Bridging the Gap Between Development and Operations
Collaborative platforms of PostMan and Thunderclient provide a means to address the traditional divide between development and operations teams can often lead to bottlenecks and communication breakdowns.
These collaborative platforms lower the learning curve to demonstrate and validate use-cases via REST APIs may also be used for project management, version control, and continuous integration, development and operations teams can work together seamlessly. This unified approach streamlines processes, enabling both teams to plan, develop, test, and deploy software efficiently and cohesively for the PAM (Privileged Access Management) solution.
Automating Processes with REST APIs
Automation, driven by REST APIs, is a powerful way to eliminate manual, repetitive tasks and increase overall efficiency. When operations and business analysts are involved early in automation projects, they can identify which processes are best suited for automation, optimizing productivity and reducing errors.
Common workspace tools, integrated with REST API functionality, enable the sharing of API endpoints, documentation, and workflows. This allows for close collaboration between all stakeholders, ensuring that automation projects align with the organization’s specific requirements and objectives.
Ensuring Business Goals with REST APIs
Incorporating operations and business analysts into the early stages of DevOps and automation initiatives is vital for ensuring alignment with business goals. These professionals have a deep understanding of operational challenges, customer needs, and market dynamics. Their involvement in the process helps to define clear project objectives and metrics for success.
Additionally, common workspace tools equipped with REST API integration support the creation of comprehensive project roadmaps and offer real-time tracking of project progress. This transparency is essential for all stakeholders, guaranteeing that development, operations, and business teams stay coordinated throughout the project’s lifecycle.
Example
To show-case the value would require a lengthy blog entry, so we are enclosing a detailed walk-through that validates a business automation use-case via REST APIs for the Symantec PAM solution. While the primary goal was to reduce effort and automate a process, strong value was seen with the business team collaboration and unmasking the “black-box” of API development effort with a 3rd party API UI development tool.
Import API collections into tools
- Use the PAM appliance’s API docs URL to download PAM API to json file {you may use your browser to see the JSON files to import}
- https://<FQDN>/cspm/ext/rest/swagger.json
- Edit the downloaded swagger.json file
- Added “openapi”: “3.0”, string prior to the string “swagger”: “2.0”, to import the json into PostMan
- Import updated json into PostMan or Thunderclient
- Export from PostMan/Thunderclient to new json file with unique “item” entries (for folders)
- Edit json file, to move all entries under a new subfolder of REST via a parent “item” entry
- Import new PostMan/Thunderclient json
- Add in the other PAM REST APIs via api.php and cspm entries manually under their own folders
- Adjust values for four (4) objects that did not fit REST folder structure (due to mix with api.php on PAM API Doc)
Conclusion
REST APIs are at the heart of efficient DevOps and automation, facilitating the smooth flow of data and actions between systems. To make the most of these capabilities, involving operations and business analysts from the start is essential. By using REST APIs and common workspace tools, organizations can break down silos, improve communication, and ensure their DevOps and automation efforts are in perfect harmony with their strategic business objectives.
Embracing this collaborative approach not only accelerates project timelines but also encourages innovation and continuous improvement. It’s the pathway to long-term success in our modern digital landscape. So, whether you’re a seasoned professional or just beginning your DevOps and automation journey, remember that integrating REST APIs and early engagement of operations and business analysts can make all the difference in maximizing the potential of your initiatives.