Create and publish a product using Azure API

Creating and publishing a product in Azure API Management involves several steps. Azure API Management (APIM) is a service that helps organizations publish, secure, analyze, and manage APIs. A “product” in Azure API Management is a collection of APIs that are bundled together and made available to developers. Products can have access control policies, usage quotas, and terms of use.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating and publishing a product in Azure API Management:

Step 1: Set Up Azure API Management

1. Sign in to Azure Portal: Go to portal.azure.com and log in with your Azure account.
2. Create an API Management Service:
   • Click on Create a resource.
   • Search for API Management and select it.
   • Click Create and fill in the required details (e.g., subscription, resource group, region, and pricing tier).
   • Click Review + create and then Create.

Step 2: Add an API to the API Management Service

1. Navigate to your API Management Service:
   • Once the service is created, go to the resource in the Azure portal.
2. Add an API:
   • In the left-hand menu, go to APIs under the API Management section.
   • Click + Add API.
   • Choose how you want to add the API (e.g., from scratch, OpenAPI specification, or a Function App).
   • Fill in the required details (e.g., display name, name, and URL).
   • Click Create.

Step 3: Create a Product

1. Go to Products:
   • In the left-hand menu, go to Products under the API Management section.
2. Add a New Product:
   • Click + Add Product.
   • Fill in the required details:
     • Display name: Name of the product (e.g., “Starter Product”).
     • Name: A unique identifier for the product.
     • Description: A brief description of the product.
     • State: Choose Published to make it available to developers.
   • Click Create.

Step 4: Add APIs to the Product

1. Select the Product:
   • After creating the product, click on it to open its settings.
2. Add APIs:
   • Go to the APIs tab.
   • Click + Add API.
   • Select the APIs you want to include in the product.
   • Click Select.

Step 5: Configure Policies (Optional)

1. Set Policies:
   • Go to the Policies tab in the product settings.
   • Configure policies like rate limiting, quotas, or IP restrictions.
   • For example, you can set a rate limit of 100 calls per minute.

Step 6: Publish the Product

1. Ensure the Product is Published:
   • When creating the product, you set the state to Published. If not, go to the product settings and change the state to Published.
2. Share the Product with Developers:
   • Developers can subscribe to the product and get an API key to access the APIs.

Step 7: Test the Product

1. Subscribe to the Product:
   • Go to the Developer Portal (accessible via the API Management service).
   • Sign up as a developer and subscribe to the product.
   • Obtain the subscription key.
2. Test the API:
   • Use tools like Postman or curl to test the API using the subscription key.

Example Scenario

Let’s say you have two APIs:

• Weather API: Provides weather forecasts.
• Location API: Provides location details.

You want to bundle these APIs into a product called “Weather & Location Starter Pack”.

1. Create the Product:
   • Display Name: Weather & Location Starter Pack
   • Description: Access weather forecasts and location details.
   • State: Published
2. Add APIs:
   • Add the Weather API and Location API to the product.
3. Set Policies:
   • Set a rate limit of 100 calls per minute.
4. Publish:
   • Publish the product and share it with developers.
5. Test:
   • Developers subscribe to the product, get a subscription key, and start using the APIs.

Key Concepts

• API: A set of operations that can be called by clients.
• Product: A collection of APIs bundled together for developers to use.
• Subscription: Developers subscribe to a product to get access to its APIs.
• Policies: Rules that control how APIs are used (e.g., rate limits, quotas).