Developer Management for Open APIs

On-Board & Manage Developers for Open APIs with the Layer 7 API Portal
Deploy an API developer portal as part of a complete solution for open API management The Problem
In the past, open APIs were exclusively associated with the big Internet players. Increasingly though, Fortune 500 companies, governmental departments and other large enterprises are starting to open their APIs to public developers. By exposing select information assets to mobile, Web and Cloud developers, enterprises can facilitate the development of third-party applications that leverage their data or application functionality, creating new opportunities for revenue, market reach and customer retention. However, opening APIs to outside developers clearly introduces potential risks for large enterprises. The data security risks of APIs are relatively well understood data leakage, DoS attacks and more. But often overlooked are the serious management difficulties that can arise from open APIs if proper controls are not put in place: Ballooning support and application maintenance costs Developer alienation if service levels are not maintained

For enterprises that are considering publishing open APIs, creating a strong foundation for developer management is absolutely critical. Effective developer management can make all the difference to: Minimize costs associated with API publishing and management Maximize adoption of APIs Maximize the value APIs return to the enterprise

The Solution: Layer 7 API Portal

Layer 7s API Portal acts as the developers primary interface with the enterprises open APIs, and the nexus for all development activity around those APIs. The API Portal is where developers: Discover what APIs are available and register for access Learn how to use APIs via documentation and online exploration tools Track API health and their own API usage

Because no two enterprises have identical requirements, Layer 7s API Portal is flexible enough to meet diverse requirements. It is highly customizable, can be integrated with pre-existing developer portals, offers a broad range of community features and comes complete with role-based access control and personalization opportunities. The API Portal is a key part of Layer 7s API Management Suite of products, which provides everything enterprises need to secure and manage their APIs. The API Management Suite also includes: SecureSpan API Proxy for easing API integration, and securing APIs against attack and misuse Layer7 OAuth Toolkit for simplifying OAuth-based access across mobile, Web and Cloud Layer 7 Enterprise Service Manager for ensuring continual API operation and quality of service

Key Features
Developer Community
Developer Registration Developer Support Reporting Provide self-service or gated registration with the flip of a configuration setting Allow registered developers to enroll colleagues under their organization on the API Portal Create discussion forums, integrated messaging, FAQs etc. Publish API documentation, sample code/applications etc. Measure API usage to track and meter API hits Measure application usage to answer: Which of my applications is most popular? Measure latency to answer: What is my customer's experience like? Provide announcements, developer support, FAQs and discussion boards to foster community among developers Provide developers with versioned docs to help them quickly understand how to use APIs Provide resources such as sample applications, code widgets/examples etc. Allow developers to submit queries and see API responses interactively Stratify developers into tiers Assign account managers to help manage specific high-value partners Automatically generate API keys for each developer application Create, suspend and revoke API keys Leverage out-of-the-box templates for API documents, landing pages, homepages etc. Insert custom code on every page (for the purposes of Google Analytics, etc.) Roll content back to previous versions, if necessary Edit content in an embedded rich text editor, paste from MS Word (preserving formatting) or work with the underlying HTML code Enforce workflow for content creation, editing, reviewing and publishing Edit content on the production site in staging mode and then push it live when approved for publication Define a personalized default dashboard for all users Change all logos, fonts, colors, graphical elements Access CSS files for control over headers, footers, page bodies, tables etc. Associate API docs, forums and API explorer entries with a private API in order to hide information from developers who have not been granted access Define tiers by assigning features (e.g. support plans, cost per month) Filter API Portal users by account plan to quickly suspend or un-suspend accounts Define unique and/or standard plans for each API Define quotas, rate limits and other features for each API plan Track applications as they move from development to test to production Measure API usage to understand which ones to invest in Measure application usage to understand which developers are valuable Measure latency to track SLA adherence

Forums Documentation & Resources Account Management API Key Management

Content Management System

Pre-built templates and CSS Content Management

Workflow

Dashboarding Branding Private Data

Business Management
Account Plans API Plans

API Analytics

Supported Standards
XML, SOAP, REST, PCI-DSS, AJAX, XPath, XSLT, WSDL, XML Schema, LDAP, SAML, XACML, OAuth, PKCS, FIPS 140-2, Kerberos, X.509 Certificates, XML Signature, XML Encryption, SSL/TLS, SNMP, SMTP, POP3, IMAP4, HTTP/HTTPS, FTP/FTPS, MQ Series, JMS, Raw TCP, Tibco EMS, WS-Security, WS-Trust, WS-Federation, WS-Addressing, WSSecureConversation, WS-I BSP, WSMetadataExchange, WS-Policy, WS-SecurityPolicy, WS-PolicyAttachment, WS-SecureExchange, WS-I, WSIL, UDDI, WSRR, MTOM, IPv6, WCF

The API Portal provides out-of-the-box support for Layer 7s industry leading gateway solutions: CloudControl, API Proxy and SOA Gateway.
To learn more about Layer 7 call us today at +1.800.681.9377 (toll free within North America) or +1.604.681.9377. You can also: email us at info@layer7.com; friend us on at facebook.com/layer7; visit us at layer7.com; follow-us on Twitter @layer7.
Copyright 2012 Layer 7 Technologies Inc. All rights reserved. SecureSpan and the Layer 7 Technologies design mark are trademarks of Layer 7 Technologies Inc. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.