API Technologies

GraphQL is a modern query language for APIs and a server-side runtime for executing those queries using your existing data. Unlike traditional REST APIs that expose multiple, rigid endpoints, GraphQL provides a single endpoint where clients can send a query specifying the exact data fields they need, including data from related resources. This client-driven approach eliminates the common problems of over-fetching (receiving more data than needed) and under-fetching (requiring multiple API calls to gather all necessary data), leading to more efficient and flexible communication between the client and server. The entire system is governed by a strongly-typed schema, which defines the API's capabilities and serves as a contract, enabling powerful developer tools and introspection.

gRPC (gRPC Remote Procedure Call) is a modern, open-source, high-performance framework developed by Google to efficiently connect services in distributed systems and microservices architectures. As a powerful API technology, it leverages the HTTP/2 protocol for transport, enabling advanced capabilities like bidirectional streaming and multiplexing, and uses Protocol Buffers (Protobuf) as its default Interface Definition Language (IDL) for defining service contracts and serializing data. This combination allows developers to define a service once and generate strongly-typed, language-native client and server stubs for numerous programming languages, resulting in compact binary payloads and fast, scalable, and cross-platform communication.

API Management is the process of designing, publishing, documenting, securing, and analyzing Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) in a secure and scalable environment. It encompasses the entire API lifecycle, using a set of tools and strategies to control access, enforce usage policies like rate limiting and authentication, and provide analytics on performance and adoption. Through features like developer portals and automated security enforcement, API management enables organizations to treat their APIs as managed products, ensuring they are reliable, discoverable, and valuable for both internal and external consumers.