API Modernization

API Modernization using Apigee

Organizations have traditionally relied on Legacy Apps, APIs, and Services to make their services and data accessible to external stakeholders. APIs have emerged as a pivotal element in the development of innovative digital services, enabling seamless integration with partners and customers while enhancing the efficient utilization of business data.

The transition of legacy Apps, APIs, and Services to contemporary infrastructure and platforms offers several advantages, including cost reduction in IT budgets and the optimization of existing processes and resources in a more efficient manner.

Within an enterprise context, Digital Modernization can be categorized into three main areas:

• • API Modernization: This involves the transformation of legacy APIs and Services into contemporary REST APIs compliant with the OpenAPI Specification. Additionally, it encompasses the implementation of the latest security standards for REST APIs, such as OAuth 2.0, JWT/JWS, and others.
  • App Modernization: App Modernization revolves around the decomposition of legacy monolithic applications into smaller, granular services utilizing the Microservices architecture. These services are then containerized and managed within Kubernetes clusters to enhance their readiness for cloud deployment.
  • Infrastructure Modernization: This aspect of Digital Modernization entails the migration of on-premises legacy workloads to the cloud. It often employs hybrid or multi-cloud strategies to reduce IT operational and maintenance costs and overheads.

The process of API Modernization can be segmented into four distinct phases

1. API Program & API Strategy

The key components of a successful API Program within an enterprise encompass a range of factors, including the API Mindset, Leadership, Investment, and Strategy. A holistic API Program should ideally have a visionary senior leadership team, adequate investments, and a well-defined business strategy in place.

Additionally, it's essential to establish predefined metrics to measure the API Program's success, such as expected additional revenue, the number of partners onboarded, and the expansion of revenue channels. To execute the API Program effectively, it's crucial to assemble the right API Team, which includes vital roles like API Evangelists, API Product Managers, API Designers, API Developers, and API Testers.

The design and development of APIs should adhere to REST API Design Best Practices and principles to ensure they are developer-friendly and easy to consume. Furthermore, implementing light API Governance is essential to enforce enterprise-wide security standards, development and deployment practices, and release cycles. An overarching API Strategy should be established to determine which data and services should be exposed to API consumers, whether they are external-facing APIs, Process APIs, or System APIs.

With Apigee Compass, executives, program leaders, and individuals from both business and IT sectors can assess their API-first transformation progress. This tool allows them to benchmark their achievements against other enterprises and receive tailored recommendations based on Apigee's extensive experience with numerous global customers. These insights are designed to assist them in advancing their API Program effectively.

2. API Management & API Governance

• • Creation: This phase encompasses activities such as API design, development, mediation, and orchestration.
  • Control: Within this phase, the focus is on aspects like API security, traffic management, API deployments, testing, and operational procedures.
  • Consumption: The Consumption phase revolves around tasks like API publishing, facilitating API consumption, and exploring potential avenues for API monetization.
  • Analysis: Finally, the Analysis phase involves activities related to API analytics, monitoring, and alerting to ensure the performance and health of the API ecosystem.

3. Developer Engagement

4. API Economy

The API Product mindset is grounded in three primary pillars:

• • Outside-In Approach: This entails consistently designing and developing APIs with a focus on ease of consumption by API consumers.
  • Time to Market: Enhancing the time to market for API Products is achieved through the utilization of MVPs (Minimum Viable Products), enabling quicker product releases.
  • Iterations: The process involves multiple iterations to foster continuous improvement of API Products over time.