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APIOps for Azure API Management

repository·main·Indexed 19 days ago

https://github.com/azure/apiops

A toolset designed to bring DevOps and GitOps practices to Azure API Management (APIM). APIOps enables developers to manage APIM infrastructure through version-controlled code, facilitating automated, audited, and repeatable deployments across multiple environments (e.g., Dev, QA, Prod) using extractor and publisher tools.

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What's inside APIOps

  1. Understand the APIOps repository structure

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    The repository is organized into the following key directories:

    PathPurpose
    tools/azdo_pipelines/Azure DevOps pipelines for running the extractor and publisher tools
    tools/.github/workflows/GitHub Actions for running the extractor and publisher tools
    tools/codeSource code for the extractor and publisher tools
    tools/scripts/New-ExtractorConfiguration.ps1Script to generate new extractor configurations or update existing ones to allow for diffing
    sample-artifacts-folderSample output from the extractor tool. The publisher tool expects this specific structure to push changes back to Azure
    configuration.extractor.yamlSample extractor configuration file
    configuration.[env].yamlSample publisher configuration file for environment overrides

  2. Use the APIM Extractor to generate APIOps artifacts

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    The Extractor is the core tool used to generate APIOps artifacts from an existing Azure API Management (APIM) instance. These artifacts serve as the source of truth for your APIM environment. Once extracted, you can manage changes to these files in version control and use a publisher tool to synchronize changes back to Azure via a CI/CD process.

  3. What is APIOps and how does it work?

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    APIOps applies DevOps and GitOps principles to Azure API Management (APIM). It places APIM infrastructure under version control, allowing operations to happen through code changes that can be reviewed and audited rather than making manual changes in the APIM portal.

    Key concepts:

    • Automated Lifecycle: Enables self-service and automated tools for API design, development, and deployment.
    • Environment Promotion: Designed to facilitate the promotion of changes across different APIM instances (e.g., Dev, QA, Prod) using a configuration system that supports overrides.
    • Version Control: Uses code as the source of truth for APIM configurations.

  4. Understand the APIOps methodology

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    APIOps applies GitOps and DevOps principles to Azure API Management (APIM). Instead of making manual changes in the APIM portal, operations are performed via code changes that are version-controlled, reviewed, and audited.

    To successfully adopt APIOps, it is recommended to use two complementary resources:

    1. The Complementary Guide: A hands-on, scenario-based lab designed to provide a 400-level understanding of automating API deployments. It focuses on the holistic lifecycle of API design and deployment. Access the Guide here.
    2. The Wiki: A resource-focused deep dive that covers all supported resources and detailed configuration setups. Access the Wiki via the GitHub repository tabs.

  5. Understand the repository folder structure

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    When working in the GitHub Codespaces environment, the repository is organized as follows:

    • apiops/: Contains all Markdown documentation files for the various challenges.
    • assets/: Contains all images, slides, and files used within the labs.
    • .vscode/: Contains tasks.json, which defines the automated tasks for building and running the website locally.

  6. How the integration test pipeline works

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    The integration tests use CsCheck to perform property-based testing. Each test iteration operates on a randomly generated TestState through the following lifecycle:

    1. Filtered extraction: Populates APIM, performs an extraction with a random filter, and validates that only the filtered resources exist on disk.
    2. Unfiltered extraction: Performs a full extraction and validates that all resources appear on disk.
    3. Publish without overrides: Wipes the APIM instance, publishes the extracted artifacts, and validates that APIM matches the TestState.
    4. Publish with overrides: Publishes again using a PublisherOverride (a subset of updated TestState values) and validates that APIM reflects these overrides.
    5. Commit-based publish: Validates state transitions using Git commits. The process involves:
      • Commit 1: Sets the initialState.
      • Commit 2: Sets the nextState (this ID is passed to the publisher).
      • Commit 3: Resets to initialState to ensure the publisher correctly respects the specific commit ID rather than just using the latest commit.

  7. Manage API changes using specification.yaml and apiInformation.json

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    When working with the code-first approach in APIOps, you must manage two primary files for each API. Understanding the relationship between them is critical for correct artifact updates:

    • specification.yaml: Contains the OpenAPI Specification (OAS). This file is the source of truth for the API's structure (paths, operations, parameters, etc.). If you modify a field (like displayName) in both this file and apiInformation.json, the value in specification.yaml will take precedence.
    • apiInformation.json: Contains APIM-specific metadata. Use this file to manage configuration that is not part of the standard OpenAPI spec, such as versioning, revisions, subscription requirements, and other APIM-specific settings.

    Best Practice for New Users: If you are new to the code-first workflow, it is recommended to first create an API via the Azure Portal (Scenario A) to configure necessary features (policies, operations, subscriptions, products, etc.). Then, use the extractor tool to pull those artifacts into your repo. This provides a working template of the specification.yaml and apiInformation.json structure to follow for future APIs.

  8. Understand the APIOps core methodology

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    APIOps integrates GitOps and DevOps principles into the API lifecycle. Instead of making manual changes directly in the Azure API Management (APIM) portal, you manage the infrastructure and API configurations through code.

    Key benefits of this approach include:

    • Version Control: All APIM infrastructure and configurations are stored in Git, enabling auditing and code reviews.
    • Security: Supports the principle of least-privilege access by reducing direct manual access to the APIM instance.
    • Automated Policy Enforcement: Provides early feedback on proposed policy changes within the pipeline, reducing risks and costs.
    • Consistency: Ensures high-quality, consistent API deployments across the organization.

  9. Integration test coding style and patterns

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    When contributing to the integration tests, follow these architectural patterns:

    Resource Construction

    • Use ResourceKey.From(...) for simple construction.
    • Use new ResourceKey { ... } when parameters are complex.

    Generation

    • Use Gen.Frequency for weighted generation when a uniform distribution is not appropriate.

    Module Pattern

    Each module must follow the Configure* / Resolve* pattern:

    • Configure*(IHostApplicationBuilder): Used to register dependencies.
    • Resolve*(IServiceProvider): Used to return the resource instance using configured dependencies.

    Helper Functions

    • Use local functions for helpers inside resolvers.
    • Use static for pure local functions.
    • Use class methods if the helper is shared across the module.

  10. Understand the project support policy

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    APIOps is an open-source initiative and does not receive formal support from the Microsoft APIM product team. The project is maintained and overseen by Microsoft Cloud Solution Architects on a best-effort basis. Response times may vary based on maintainer availability. The most effective way to communicate with maintainers is through the GitHub issue tracker.

  11. Override configurations across environments using YAML

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    To promote APIM changes across environments (e.g., Dev $\rightarrow$ QA $\rightarrow$ Prod), use an environment-specific configuration YAML file. This allows you to override properties like backend URLs, name-value pairs, or Application Insights instances.

    Usage Pattern:

    1. Create a unique YAML file per environment (e.g., configuration.prod.yaml).
    2. Provide the path via the CONFIGURATION_YAML_PATH parameter.
    3. The lowest environment (source) typically does not require a configuration file.

    Key Rules:

    • The configuration file is optional; if omitted, overrides must be provided via environment variables.
    • For child configuration overrides (e.g., apis diagnostics), you do not need to include the properties tag in your YAML.
    • The publisher supports both APIM 'secret' and 'Azure Key Vault' named value types.
    • You do not need to create named values in target environments ahead of time; the publisher will create them.

  12. Promote API changes across multiple APIM instances

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    APIOps is designed to facilitate the promotion of changes across different Azure API Management (APIM) environments (e.g., from Dev to Test to Prod).

    To manage these transitions, APIOps uses a configuration system that allows for configuration overrides. This enables you to apply the same code-based changes across various APIM instances while adjusting environment-specific settings.

    For detailed implementation of environment promotion, refer to the project's wiki on Configuration and the pipeline documentation.