Continuous API Management

Chapter 8. API Landscapes

The theory of evolution by cumulative natural selection is the only theory we know of that is in principle capable of explaining the existence of organized complexity.

Richard Dawkins

As the number of capabilities exposed through APIs grows, it becomes important to manage this evolving set of APIs in a way that maximizes the utility and value of the overall set of an organization’s APIs. This is an important balancing act to keep in mind, because what may be the best (or a relatively good) way to expose an individual service through an API may not be as useful when looking at it through the lens of how easy it is to use that service as part of the overall landscape.

API Landscape Definition

An API landscape is the complete set of APIs published by an organization (see Figure 8-1). The APIs in an API landscape can be in different maturity stages (create/publish/realize/maintain/retire), and can be intended for different audiences (private/partner/public). The APIs may also differ in other aspects, such as style or implementation method.

The goal of an API landscape is to provide an environment that helps improve the effectiveness of designing, implementing, and operating APIs. As a result, the API landscape should also help the organization to meet business goals such as faster product cycles, easier ways to test and change products, and providing an environment where business ideas and initiatives get reflected in IT as quickly as possible.