Open API Discovery Service Standardizing Heterogeneous Metadata
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems lack a standardized method for discovering and exposing application programming interfaces (APIs) across heterogeneous landscapes, making it difficult for software engineers to build extensions and integrations, as each source system has different metadata exposure methods, and conventional approaches do not scale easily.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an open API system that receives and standardizes API and event information from multiple providers into a common open API format, allowing for automatic discovery, presentation, and consumption of APIs through a centralized hub, using machine-readable formats like JSON, and providing a unified interface for users to access disparate APIs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If each API provider uses its own format-specific metadata exposure method, then the API information can be accurately represented for that provider, but the system complexity increases and scalability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer (API catalog service) that receives format-specific API information from multiple providers and transforms it into a standardized format. This mediator handles the complexity of format conversion centrally, allowing individual providers to maintain their native formats while the system achieves uniformity through the intermediary transformation service.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by transforming API metadata from provider-specific formats into a standardized format with consistent parameters. The system changes the structural parameters of the data (from heterogeneous to homogeneous) while preserving the semantic meaning, enabling uniform processing across diverse sources.
2Adaptability or versatility
If each source system uses different metadata exposure methods, then each system can maintain its own standards, but the ease of operation for software engineers decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal API catalog that serves multiple functions: it stores format-specific provider information, transforms it to standardized format, and provides unified access points. This universal structure allows software engineers to interact with all APIs through a common interface while the system maintains adaptability to diverse provider formats.
3Stability of the object's composition
If conventional approaches are used for API discovery, then existing systems can maintain their current architecture, but scalability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the API discovery system into independent modular components: API providers, API catalog service, and consumers. Each segment operates independently with well-defined interfaces, allowing the system to scale by adding or removing segments without affecting the overall architecture stability.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure generally describes methods, software, and systems for using open APIs. API and event information is received from plural API providers. The API and event information for each API provider is received in a format specific to the API provider. An open API format version of the API and event information is created for the API and event information of each API provider. The open API format version is stored in an open API format that provides a common ontology for expressing information about APIs and events available from the plural API providers. The open API format version of the API and event information is published.