IBM API Connect Reviews

API Connect is mainly used as a gateway solution to expose, secure, and manage APIs. 

Using API Connect allows us to quickly create proxy APIs and saves time on end-to-end testing, which lets us deliver quickly to clients.

API Connect's most valuable features are API management and creation.

The developer portal could be easier to customize - as it's Drupal-based, I have to hire a Drupal developer to do it for me. I feel there should be a drag-and-drop or UI-based configuration to customize the developer portal. In the next release, I would like some support for file uploads and MQ integration.

I've been using API Connect for six years.

The newer versions, from 2018 forwards, are quite stable.

API Connect is scalable because it's completely containerized.

IBM's technical support is very good.

The initial setup was straightforward, and deployment took two days.

I did the implementation myself.

I would say that if you want stability and security, you should go for API Connect. It's a very robust product that lets you easily create and manage your API. I would rate API Connect as nine out of ten.

My clients mainly use API Connect as an API gateway. A lot of the backend services need to be exposed to other parties, mobile devices, interfaces, etc. 

API Connect's most valuable feature is its ability to act as a gateway. It's very easy to configure security and everything else in it. You don't have to kill yourself implementing custom configurations. Sometimes the customer wants to incorporate their identity provider, and API Connect handles that without any problems. 

One thing about API Connect that could be improved is the security schemes. There are so many security schemes, and from a product perspective, IBM could improve the user experience of the configuration security scheme. It does what it is supposed to do, but it could be easier to configure. The junior developers sometimes find it a bit confusing to configure even though they understand the concept.

And another thing is that I don't know the security policies that we have. For instance, we have a service account, which is needed to connect to some other services. So in those cases, I find it a bit hard to tweak things in the API gateway. And one could argue that it is not the right thing to do with the API gateway. It has a different place to be, which could be why they haven't put it there. But sometimes, you have to tweak around that, and I find it a little bit hard to do that. So if they could accommodate that in there, it would be better for some people.

I've been using it for the last four years on and off. The last time I deployed it was a few months ago.

API Connect is reliable.

API Connect is scalable, but I've found that everything is more stable if you reset the server every 40 or 45 days. Once, we had an incident in which we were unsure about what happened, but it crashed after 60 days. We didn't know the reason. It could've been a mistake in the product implementation. We don't know what happened, but this particular incident occurred two times. After that, we began restarting it every 45 days. So that's the resilience part, but the scalability part works without a problem.
Another thing is that we don't know all of the use cases that we have worked on before, so we didn't go for automatic scaling of the API gateway. That's done in the backend services. So I'll be honest to say that we haven't explored the auto-scalability of API Connect much. Instead, we put that on full throttle. This can cause a bottleneck if we play around with it, so we didn't take many risks. We put that on full throttle and did the tweaking in the backend services. That's how we did it in the past.

I've interacted with IBM support many times. They're good. They get back to you within 12 or 14 hours after you initiate a ticket. IBM support will get on a call with you if needed and guide you. It's no problem. They provide the same level of support to everyone. 

Setting up API Connect is a straightforward process. Maybe it seems more manageable because I've been taking baby steps rolling it out for the last few years. So when we talk about the latest version, it's not a headache if you follow the documentation. Even for an operations person, it's a piece of cake. 

It takes a minimal amount of time to deploy as a product. Including the processes for the organization, installing the product could take half a day. And when we ask the Ops team to do it, it usually takes half a day for them to do it. They have to document the IP and keep a log of what they're doing. 

API Connect itself does not require any maintenance. But when our teams write the business logic into it, that usually requires some support and maintenance. So a team of two people looks after the whole setup. And they work in shifts. Usually, it works on an onshore-offshore model. So one person from the onshore team will be supporting it for some time, and when he goes off, the other person comes up. 

API Connect's license cost could be a little lower. But, unfortunately, there aren't many open-source API gateways. Ideally, some new developers could come up with a minimum-functionality open-source solution. When I look for open-source resources that work with API C or Apigee, I find very few that can do that. It's not available or very popular in the open-source community. I've only worked with large companies that are capable of affording these licenses.  A better option for smaller companies might be to have two or three developers build a custom API gateway. That might be more affordable for them.

I rate API Connect seven out of 10. I would recommend it to customers if they have the money to pay for it, but it depends on the ecosystem. So, as a consultant, I would recommend API Connect if the customer already has an IBM license. Big companies generally have IBM middleware running somewhere, so they might have a license for these things. In cases like this, we would usually recommend API Connect for their purposes rather than spending more money on a different product. And if a client is building something entirely new and has to get a new license, we'll compare the options, including Apigee, MuleSoft, API C, or a custom solution. 

For on Premise Solutions:

Out of the box policies for Gatewayscript, JWT generate and validate. Oauth support .

Since it runs on top of Datapower, all Datapower based custom policies can be utilized and exported to API connect but its not straightforward/simple process.

Export of Analytics data in CSV format.

API connect is far better, faster and sleek as compared to IBM API management.

API connect support better error handling scenario with additional policies and catch node.

We utilize API connect to proxy to backed micro services or Datapower. We also do JSON to SOAP mapping / rest to soap apis, which is a very common pattern. We use it for any lightweight rest/soap message processing , analytic gathering and API usage policy enforcement.

IBM has improved this product significantly in last 2 years but it is still not stable and require further improvements. There are several issues administering the product. Features like , taking manual back up is still not available through GUI. The API manager cmdline is only accessible using one Admin account.

IBM recently added a feature to do autoback up in recent API connect firmware releases but its not very user friendly.Also the exported backup can not be unzipped and is not readable.

IBM info-center help documentation also needs improvement. Competitive product like Apigee provide out of the box policies to run Javascript, JAVA and better/flexible logging policies.

Apigee cloud provides various test tools where APIs performance can be tested from different regions in the world. As of now, as per my understanding IBM doesn't have similar test assist tools in Bluemix cloud .

Troubleshooting any issue is very difficult as it runs on Datapower so Datapower know how is required. Also you need to log on to multiple VMs/devices including Datapower to troubleshoot if errors are not properly handled.

IBM definitely needs to improve their customer support process for their new products as it demands more attention from customers because of large number of defects, long learning curve and lack of documentation.

1.5 year

We lost the old configuration during firmware upgrade of API connect.

IBM API management did have several stability issues, where working in different tabs in browser cause issues saving the configuration changes.

Also IBM API management is very slow and its inbuilt test tool is crappy as it takes around 1.5-2 mins to test any API after configuration changes.

IBM API connect is far better but we still haven't stress/load tested apis,so wouldn't comment on it.

One example of instability, We lost the old configuration during firmware upgrade of API connect.

For IBM API managment , some times config replication in Management cluster might take as long as 2 minutes so change in one API manager might not be reflected quickly in another API manager. Also API management GUI need to refreshed in browser to see latest state.

6

4

I have used APIGEE in a different project.

IBM infocenter for IBM API management and Connect is still not very helpful.It takes lots of reading and terminology know how to correctly configure it.

Initial set up was done by IBM but new VMs are configured by us.

Not sure.

Not sure.

No.

Troubleshooting any issue can be very difficult.

V3 is way better then v2, and v4 has further improvements. We have the ability to secure, control, transform, catalogue and optimize access to our APIs for external and internal partners and developers.

The APIs are exposed to B2B partners in a secured, and better way. Internal re-usability of APIs are encouraged by cataloguing all the APIs.

It lacks the ability for billing and metering the API usage to invoicing in v3, however, v4 does have this. Automation of deployments is needed.

We've used it over a year, v3 was purchased in Q2, 2014.

Manual steps for deployment is needed.

No issues encountered.

No issue with scalability as the run timefor API Management is proven and time tested i.e. Datapower which all fortune 1000 companies use.

The IBM customer rep was very helpful in the POC phase, and helped us escalate custom/new features which we requested.

Ir's excellent.

No other product was used, and the service was just exposed by Datapower.

Initial setup was straightforward as 50% of the solution was already in place. IBM API runs on IBM Datapower so the setup was only needed for IBM API Management itself.

We did it in house using the same set of Datapower developers supported API Management.

We also looked at WS02 which was way too complex and needed almost 14-15 VMs to run. As we had Datapower, it was a natural choice for us.

If the customer is already using IBM Datapower then it is a no brainer that IBM API Management will complement their existing investment.

It gives a holistic environment for us to set up the APIs and that's the main value that it adds. It gives end to end for us.

We moved from another manager to this one and latency has improved a lot. It has improved the latency response by maybe 20-25%.

In fact, we have had a discussion with IBM and it's agreed upon that they would give us the features that we have asked for, just in three months. We have asked IBM for scalability and for some other features that we wanted. We had a dialogue with them and in the end, they have agreed to provide us with features related to API setup and security. They agreed to give it to us in three months, so we are happy.

In regards to the stability, we are new to it, so it is OK right now. We haven't put much into it yet.

The scalability we have not tested yet; we are testing it now as we speak.

We do use technical support and are in constant contact with them. They are very good.

Previously, we were using Layer 7. The reason as to why we decided to switch solutions was because the current environment was not working for us.

I was involved in the installation process to some extent. I am from architecture, so usually the infrastructure team would be involved.

There are several other solutions that we evaluated but it depends on the capability that we are looking at.

Initially, we started off with one solution and then, moved on to another, as we found out that it's not helping us.

We do several things before selecting a vendor. It's not in my purview, but we do the product evaluation as well. Obviously, IBM is a big vendor and we are a big shop of IBM.

Go for it!

Getting a perfect rating depends on the product and how they give us support or not. We haven't gutted it, thoroughly. It is in production, but it's not perfected. Maybe in six months or more, we'll know more about it.

It offers enhanced security features to protect APIs, enforce access control, and secure sensitive data. It also works as a powerful integration tool for the internal and external transmission zone, allowing us to connect with different vendors easily.

There is room for improvement regarding the connectivity of the DevOps.

I have been using it for three years. 

The solution provides high stability. I would rate it nine out of ten.

It is designed to handle large-scale API operations, so it ensures high scalability. I would rate it nine out of ten. 

They are lacking in terms of customer service and technical support. I would rate it six out of ten. 

Neutral

The initial setup is easy. It is based on available courses and steps that are comprehensive and helpful.

The deployment process is facilitated and fast. It takes about an hour for the solution to be deployed.

The pricing is significantly high. I would rate it eight out of ten.

IBM API Connect is a really good API management solution that offers a variety of benefits and advantages such as rapid development tools and enhanced productivity. I would rate it nine out of ten.

We are a regulation entity dealing with many sensitive services. We carry out supervision and regulation for FinTech companies and other financial institutions. We are partners with IBM and I'm the project delivery director.

In general, this is a powerful system. We're currently only using one or two functionalities from API Connect. One of them is consulting WSRR to get the endpoints which is a powerful component. Each API management has a Gateway located on the DMZ that can be exposed to external networks and does the authentication, authorization, some security functionality as filtering, checking the security aspects such as decrypting, encrypting or service transformation and other functions. The development portal is good and can be used by external developers who can develop it at their site.

One issue we have with this solution is its complexity. In addition, it doesn't handle large volumes of traffic very well. 

I've been using this solution for several months. 

The stability is good. 

Scalability is reasonable but not great. 

Customer service takes a while to respond. They also want a lot of information and this adds to the time involved in getting a response. 

The initial setup is not easy, similar to other IBM products. It's quite complex even with a system integrator and the deployment took some time. We have around 15-20 users on the development side. We plan to increase that in the future. 

All IBM products are expensive and API Connect is no exception. The license includes everything such as a per BVU charge along with other integration components plus OpenShift for microservices and DevOps and others. You can purchase a better BVU and then you can use any features or components under this license. They have the Cloud Pak for Automation package which includes BAW Business Automation. They also have something called Aspera for file transfers. 

We evaluated API Connect and Apigee. API is designed to be a comprehensive solution for building and managing API with features for designing, development, and distinct publishing APIs, as well as for managing the life cycle of API and enforcing security. Apigee on the other hand is designed primarily as an API management platform while focused on securing and scaling APIs for use by extended developers. Ultimately, the best platform will be the one suited to your specific needs and use cases. 

API Connect is a standalone platform, which means it may require additional integration with other tools in order to support the range of API developments. API Connect is designed to support the management of large numbers of APIs but may struggle to handle large volumes of traffic or very complex APIs.

It's helpful to have a suitable in-house team and to work hand-in-hand with the system integrator. You also need powerful infrastructure and hardware. If you're exposed externally, you have to apply security standards either on the Gateway or F5, or the Load Balancer. It requires the capabilities for good enterprise or solution architecture and sufficient experience on the integration side in order to have the right solution design and system architecture.

I rate this solution eight out of 10. 

We are using IBM API Connect to integrate bank applications. We are linking frontend services with the backend to prevent unwanted penetration.

I have found IBM API Connect to be highly secure, efficient, easy to deploy, and has a great GUI. It can operate and integrate well with other vendors, such as Amazon, Google, and Microsoft.

I have been using IBM API Connect for approximately two years.

The solution has a modern cloud and it has been stable and reliable. We have not had any breaches of security.

The solution is highly scalable, you can scale up and down. It has good performance, and you are able to customize the APIs to what you want.

The support we have received from IBM has been great, they have been very responsive.

I have previously used Oracle API gateway. When comparing the two, they are both very reliable and have good APIs but IBM on-premise installation is more flexible.

The installation was difficult with the IBM toolkit.

We have an architectural roadmap to follow while doing the implementation of the solution and it took approximately three months for our teams to complete. I had some support from IBM during the process.

The price of the solution is very expensive, it can turn many customers away.

The solution is very good and might not be suited for everyone's use case. Organizations might not need such a robust solution that is priced as high as it is. The demographics can play a role in if this solution is suitable, it depends on what others are using to make it competitive. For example, in Africa, the use of this solution is very low, they are not thinking too much about security. However, if your organization wants to take its operations to the next level then this solution might be the right choice.

I rate IBM API Connect an eight out of ten.