API or Application Programming Interface is a robust solution for building applications on Azure. It allows developers to interact with different components of a software or system. An essential aspect of developing solutions for Microsoft Azure (exam AZ-204) involves creating and documenting APIs. Therefore, mastering these skills can lead to successful project deployment as well as effective communication between developers and users.
I. Creating APIs
Microsoft Azure provides Azure API Management, a comprehensive, multi-faceted platform that aids developers in building, deploying, protecting, and managing their APIs. It supports a range of API designs, including RESTful APIs, HTTP APIs, SOAP APIs, etc.
To create an API on Azure, you can follow these steps:
- Navigate to Azure Portal and create an instance of API Management Services.
- In the API Management Service instance, select the APIs’ menu and click on ‘Add API.’
- Fill out the requested details, including the Web API’s name, URL, and other relevant information.
- Add operations to your API (e.g., GET, POST, DELETE, etc.) and specify their behavior.
- Finally, click ‘Create’ to finish the API creation.
Azure also supports importing APIs. Developers can import APIs in various formats, like OpenAPI, WSDL, etc., making the process highly flexible.
II. Documenting APIs
Documentation is crucial for maintaining a healthy lifecycle of an API. It helps users and developers understand the functionalities, usage, and boundaries of APIs. Good documentation should be accurate, complete, clear, and target the specific audience appropriately.
Azure API Management offers developers the ability to generate comprehensive API documentation automatically. This documentation can be customized and published on a developer portal, providing an accessible platform for clients, developers, and other users interested in the API.
To publish API documentation on Azure:
- Navigate to the API Management Services instance.
- Select the ‘Developer portal’ option.
In the developer portal:
- Click on the APIs menu.
- Choose the API you want to document.
- Use the built-in editor to add text, images, and other media to your documentation.
Besides being able to produce textual explanations and instructions, Azure takes documentation to the next level by providing a dynamic console in the developer portal. This console lets users test API operations directly, promoting an active learning experience through interactive documentation.
In addition, Azure API Management supports OpenAPI Specification (previously known as Swagger Specification), which is a powerful tool for designing APIs and generating interactive documentation.
III. Final Thoughts
Creating and documenting APIs form an integral part of Azure development solutions (exam AZ-204). Azure offers a wide range of tools and features that simplify these tasks, making it an excellent choice for developers worldwide. By genuinely understanding these processes, one can build, manage, and scale their APIs effectively on Azure, contributing to a superior application development ecosystem.
Practice Test
True or False: Azure API Management supports only RESTful APIs?
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Azure API Management supports both RESTful APIs and SOAP APIs.
The OpenAPI standard helps in:
- A. Documenting APIs
- B. Building APIs
- C. Securing APIs
- D. All of the above
Answer: A. Documenting APIs
Explanation: OpenAPI standard is primarily designed to aid in creating API’s documentation.
Which Microsoft Azure service would be most appropriate for creating APIs?
- A. Azure API Management
- B. Azure Machine Learning
- C. Azure SQL Database
- D. Azure Bot Service
Answer: A. Azure API Management
Explanation: Azure API Management is used for creating, publishing, maintaining, and securing APIs.
What are the core competencies of Azure API management?
- A. Securing APIs
- B. Scaling APIs
- C. Building APIs
- D. All of the above
Answer: D. All of the above
Explanation: Azure API management is a platform for creating, securing, managing, and scaling APIs.
What is the role of the Azure Functions service in API development?
- A. It is used for executing small pieces of code, or “functions”, without worrying about a whole application or the infrastructure to run it.
- B. It is used for managing and deploying functions.
- C. It is used for scaling functions
- D. All of the above
Answer: D. All of the above
Explanation: Azure Functions is a serverless solution that allows you to write less code, maintain less infrastructure, and save on costs.
True or False: Azure API Management provides built-in analytics and threat protection.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Azure API Management provides built-in threat protection and analytics to aid in maintaining API security and performance.
Which type of backend service should you choose while creating an API on Azure?
- A. Web
- B. Logic App
- C. Function App
- D. All of the above
Answer: D. All of the above
Explanation: Depending on the use case, any of these backend services (Web, Logic App, Function App) can be used.
True or False: OpenAPI Specification (formerly Swagger Specification) is a specification standard for REST APIs documentation.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: OpenAPI Specification is a widely adopted protocol for documenting APIs.
How many stages are there in a typical lifecycle of an API made with Azure?
- A. Three
- B. Four
- C. Five
- D. Six
Answer: C. Five
Explanation: The lifecycle stages of an API on Azure are Create, Publish, Monitor, Maintain, and Deactivate.
True or False: Azure Functions are always language specific.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Azure Functions support a variety of languages like C#, F#, Node.js, Python, PHP, batch, bash, and any executable file, enabling a multi-language development platform.
Interview Questions
What is the primary purpose of creating and documenting APIs in Microsoft Azure?
The primary purpose of creating and documenting APIs in Microsoft Azure is to facilitate communication and interaction between different software applications, enabling them to exchange data and services seamlessly. This also supports the growing need for cloud-based services and micro-services in application development.
Which Microsoft Azure service is used to publish APIs?
Microsoft Azure uses Azure API Management service to publish APIs, both internally and externally, monitor and analyze usage, and manage the APIs effectively.
How does Azure API Management ensure secure access to APIs?
Azure API Management ensures secure access to APIs by using protocols such as OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect, offering API keys, employing IP restriction policies, and providing backend authentication using client certificates.
What is the OpenAPI specification in Azure?
OpenAPI specification, formerly known as the Swagger specification, is an API description format in Azure. It provides a standard and language-agnostic interface to RESTful APIs, allowing both people and computers to understand the API’s capabilities without reading the source code.
What is the primary purpose of the Azure Function App in the context of APIs?
Azure Function App can be used to create and host APIs within Azure. These can be serverless functions that act as API endpoints, making it easier and faster to build APIs connected to Azure services and databases.
What is meant by an API operation in Azure API Management?
An API operation in Azure API Management refers to a URI path and its related HTTP methods that can be accessed via the API. This could be the GET, POST, DELETE, and PATCH methods associated with a particular API resource.
How is versioning managed in Azure API Management?
Versioning in Azure API Management is managed by either appending a version identifier to the URL path, a query string, or a header value in the HTTP request. This allows the developers to make changes to the API without breaking the existing functionalities.
What is the use of Azure DevOps in API development?
Azure DevOps plays a significant role in API development by offering tools for continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD), which are essential in developing, testing, and deploying APIs. It also provides artifact repositories, monitoring tools, and other services to support a full DevOps lifecycle.
What is meant by API Management instance in Azure?
An API Management instance in Azure refers to a unit of the Azure API Management service that is deployed within a specific Azure region. It contains a gateway and a developer portal, and it is managed as a single unit.
How can you monitor the performance of APIs in Azure?
You can monitor the performance of APIs in Azure using Azure Monitor and Azure Application Insights. These tools provide telemetry data, like request rates, response times, and failure rates, which help to understand the API’s behavior and performance.
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