APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) have transformed company digitization. APIs are now being used by organizations to develop new innovative solutions that fulfill the needs of both enterprises and their customers. Aside from that, APIs have simplified program development.

Businesses do not have to start from zero when developing a new application. They can receive an API with the features they require and then implement it. Take the Uber application, for example. When you use Uber to request a cab, the app uses the Google Maps API to find any available taxis in your area. You then choose the one you require. All of this appears to be taking place within the Uber app, but the app is using other APIs to ensure that everything runs well.

How did you manage to achieve this level of success?

Regardless, there is a lot of effort put into ensuring that these programs accomplish what they are designed to do. The APIs that enable these applications to succeed must be created according to agreed standards and tested to ensure that they match user expectations.

APIs must be managed throughout their lifecycle and constantly monitored to ensure that they are performing as expected. API administration and API gateway play a role in this. API management is the process of creating and distributing APIs while also ensuring that access is restricted, usage restrictions are implemented, usage statistics are collected and analyzed, and performance reports are provided.

API gateway, on the other hand, is an API management solution that receives all API calls and routes them to the appropriate resources to ensure that the delivered response meets all requirements. These two factors are crucial in assessing whether or not an API will be effective.

In addition to determining an API’s success, developers must benchmark their APIs to ensure that they are performing as expected. So, when it comes to benchmarking your APIs, what should you look for?

Consistency

Testing your APIs as frequently as possible is one method to ensure consistency when benchmarking them. This is because any changes to your APIs, or even your system – including things like other programs – will alter your test results.

Although some may argue that using Virtual Machines for consistent test results is preferable, this would entail adding more abstraction layers and running more processes on the host operating system. When benchmarking your APIs, dedicated hardware will deliver consistent results.

Recognize Your Network

You must first determine the capacity of your network before doing any tests while benchmarking your APIs. This is critical for evaluating whether the network or the APIs you’re testing are limiting your tests. You can use a variety of programs for this, with Iperf3 being one of the most popular.

After you’ve figured out your network, you can use tools like httperf to monitor traffic and make sure your bandwidth isn’t limiting your experiments. You will acquire reliable test results this way.

Use a single machine to complete all tasks.

One of the most typical errors made by developers is to generate their load on the same system that they benchmark their APIs on. The test results are therefore unreliable, as the load generator may use the same resources as the API, limiting its performance.

As a result, separate and dedicated machines for both the load generator and API tests are recommended. When testing, you should also use a closed network.

Overburdening Doesn’t Equal Capacity

Developers utilize tools to induce loads when benchmarking APIs. Some of these tools place an excessive amount of strain on an API. They do, however, show the amount of weight hurled. Even though this may appear to be a beneficial thing, especially when determining how an API responds when it is overloaded, it does not reflect the API’s capability.

This is because when microservices are exposed to greater traffic than they can handle, they are bound to lose some capacity. Instead of doing so while benchmarking APIs, developers should test their microservices at progressively larger loads. This should be done until the microservice reaches a point where it can no longer handle the load. You should be able to draw a performance curve from your microservice logs. This will show you how well your API works.

Deadlock Avoidance

APIs are notorious for causing deadlock. It occurs when two APIs that use the same resource try to block one another from utilizing it. You should look for deadlock situations when benchmarking your APIs. If there are any, you must discover a means to prevent them.

When calling any foreign code, make sure you don’t hold a lock. This will prevent deadlock in APIs. Any code generated by your API users, including listeners and callbacks, is referred to as foreign code. When benchmarking your APIs, this should be checked because it helps to eliminate various errors that occur when the API is utilized.

Finally, when testing APIs, developers should pick a programming language that they are familiar with, as each one has its own set of pros and downsides. For example, Python, one of the greatest web programming languages, is known for its simple frameworks as well as its benefits and drawbacks.

Additionally, before releasing an API, every developer must ensure that it has been fully tested. This is critical in ensuring that the APIs match their specifications and that any flaws that may arise later are eradicated. Effective API benchmarking is one method of accomplishing this.