Step 3: Importing the API

Next, you are going to import your API from the PAS Administration to API Management.

Good to Know: What is an API?

APIs represent real backend APIs (Application Programming Interfaces). An API is also known as a service, which offers a HTTP, REST or SOAP interface that can be invoked remotely by a client.

Scheer PAS API Management provides a way to turn unmanaged (raw) back-end APIs into managed APIs by attaching policies to them. Any policies configured on an API will be applied at runtime, regardless of the client and API contract.

An API has to be fully configured, including policies and implementation (and in case of public APIs including plans) to be published. If the API has been published to the gateway it can be consumed - in case of private APIs by clients.

Refer to APIs in the API Management Guide for more details.

As described in the prerequisites of the tutorial, you need to have access to the PAS Administration, and the RESTAPI_Echo_Example must be deployed and running in the Administration.
To import the API, open your service within the PAS Administration and go to tab Details:

Tab Endpoints shows all service endpoints, that have automatically been created during deployment. Select the endpoint with your service name EchoAPI and type rest, and click Import API to start the import to API Management:

The creation wizard will open and you can choose your organization. Click Next to continue:

Name and Version are already filled.

Change the name to PrivateEchoAPI_YourName , e.g. PrivateEchoAPI_Stringer.
Enter a description for the imported API.

Click Next to continue:

The Summary displays all details of the API. The settings of the API such as Endpoint, Definition URL, Definition Type and API Type will be filled with the corresponding information. Refer to API Settings in the API Management Guide for details about the settings of an API.

Click Create API to finish the import:

Newly created or imported APIs are automatically of type private.

Good to Know: What is a private API?

Scheer PAS API Management supports the creation and management of two different types of APIs: public APIs and private APIs.

A private API cannot be consumed by everyone: They require an API Key in order to be called. To consume a private API, a client and a contract must be created. Compared to a public API, private APIs require more complex configuration. But you can control the access to private APIs in a very fine-grained manner, you have insight into various metrics that can be displayed per client and you can map different access levels by assigning restricted usage plans to a private API.

Refer to API Types: Public vs. Private in the API Management Guide for more detailed information.

The import is finished and you are redirected to the details page of your new API. Now you can start configuring your API.

Curious about more details?

In this step you learned how to import the API of a service from the administration to API Management. Have a look into our API Management Guide if you are interested in more detailed information:

If you want to know more about APIs and their configuration options, check page APIs.
The imprt of an API is explained in detail on page Importing APIs.
For more information about the differences between public and private APIs, refer to page API Types: Public vs. Private.