API Governance Modules for 5G Microservice Mapping and Validation
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for technologies that facilitate efficient integration of internal and external microservices into 5G networks, particularly through transparent and configurable application programming interfaces (APIs), to manage interactions with external microservices and ensure data quality, response time, and version compliance.
Innovation Solution
A framework and methodology using API governance modules to manage and validate interactions with internal and external microservices via APIs, applying governance policies to ensure data quality, response time, and version compliance, with transparent mapping and recursive interaction capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple API governance modules are invoked to map requests to microservices, then the integration efficiency and management capability of microservices is improved, but the system complexity and processing overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The API governance system is segmented into multiple independent governance modules, each responsible for specific aspects of API management. These modules can be selectively invoked based on the request type and target microservice, allowing the system to scale complexity only where needed rather than applying a monolithic governance structure to all requests.
Solution Approach 2:
The API governance modules are designed with multi-functional capabilities to handle various microservice integration scenarios through unified interfaces. Each module can perform multiple functions including authentication, rate limiting, routing, and monitoring, reducing the need for separate specialized components and thereby managing system complexity.
2Reliability
If API governance policies are applied to validate interactions with external microservices, then data quality and compliance are ensured, but the validation time and processing delay increase
Solution Approach 1:
API governance policies are pre-configured and cached before runtime operations. Validation rules, authentication credentials, and routing configurations are prepared in advance, allowing the system to perform rapid policy matching and validation during request processing without the overhead of dynamic policy compilation or interpretation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where validation results from previous requests are cached and reused when appropriate. If a request pattern has been validated before with the same governance policies, the system can leverage previous validation outcomes to reduce redundant checking, thereby maintaining data quality assurance while minimizing processing time.
3Ease of operation
If transparent mapping of requests to microservices is implemented, then the ease of operation and developer experience is improved, but the mapping complexity and configuration overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The API governance system implements self-service capabilities where the transparent mapping configuration is automatically generated and maintained based on observed usage patterns and service dependencies. The system can autonomously discover microservice relationships and update routing configurations without requiring manual intervention, thereby providing transparent mapping to operators while reducing the actual configuration overhead.
Solution Approach 2:
An intermediary mapping layer is introduced between the API gateway and microservices that handles the complexity of request routing transparently. This mediator component abstracts the complex mapping logic from end-users and operators, presenting a simplified interface while managing sophisticated routing rules, service transformations, and load balancing configurations in the background.
4Adaptability or versatility
If recursive interaction capabilities are enabled among microservices, then the network functionality and service composition flexibility is improved, but the risk of infinite loops and system instability increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback-based loop detection mechanisms that monitor recursive interaction patterns among microservices. When a service makes a request that eventually circles back to the same service or creates a cyclic dependency chain, the feedback mechanism detects the loop pattern and terminates the request sequence, preventing infinite loops while allowing legitimate recursive service compositions.
Solution Approach 2:
The API governance modules perform preliminary validation of service interaction graphs before allowing recursive compositions to execute. The system analyzes the proposed service call chain to identify potential circular dependencies and rejects configurations that would create instability, thereby preventing harmful recursive interactions before they can affect system reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
Technologies for facilitating APIs for microservices associated with a communications network are disclosed. An example method includes receiving a request to a target API exposed by an API platform, and invoking a combination of API governance modules corresponding to the target API and selected from API governance modules implemented remotely from the API platform, to map the request to microservices. The microservices include internal microservice(s) maintained within the communications network and external microservice(s) maintained externally to the communications network. The method also includes applying API governance policies indicated by the combination of API governance modules to validate interactions with the external microservice(s) based on the request and generating and sending a response to the request.