LF_APIStrat17_Creating an API Ecosystem that Benefits Producers and Consumers
A few years ago, Brigham Young University set out to replace an aging API Ecosystem. The ecosystem at the time was one that was hard to navigate, contained outdated documentation, centered around non-standard authentication, and resistant to rapid iteration and a DevOps model. Noting these issues, BYU set out to create an API Ecosystem that would be a joy to use for both the API Developers, as well as their consumers. A large part of this effort has been focused around the adoption of several open standards such as OAuth2.0, JSON Web Tokens, and the OpenAPI specification. The adoptions of these standards has allowed BYU to create a system that is making API deployment and documentation easy on the developers, promises consumers up to date documentation, and allows both parties to utilize the vast number of Open Source libraries available to interact with these open standards.
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LF_APIStrat17_Creating an API Ecosystem that Benefits Producers and Consumers
- 2. Creating an API Ecosystem that Benefits Producers and Consumers Brayden Winterton, Brigham Young University @bcwinter | brayden_winterton@byu.edu
- 3. Brigham Young University • We are like a city • Internal/Semi-Internal/External Clients • API First • New DevOps Focus • Greenfield and Brownfield
- 4. API Ecosystem Goals • Centralized, Up-to-Date Documentation • Easy to consume • Low Latency • Low Development Impact • Support our DevOps goals
- 5. But … we had a problem
- 6. The Problem • Old, Unsupported Gateway Infrastructure • Non-Standard API Authentication • Sparse, Out-of-Date Documentation • No Centralized Portal • Hard, manual updates
- 7. We need to fix this problem
- 8. Criteria for a new API Ecosystem • Utilize Industry Standards • Lowest impact on current projects possible • Keep Documentation Up-to-Date • Centralized API Discovery & Documentation • Integrate with Legacy APIs • Foster a sense of community
- 9. Our Solution
- 12. WSO2 API Manager Benefits • Subscriptions and Monitoring • Message Mediation • High Performance • Open Source & Extensible • Utilizes Industry Standards
- 13. Criteria for a new API Ecosystem • Utilize Industry Standards • Lowest impact on current projects possible • Keep Documentation Up-to-Date • Centralized API Discovery & Documentation • Integrate with Legacy APIs • Foster a sense of community
- 15. What do standards give us? • Usage of existing libraries • Less design decisions • Easier Onboarding • Extensive Documentation • Lets us focus on the important things
- 16. Criteria for a new API Ecosystem • Utilize Industry Standards • Lowest impact on current projects possible • Keep Documentation Up-to-Date • Centralized API Discovery & Documentation • Integrate with Legacy APIs • Foster a sense of community
- 17. Discovery, Docs, and Community • How can we improve discovery? • How do we keep documentation up to date? • How can we make Consumers’ lives easier without over-complicating life for Producers? • How can we help Consumers feel supported?
- 20. BYU Developer Portal • Swagger/OpenAPI as a Doc Standard • Centralized Documentation • Automated Doc Deployment • Connects APIs to the community • Eases Onboarding (discovery, examples, etc.)
- 23. How did it work?
- 24. What have we learned?
- 25. Future Improvements • Live Documentation (Swagger UI) • More intelligent, guided search • Bigger focus on community • Deeper tool integration • Unified UI
- 26. Key Lessons • Standards, Standards, Standards • Automate Everything • Meet Users where they are • Develop a community • Simplify UX wherever you can • Evaluate & Repeat