API Gateway Mediator for Disparate Storage Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies require time-consuming and resource-intensive API conversion when integrating services with disparate API sets, preventing full integration between platforms with different API sets.
Innovation Solution
An API server computing device scans incoming requests to identify service types and uses associated service instances to provide lists of storage volumes without converting the requests, enabling integration across different API formats.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If API conversion is performed to integrate services with disparate API sets, then compatibility between different platforms is improved, but time consumption and resource usage increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an API gateway as an intermediary component that sits between client applications and storage services. This gateway receives API requests in various formats, translates them into a standardized internal format, and forwards them to the appropriate storage services. This mediator approach enables compatibility between disparate API sets without requiring conversion at the service level, thereby reducing time consumption and resource usage while maintaining adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the API integration process into distinct layers: the external API interface layer that handles various formats, the API gateway layer that performs translation and routing, and the internal service layer that uses standardized protocols. This segmentation allows each layer to be optimized independently, with the gateway handling conversion efficiently while services focus on core functionality, reducing overall integration time and resource requirements.
2Adaptability or versatility
If API conversion is performed to integrate services with disparate API sets, then compatibility between different platforms is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
By centralizing the conversion logic in a dedicated API gateway, the patent reduces system complexity compared to distributed conversion approaches. The gateway becomes a single point of complexity management, with well-defined interfaces and routing rules. This intermediary absorbs the complexity of handling multiple API formats, leaving the storage services simple and focused on their core functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The API gateway is designed as a universal component that can handle multiple API formats, protocols, and service types through a single platform. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity by eliminating the need for separate conversion mechanisms for each service or platform, as the gateway provides a unified approach to API integration across the entire system.
3Reliability
If complete integration between platforms with different API sets is achieved, then service interoperability is improved, but the requirement for API conversion increases time and resource consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by establishing API translation rules, service registries, and routing configurations in advance within the API gateway. These conversion mappings are pre-defined and cached, allowing the gateway to perform rapid lookups and translations during runtime without executing complex conversion algorithms for each request. This preliminary preparation significantly reduces resource consumption while maintaining reliable service integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by creating and maintaining standardized internal representations of storage services and their APIs. Instead of performing complex real-time conversions between disparate formats, the gateway copies requests into a standardized internal format that matches the service registry definitions, processes them efficiently, and returns responses in the original client format. This copying approach reduces computational resources compared to full conversion processes.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, non-transitory computer readable medium, and device that manages API requests includes receiving an API request to obtain a list of storage volumes from one or more storage devices, wherein the received API request is non-compatible with the API server computing device or the one or more storage devices. The received API request is scanned to identify a service type associated with the received request. Next, one or more service instances associated with the identified service type are identified. The list of storage volumes from the one or more storage devices using information from at least one service instance of the identified one or more service instances without converting the received API request is provided.