IBM API Connect: Workflow and lifecycle management

This course describes the procedures and tools that you can use to develop and publish APIs by using IBM API Connect.

This course is for developers who are already familiar with IBM API Connect. If you haven’t worked with IBM API Connect, take this introductory course: “Get started with API Connect” (developerWorks).

With the IBM® API Connect syndication feature, you can partition your catalogs into spaces. Each space is used by a different API provider development team and has its own set of management capabilities relating specifically to the APIs that the associated team publishes to that space, enabling each team to manage its APIs independently.

1. Log in to Bluemix
2. Click Account> Invite Team Members.

1. Click Add > Catalog on the Dashboard.

1. Click Settings.
2. Click Portal.

1. Click Members.
2. Click Add.

IBM API Connect provides infrastructure, tools, and facilities that allow users to create, manage, and stage APIs. The ability to perform tasks in the IBM API Connect user interfaces is controlled through user roles and the permissions that are assigned to those roles.

1. Log in to Bluemix.
2. Click the name of a catalog (such as myProd) to open it.

By creating rules, you can automate and anticipate responses to situations, which can help provide a more personalized and efficient user experience.

1. Log in to Bluemix.
2. Click the name of the catalog to use, such as MyProd.

APIs become accessible when a product is published and displayed on the Developer Portal for use by application developers. The syndication feature in IBM API Connect means that products can be contained in a space that is in a catalog.

If you have browser windows open with active Bluemix sessions, log out of Bluemix and close the browser window or windows. Clear the browser cookies. If you do not do this, you might not see the login window in step 5.

1. Click Sign in with Bluemix.
2. Enter the email of the other team member, such as appdevbm1. Click Continue. 

1. List files in the .targets subdirectory.
2. Using a text editor, open the oldest target file. Find the value testAppCredentials.

In API Connect, you can require explicit approval to move a product from one state, such as Staged, to another, such as Published.

1. Copy the lab files ClimbingWeather.yaml and ClimbingWeather-API.yaml to a local directory.
2. Log in to the Bluemix server by using your credentials and the following command:

1. Log in to Bluemix.
2. Click the name of the catalog to use (such as MyProd).

In API Connect, you can supersede a published product with another product by using the API Manager.
When you supersede a product with another product, the following actions are taken:

Before you update an API for this lab, review the subscriptions. Later in this lab, you can see the changes.

1. Log in to Bluemix.
2. Click the catalog that you want to use (such as MyProd).

1. Click the menu icon > Drafts.
2. Click APIs.

1. Click the Climbing Weather product.
2. Change the version number to 2.0.

1. Click Settings.
2. Click Portal.

In the final stage of an API’s lifecycle, you’ll likely need to deprecate, retire, and archive an API. Be sure you understand the differences between these stages:

1. Log in to Bluemix.
2. Click the name of the catalog to use (such as MyProd).

1. Click the ellipses (three dots) corresponding to the retired Climbing Weather 1.0.0 product. Select Archive.

1. To see the list of archived products, click the View icon. Then, select the Archived check box.

You should now understand how IBM API Connect can help you and your organization manage the complete lifecycle of an API.

You can find more articles and tutorials on IBM API Connect under Middleware on IBM developerWorks. Also, check out the articles and blogs on the IBM API Connect Development Center.