Application Programming Interfaces, or APIs, form the connective tissue for most data transactions in modern enterprises and are the means through which the vast majority of applications communicate. Almost all enterprises use APIs, and a large number of these organisations are using APIs to improve innovation and drive revenue. 85% of Fortune 100 companies rely on APIs, and that number will only continue to grow. In addition to that, it’s estimated that by 2027, APIs are projected to drive global economic growth by 14.2 trillion USD [1].
For most businesses API management can be a struggle, but those that invest in advanced API management processes have better business results. Business leaders and developers agree that they see 67% increased agility, 50% increased revenue, 65% increased team productivity and 44% increased competitive advantage by using API management [1]. It’s therefore important for organisations to invest in a worthwhile API management tool, and Boomi API Control Plane is a SaaS offering with advanced API management capabilities. In this post we’ll explore Boomi’s API Control Plane, its features and how it can assist businesses with their API management.
What is Boomi API Control Plane and Why is it Important?
Boomi’s API Control Plane is a SaaS API Management tool focused on solving the issue of API Sprawl. API Sprawl is a symptom of poor API management that occurs when resources are underutilised and unmanaged and is often characterised by the appearance of Zombie APIs and Shadow APIs [2]. Zombie APIs are APIs that are no longer being used and should be deprecated, whereas Shadow APIs are APIs that are unmanaged and often unsecured. Shadow APIs often do not conform to the rules and regulations governing other APIs.
Boomi API Control Plane helps tackle the issue of API Sprawl by providing the visibility and governance that’s missing from most API deployments today. It provides a vast number of features that make it easier for business to identify what APIs they have deployed and where, and in doing so allows organisations to monitor how many APIs are compliant with security policies. Boomi API Control Plane also enables businesses to see how many APIs are redundant or dormant, and which APIs can be reused so that resources are not wasted developing new ones.
What are the Features of Boomi API Control Plane?
Boomi API Control Plane features a single, centralised view for discovering APIs hosted across multiple platforms. This allows organisations to see what APIs they have available and enables them to identify any occurrences of Zombie or Shadow APIs.
Boomi API Control Plane also provides federated API management that allows businesses to apply consistent API policies and governance across APIs. This enhances API security, as security can be enforced and managed across multiple APIs (including those hosted on different platforms).
Another feature of Boomi API Control Plane is the Developer Portal, which assists with API consumption by both internal and external developers. It allows developers to see what APIs are available and access documentation for them in a single place. The Developer Portal is fully customisable and can also be secured to restrict access to only authorised users.
Boomi API Control Plane also has a wide variety of monitoring capabilities for assisting with API monitoring, auditing and operational efficiency insights. Using the Governance Dashboard, companies can monitor API health, usage, and performance in real time, and they can also identify any APIs that are performing poorly and deprecate those no longer in use. By reviewing which APIs have the highest latency and lowest quality scores, businesses can also make informed decisions and work on improving APIs with low scores.
What are the Key Components of Boomi API Control Plane?
Figure 1. An overview of the key components of Boomi API Control Plane, enabling unified governance and policy management across multiple APIs and API gateways. [3]
Boomi API Control Plane includes many key components that enable it to deliver a world-class API management experience. The main components are outlined below:
- The Admin Portal – An administrative interface where API policies, users, and deployment configurations are managed.
- API Control Plane Agent – The intermediary between the API Control Plane and the actual Cloud Environment where the Gateway and APIs live.
- API Products – Groupings of APIs for packaging, access management, and developer portal publication.
- Applications – Software programs or systems that use APIs to access data, functions, or services provided by the underlying APIs.
- Developer Portal – A self-service portal for internal or external developers to discover, test, and subscribe to published APIs and products.
- Environments – Environments serve as instances for deploying, testing, and monitoring APIs. They are critical to ensure the seamless transition of APIs from the development to the production phase, facilitate rigorous testing, and enable efficient API performance and behaviour monitoring.
- Organisations – Organisations allow businesses to create their company’s organisational structure and are used to enforce RuleSets and manage ownership of APIs.
- RuleSets – RuleSets are important for API security and are used to enforce rules when creating API specifications.
- The Governance Dashboard – The Governance Dashboard is used to monitor your Environments and APIs. It enables businesses to see if their APIs are running slow, how many times they were called, and their security and quality scores
The majority of the components that make up the Boomi API Control Plane are reminiscent of concepts present in other API management solutions. This includes the Developer Portal, Organisations, Environments, Applications and API Products. This enables Boomi API Control Plane to provide a streamlined, straightforward, and easy experience for companies looking to shift their existing API management processes to Boomi API Control Plane.
Conclusion
Organisations today are relying more heavily on APIs than ever before, and that has led many businesses to have problems with managing, maintaining, and governing their APIs. Boomi API Control Plane provides a next-level API management experience that is critical for organisations today in helping them manage API sprawl and transform their business outcomes. If you are curious about how Boomi API Control Plane can revolutionise API management for your business, contact us today.
Sources:
[1] “Kong HQ API Impact Report,” 2023. https://assets.prd.mktg.konghq.com/files/2023/09/65133b76-api-impact-report-2023.pdf)
[2] “Advance your AI and API strategies with the Boomi API Control Plane”, 2024. https://boomi.com/blog/why-api-control-plane/
[3] Boomi Training Modules
