Do we need to provision API Management when we call REST API accessible in public internet, from Azure services??

Question

Hi,

I have one question about applicability of API management in my use case.

Usecase:

I have an ADF within a private VNet. It has a REST API link service to fetch JSON data from REST api exposed over internet.

My question:

Since we are consuming external API, do we need APIM as extra layer? If yes, what will be the benefit for that?

My idea was, we use APIM to protect our own API.

Please suggest.

Regards,

Partha

Answer 1

@Pratim Das, Partha C Thanks for reaching out. APIM is typically used to manage and protect your own APIs, but it can also provide several benefits when consuming external APIs.

• Security: APIM can act as a gateway to the external API, providing an additional layer of security by allowing you to control access to the API and apply policies such as rate limiting, IP filtering, and authentication.
• Monitoring: APIM can provide detailed analytics and monitoring of API usage, allowing you to track usage patterns, identify issues, and optimize performance.
• Scalability: APIM can help you scale your API usage by providing caching, load balancing, and other features that can improve performance and reduce latency.
• APIM allows you to transform the request and response in flight. For example, you can change the shape of the data, add/remove headers, etc.

Reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/api-management/api-management-key-concepts

please let me know if case of further queries, I would be happy to assist you.

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