API Registry Knowledge Graph Change Detection

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Managing software API updates is challenging due to asynchronous communication between providers and customers, unknown impact of API changes, and the difficulty in identifying breaking changes, leading to potential crashes and resource wastage, especially in distributed and cloud-based environments.

Innovation Solution

An API registry system that transforms API software code into knowledge graphs, identifies changes between versions, and sends customized alerts to subscribers, allowing for simulation of API upgrades and downgrades to assess impact and inform decision-making.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If traditional monolithic architecture is used for software development, then API management is simpler, but adaptability to distributed and cloud-based environments is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability to distributed environmentsVSAvoidAPI management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the monolithic software architecture into microservices, allowing each service to have its own API lifecycle. This segmentation enables distributed deployment and independent scaling while the central registry coordinates across segments to manage overall API governance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an API registry as an intermediary component that mediates between microservice providers and consumers. The registry receives API definitions, generates knowledge graphs, and distributes update notifications, thereby simplifying the complexity of managing distributed APIs without requiring direct peer-to-peer communication between all services.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of information

If asynchronous communication is used between API providers and customers, then system independence is maintained, but information synchronization is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveAPI update notification timelinessVSAvoidcommunication simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the API registry continuously monitors API definitions and automatically generates update notifications when changes are detected. Subscribers receive synchronous notifications about API updates, ensuring information synchronization while maintaining the independence of provider and consumer systems through the registry intermediary.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Measurement precision

If comprehensive API monitoring is implemented to identify all consumers, then impact analysis accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimpact analysis accuracyVSAvoidmonitoring system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The API registry acts as a central intermediary that automatically tracks all API consumers and their subscription relationships. This centralized monitoring approach provides comprehensive impact analysis capability without requiring complex distributed tracking mechanisms at each service endpoint, thereby improving measurement precision while controlling system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Productivity

If manual API update management is performed, then resource allocation is controlled, but productivity is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveAPI update management efficiencyVSAvoidtime for impact assessment

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements self-service automation where the API registry automatically generates knowledge graphs from API definitions, identifies changes between versions, determines impacted consumers, and distributes update notifications. This automation eliminates manual impact assessment processes, significantly improving productivity while reducing the time loss associated with manual analysis and notification distribution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS20240296079A1Message-based management of knowledge graphs representing application programming interfaces

Publication Date: 2024.09.05 SAP SE

AI summary

A computer-implemented method can include registering a new version of an application programming interface (API) with an API registry, transforming the new version of the API to a first knowledge graph, comparing the first knowledge graph to a second knowledge graph to determine a difference graph, and sending the difference graph to selected entities who have subscribed to the API registry. The second knowledge graph can be transformed from a prior version of the application programming interface. The difference graph connects the second knowledge graph to the first knowledge graph and identifies changes from the second knowledge graph to the first knowledge graph.