Azure API Management Resources

Although I know my HTTP and Web API pretty well, becoming an API Evangelist on the Azure API Management team means also needing to know the nitty gritty of the Azure API Management product too.  In my learning process I have discovered a wealth of useful information, but it is scattered around a little.  Some is on the Azure documentation site, some on Channel 9, some on YouTube and some awesome content from our Microsoft MVPs.  This post is my attempt to gather it together to make it a bit easier to find. 

This is a first cut at collecting together the material.  I’ll add more content as I find it and update this post.

Getting Started

There are lots of getting started videos for Azure API Management and a simple getting started article.  We’re currently working on a new getting started article that will demonstrate some of the new features the team has been adding recently.

Articles

• Walkthrough

Videos

• Josh Twist : 101
• Josh Twist : 102
• Josh Twist : 103
• Anton – TechEd Europe 
• Josh Twist – TechEd NA 
• Sales Pitch
• Darrel Miller – Connect 

Policy Features

The policy engine in API management is the piece that allows you to add all kinds of useful behaviour into your request/response HTTP pipeline.  We have basic articles showing you the syntax and operations of the policies and we have lots of videos and articles showing practical examples of using the policies.

Articles

• Reference Documentation
• Policy Expressions

Videos

• Intro to expressions
• Cloud Cover Episode 177- More API Management Features with Vlad Vinogradsky

Rate Limiting Policies

Videos

• Rate Limits and Quotas
• Advanced Request Throttling with Azure API Management 

Articles

• Advanced request throttling with Azure API Management

Logging Policies

Video

• Integrate Azure API Management with Event Hubs

Articles

• How to log events to Azure Event Hubs in Azure API Management
• Monitor your APIs with Azure API Management, Event Hubs and Runscope

Integration Policies

Documentation

• Using external services from the Azure API Management service

Videos

• Send Request and Return Response Policies

Security Policies

Articles

• Mutual Certificate authentication
• Connect via VPN or ExpressRoute
• Enable console OAuth support
• Authentication with AAD
• Delegated authentication
• Provide RBAC-like access using the REST API

Videos

• Last Mile Security
• Azure Active Directory
• CORS 
• JSON Web Tokens (JWT)
• Delegating User Authentication and Product Subscription to a 3rd Party Site

Caching Policies

Videos

• Intro to Caching

Articles

• Custom caching in Azure API Management
• Add caching to improve performance in Azure API Management

Portal Customization

The developer portal is the self-serve interface for the consumers of your APIs.  This is a highly customizable place for developers to learn what APIs you have and how to consume them.  More customization cabilities will be released in the coming weeks.

Articles

• Customize the developer portal in Azure API Management
• E-mail notifications and templates

Videos

• Josh Twist – 102
• Using the media library

Automation / DevOps

The API Management instance is a key piece of the overal system architecutre.  It needs to be just as automatable and manageable as other parts of your system.  Look out for some major enhancements coming soon in this area.

Articles

• API Management REST API

Videos

• API Management REST API 

Use Cases

Learning from customer usage is the key to driving the future of the product in the right direction.  I’m sure there are more of these types of articles around and I’ll add them as I find them.

• Wellmark, Blue Cross, Blue Shield

End To End Samples

Azure API Management Master Class