Vordel API Server

Vordel API Server is a unified platform that provides all the required infrastructure services for the management, delivery, and security of APIs. These services can be summarized in the following six categories:

• API transformation
• API control and governance
• API security
• API monitoring
• API development lifecycle
• API administration

API Transformation with Vordel API Server

Protocol Transformation - Vordel API Server performs protocol and message transformation to enable API interoperability. Vordel supports a wide range of protocols and message formats such as: HTTP, FTP, SMTP, POP, TCP, SOAP, REST, XML, JSON ...etc. Direct transformation such as XML-to-JSON and SOAP-to-REST are pre-configured operations. Custom transformations are done using policies. For utmost flexibility, Vordel API Sever supports transformation using JavaScript, Groovy, Jython, and Ant.

Orchestration - A policy is an orchestration of transformation, integration, control, and security tasks to be applied to an API. Vordel Policy Studio is a drag-and-drop Eclipse-based development environment for building policies. Vordel uses an intuitive model of Circuit and Filter to make orchestration fast, simple and flexible.

Brokering - APIs are often mash-up of other APIs. Vordel API Server brokers the security and protocol requirements from source APIs. For example, a Package Tracking API uses source APIs from FedEX, UPS and DHL. Vordel API Server routes the API call, insert the security token, and translates to the protocol required by each shipper’s API.

API Control & Governance with Vordel API Server

Quality of Service (QoS) - Vordel API Server provides QoS monitoring, alerting and enforcement. Vordel monitors API performance in real-time, raises alert based on QoS thresholds, measures and reports on QoS. Vordel API Server can take policy-driven actions to uphold QoS, such as metering, throttling, and routing optimization.

Routing - Vordel API Server can route APIs to different back-end systems based on policy. Policies can be driven by factors such as performance optimization, service level agreement, security and compliance. APIs can be routed using static policies or dynamic policies that key off attributes such as client identity, message type, network condition and geography.

Service Level - Business services can be offered at different service levels. Service level agreements (SLA) need to be auditable and enforceable at the API level. Vordel API Server measures API performance and usage data to enforce and audit SLAs. Vordel can also enforce policies to meter API usage and throttle API performance based on SLAs.

API Security

Interface Security - Vordel API Server provides message-level firewall protection for APIs. Vordel scans headers, messages, and attachments to detect and block attacks such as denial-of-service, cross-site scripting, and virus. See the API Protection page and data sheet for a full list of threats that Vordel detects and blocks.

Access Control - Vordel API Server is the enforcement point for API authentication, authorization, and audit policies. Vordel provides pre-built integrations for the leading identity and access management platforms (IAM) such as CA, IBM and Oracle. Vordel also extends these IAM platforms with advanced features such as SAML and OAuth federation, fine-grained authorization, device and application authentication.

Data Security - APIs can transmit sensitive data such as credit card number, thus may be subject to compliance mandates such as PCI DSS, privacy, and data residency. Vordel API Server scans API traffic at header, message, and attachments levels for sensitive data. Vordel can redact and encrypt API traffic to ensure compliance.

API Monitoring And Reporting

Auditing & Logging - Vordel API Server provides great flexibility to capture the audit data you need. You decide what data to capture, when to capture them and how they should be logged. Audit data and logs are securely stored and accessible for reporting or delivered to log management and system monitoring tools.

Monitoring & Alerting - Vordel API Server has real-time system and traffic monitoring tools to alert administrators of exceptions and assist with investigation. The Real-Time Monitor tool provides a real-time window into message traffic and The Traffic Monitor tool traces transactions down to individual policy steps.

Analytics - Vordel reports on API usage statistics such as what APIs are being used, how much are the APIs used, when are the APs used, and who are using the APIs. Analytics data is accessible via the Vordel Analytics user interface, automatically emailed as PDF reports, delivered to system management tools, or accessed through REST APIs and the database for custom reporting.

API Development Lifecycle

API Development - Vordel Policy Studio lets developers build APIs and policies in a drag-and-drop Eclipse development environment. Using Filters and Circuits; a developer can create policies that perform integration, transformation, logical, and security tasks. Vordel ships over 120 pre-built Filters and Circuits covering the most common usages scenarios, third-party technologies and standards.

API Testing - Vordel API Tester (formerly known as SOAPbox) is an interactive testing tool developers use to test API functionalities, profile API capabilities, perform load and performance testing, and simulate attacks to identify API vulnerabilities.

API Distribution - API developer portals are commonly used to market APIs, recruit developers, and provide support. Vordel API Server powers API portals by providing infrastructure services such as: application on-boarding, security artefact management, identity management integration, and partner database integration. Vordel API Server also manages migration of APIs and configurations across development, testing, staging, and production environments.

API Administration

API Administration - Vordel Manager Console provides full API lifecycle management from creation to end-of-life. An API service catalogue provides a centralized repository for API definition, version history, policy, and meta-data. Delegated and role based administration enable distributed management across a large enterprise.

Client Administration - Vordel Manager Console provides full lifecycle administration of API client entities and relationships, including organization, application, device, and user. The API client schema is fully configurable and extensible. The API Server also provides integration to trading partner databases and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems.

Transaction Administration - Vordel Manager Console provides full monitoring, alerting, and reporting of transactions. Trace tools allow administrators to debug transaction exceptions down to individual policy steps. Capture, store, search, and manage transactions with full audit trail.