloveapis-conference

30. Thank you!