This document discusses criteria for choosing an API automation tool for distributed, cloud-based applications. It lists important criteria like license type, code generation abilities, programming language support, scalability, and monitoring/logging. A 7-step process is provided for comparing API platforms that includes making a list, defining criteria, assigning weights, testing solutions, and scoring them. The document promotes an API comparison study from Altoros that analyzes Apache UserGrid and WSO2 API Manager.

1. How to Choose an API Automation Tool
for a Distributed Cloud-based App:
Top Selection Criteria
Sergey Sverchkov
Solutions Architect
www.altoros.com | @altoros
Alex Khizhnyak
Director of Tech
Communications

2. @altoros@altoros
Table of Contents
2
• Examples of APIs in Use
• Why Automate?
• Evaluation Criteria: What Is Important and Why?
• 7 Steps for Comparing API Platforms
• Further Reading

3. @altoros@altoros
APIs in Use
3
• A distributed cloud-based
architecture: shared resources
accessed via API
• Microservices on Cloud Foundry:
services communicate through
API
• Complex business logic: adding a
new layer as a separate app

4. @altoros
Why Automate?
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• Generate API code automatically
• Speed up backend development and release cycles
• Implement access to data storage as a service
• Easier to maintain!

5. @altoros@altoros
Criteria: What Is Important?
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1. License type / open source
2. API code generation
3. Request-response model and endpoint
4. Programming languages / platforms
5. Availability as a service
6. Stateless processes
7. Authentication and authorization
8. Monitoring / logging
9. Scalability
10.Data storage support

6. @altoros@altoros
Criteria: Why?
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open source
automation
as a service
stateless
multiple instances
authentication standards
monitoring / logging
= customization
= time
= test and use
= simpler + high scalability
= scalability
= integration
= debugging

7. @altoros
Steps for Comparing API Platforms
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1. Make a list of API products
2. Collect your requirements
3. Define comparison criteria based
on the requirements
4. Assign relative weights to each
criterion based on its importance
5. Try each solution
6. Score them across the criteria to
make a short list
7. Compare the total scores

8. @altoros
Want More? Download This Tech Study!
8
Comparison of API Automation Tools:
Apache UserGrid vs. WSO2 API Manager
Get the Comparison
• A scoring framework for selection (19 tech criteria)
• A comparison table
• Step-by-step deployment guideshttp://paas.ly/17GFEUQ

9. @altoros
Altoros deploys and integrates solutions
offered by the Cloud Foundry ecosystem.
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We’re behind some of the world's largest Cloud Foundry deployments!
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10. @altoros
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11. @altoros
Thank You!
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