API management deployment

Use the IBM Automation UI to deploy an instance of IBM API Connect or the API Calls add-on so that you can create and manage APIs.

Introduction

In IBM Cloud Pak® for Integration, you can deploy the IBM API Connect capability, or a separately purchased add-on called API Calls. The instructions in this topic apply to both deployments. During installation, be sure to provide the appropriate license information for the product that you are deploying.

  • The API Connect operator and operands must be from the same release and fix pack level of API Connect to ensure a successful installation. Table 1 lists the current version of the operator and operand for API Connect 10.0.2.
    Table 1. API Connect operator and operand versions
    API Connect Operator channel Latest operator version in the channel Operand version to use
    v2.2 2.2.0 10.0.2.0
  • API Connect supports only the restricted SCC (security context constraint) in OpenShift.
  • API Connect requires the use of block storage.
  • When installed as a component of Cloud Pak for Integration, API Connect does not support the two-data center configuration.

Prerequisites

A Cluster Administrator should perform the installation tasks, to ensure access to the OpenShift web console.

  1. Configure the required cluster-scoped permissions for API Connect.

  2. Load the catalog sources as explained in Adding online catalog sources to a cluster.

  3. Install the API Connect Operator as explained in Installing operators.
    When you install the operator, you can choose whether to install it to all namespaces in the cluster, or to a single namespace. You can deploy one instance of each API Connect subsystem into a particular namespace. If you want to deploy additional instances, you must deploy them into different namespaces.
    • All namespaces in the cluster (default) - The operator deploys to all namespaces in the cluster. When you deploy API Connect, use the Namespace field to specify the namespace where you want to install.
    • A specific namespace on the cluster - The operator deploys to one specified namespace, and when you install API Connect it deploys to the same namespace as the operator.
    Restriction: OpenShift restricts the use of default namespaces for installing non-cluster services. The following namespaces cannot be used to install API Connect: default, kube-system, kube-public, openshift-node, openshift-infra, openshift. =
  4. If you are using the IBM Entitled Container Fulfillment Registry, a pull secret must exist in the namespace containing an entitlement key. See IBM Entitled Registry entitlement keys.

Deploying an instance of API Connect or API Calls

Complete the following steps to deploy the API Connect capability:

Attention: When you deploy the API Connect operator, the DataPower operator is also deployed. The DataPower Gateway is a required component of API Connect. If you delete the DataPower operator, the API Connect installation will fail.
  1. Log in to the IBM Cloud Pak for Integration Platform Navigator. Use the authentication method and credentials set by your administrator.

  2. In Platform Navigator, click IBM Automation menu > Administration > Integration capabilities.

  3. On the home page, click Create capability.

  4. Select the API management tile and click Next.

  5. On the Create an instance for API management page, select a deployment type and click Next:

    • API Endpoints - One Node - Minimum represents a nonproduction deployment, which installs 1 node for each of the API Connect subsystems.
    • API Endpoints - Three Node - Production represents a production deployment, which installs 3 nodes for each of the API Connect subsystems.

  6. On the next page, fill in the configuration fields described in Table 2.
    Note: You only need to complete the fields in Table 2. All other settings are preconfigured and can be accepted as-is. If you prefer to customize the configuration settings, click Advanced settings and fill in the configuration fields as explained in API Connect cluster configuration in the API Connect documentation.
    Table 2. Basic configuration settings for API Connect
    Field Value
    Name Required. A name for your API Connect instance.
    Namespace Required. Select the namespace where you installed the API Connect operator. Remember, you can only install one instance of API Connect into each namespace. This field only displays if you selected All namespaces in the cluster (default) when you installed the operator.
    License acceptance Required. Click to accept the license. You must accept the license to install API Connect.
    License use Required. Select production or nonproduction to match the type of license that you purchased.
    License metric Optional. Enter the unit of measure that is used for your program license:
    • VIRTUAL_PROCESSOR_CORE - Default value. If you leave the field blank, this value is used.
    • MONTHLY_API_CALL - Applies only to the "IBM Cloud Pak for Integration - API Calls" program.

      For information on tracking monthly call volume, see Tracking API volume for auditing and compliance.
    License ID Required. The License ID for the API Connect program that you purchased:
    • API Connect - Select L-RJON-BZ5LJ5 (the license ID for Program Name "IBM API Connect Enterprise PVU V10.0.2.0").
    • API Calls add-on - Select L-RJON-BXWP45 (the license ID for Program Name "IBM Cloud Pak for Integration - API Calls 2021.1.1").
    To view License IDs, see API Connect licenses in the API Connect documentation.
    Deployment profile Optional. Select the type of API Connect installation profile you want. The default corresponds to the choice of API Endpoints - One Node - Minimum or API Endpoints - Three Node - Production in the previous screen:
    • n1xc10.m48

      Corresponds to "API Endpoints - One Node - Minimum". Deploys 1 replica of each pod, so this profile is most suitable for a small, non-HA, system. Recommended use of this profile is for development and testing.

    • n3xc14.m48

      Corresponds to "API Endpoints - Three Node - Production". Deploys 3 or more replicas of each pod, so this profile is most suitable for larger systems and for production environments. This profile is supported for installation on a cluster with three or more nodes. It is not supported on a cluster with less than three nodes.
    Product version Optional. Select the API Connect product version or channel to be installed.
    Storage class Recommended. Specify the RWO block storage class to use for persistence storage. This will be used when creating a PVC. This setting is optional, but is highly recommended. If you omit this setting, it defaults to the default cluster storage class for API Connect.

    For guidance on Cloud Pak for Integration Storage class selection, see Storage in this documentation. To review API Connect storage support, see the "Supported storage types" section in Deployment requirements, in the API Connect documentation.
    Supported endpoint types Optional. Press Enter to see the list of options. You can select multiple types of endpoints for your deployment.
  7. Click Create.

API Connect configures Cloud Pak for Integration IAM (Identity and Access Management) as the API Connect "Common Services User Registry" (CSUR) and on-boards the OpenShift kubeadmin user into the CSUR as the API Connect Administrator. When you invite users to join provider organizations based on the CSUR, the user must open a private (incognito) browser to accept the invitation and register with API Connect.

By default, the API Manager local user registry (LUR) is disabled, but you can enable it after installation as explained in Selecting user registries for Cloud Manager and API Manager in the API Connect documentation.

Configuring your API Connect instance

Complete basic configuration settings for your instance of API Connect.

  1. In the navigation UI, click IBM Automation menu > Administration > Integration capabilities.

  2. Click the Menu icon next to the API Connect instance name, and select Cloud Manager.

  3. Log in to Cloud Manager with the Common Services user registry, using the same user name and password that you used for logging in to the Platform Navigator.

    Starting with Cloud Pak for Integration 2021.1, users must log in to the Cloud Pak for Integration platform in order to access the Cloud Manager and API Manager user interfaces in API Connect.

  4. Configure a mail server for sending invitations and notifications to users as explained in Configuring an email server for notifications in the API Connect documentation.

The API Connect instance requires further configuration before you can begin creating APIs. For information on what to do next with the API management capability that is provided by API Connect, see Managing APIs with API Connect.

What to do next

When you finish installing API Connect, prepare your deployment for disaster recovery so that your data can be restored in the event of an emergency.