How to create the initial API into APIM

[htwashere]

Question

Hello, this may not be a function of the apiops overall framework: Is the assumption that the initial API creation should be done via the Azure Portal?

Context

No response

[EMaher]

Hello @htwashere

There is an assumption that the API management resource already exists. You aren't required to have the initial API be created using the portal. However, it is often easier to create the api on a test instance and then call apiops extract. The files require to successfully publish an api to an API management instance are the same files you get when calling the REST API. (e.g. GET https://management.azure.com/subscriptions/{subscriptionId}/resourceGroups/{resourceGroupName}/providers/Microsoft.ApiManagement/service/{serviceName}/apis/{apiId}?export=true&format={format}&api-version=2024-05-01.)

A common pattern is:

1. Create the api in DEV environment.
2. Run apiops extract against API Management resource in DEV environment and merge changes to main
3. Run apiops publish against source in main with appropriate overrides to API management instance in STAGE environment.
4. Run apiops publish against source in main with appropriate overrides to API management instance in PROD environment.

However, there is nothing preventing some other tool/person creating the needed files for a code-first pattern:

1. New api files (e.g. apiInformation.json, policy.xml, schemaInformation.json ) created.
2. Run apiops publish appropriate overrides to API management instance in DEV environment.
3. Run apiops publish against source in main with appropriate overrides to API management instance in STAGE environment.
4. Run apiops publish against source in main with appropriate overrides to API management instance in PROD environment.

I hope that answers your questions. Please let me know if it doesn't.

Thanks,
Elizabeth

[htwashere]

Hello Elizabeth, thank you for your explanation. I will follow the pattern you have described.
Regards, Henry.