Apigee Edge Learning Guide

Direct link to this article: goo.gle/apigee-edge-guide

There is a new Learning Guide!

This guide is not currently being maintained. Many of the links here are still applicable if you use Apigee Edge.

There is a new learning guide though! You can find the new guide at goo.gle/apigee-guide.

Purpose of this Guide

The information in this guide will help you gain the knowledge necessary for design and development of APIs on Google Cloud's Apigee Edge platform. It will help you learn about API design and documentation best practices, as well as the features of the Apigee Edge platform.

The API Engineer Certification has been retired. Please see the Retirement FAQs for more details.

Training: Developing APIs

The Developing APIs with Google Cloud's Apigee API Platform course series, whether taken via in-person, virtual in-person, or online, will help you learn many of the topics you will need to know to develop APIs on the Apigee platform. This is a series of three courses.

The Developing APIs course series has been updated! Completely new slides and slide content, and new labs. Access the updated course on Coursera or Pluralsight.

Apigee API Program Excellence Course

The Apigee API Program Excellence e-learning course on Youtube teaches you about what is required to build a great API Program. This course teaches you what Apigee's Digital Engagement Lead team does, and is recommended for API Engineers who are interested in expanding beyond the technical aspects of API Management into the business and strategy aspects of API programs.

Topics

This document lists most of the important topics useful for an Apigee API Engineer, presenting links to the content with short descriptions. The information is organized by topic. At the end of this document is a List of Resources by Source, which will provide the same links organized by source. Note: Apigee API Engineer training will cover many of these topics, and some of the webcasts and eBooks will cover topics also explained in the online docs.

Getting Started

Certain resources should be viewed by every Apigee API developer. If you are just getting started with Apigee, these will give you a good foundation. Even if you are an experienced Apigee developer, you may find important concepts in these materials.

Note: Each of these documents is also listed in the topic-specific sections below.

Getting Started with Apigee API Management - Video tutorials for getting started with Apigee API management.

API Design: Third Edition - A classic webcast discussing API design patterns.

Understanding APIs and API Proxies - Overview of APIs and proxies.

Understanding organizations - Describes the components that make up an Apigee Edge organization.

Understanding routes - Overview of routes, which determine which TargetEndpoint will be used.

About Virtual Hosts - Overview of virtual hosts. Also see Virtual Host Property Reference.

Controlling how a proxy executes with flows - Explains the flow of a call through a proxy.

What is an API product?

Analytics Services overview

OAuth: The BIG Picture - Overview of when, how, and why to use OAuth.

Best practices for API proxy design and development - A great list of best practices to follow when designing API proxies. Be sure to drill down into links you find in this document.

Glossary - Glossary of Apigee Edge terms.

Apigee Naming Conventions - Naming conventions for code, proxies, key/value maps, etc.

General Resources

Apigee Online Docs - Official documentation for Apigee.

Apigee eBooks - Free eBooks on API development topics.

Apigee Webcasts - Webcasts on all topics related to Apigee Edge and APIs.

Apigee 4 minute videos for developers (4MV4D) - Short videos on Apigee Edge and API development topics.

Apigee Community - Community for asking and answering questions related to Apigee Edge and API development.

API Jam - Repository of a one-day lab showing the full lifecycle of an API.

Dino Chiesa's YouTube videos - Dino creates awesome videos to help you with some of the more difficult API and Apigee concepts.

Apigee DevRel - Various solutions and tools developed by customer-facing Apigee architects.

API Design Best Practices

API Design: Third Edition - A classic webcast discussing API design patterns.

Web API Design: The Missing Link - API design best practices - an excellent overview of API design concepts.

API Facade Pattern - Description of the façade pattern that can be implemented using Apigee Edge.

Apigee Edge Anti-Patterns - Some useful anti-patterns and solutions for Apigee Edge development. I recommend downloading the Anti-Patterns ebook that can be found at this link.

OpenAPI Specification 2.0 and API Documentation Best Practices

Create an API proxy from an OpenAPI Specification - Tutorial to create a proxy from an OpenAPI spec.

Best Practices for Defining an API Specification

Edge Policies

Policy reference overview - Top level index of all policy reference pages. Drill down into the policy-specific pages to see the options available for each Edge policy, as well as when each policy should be used.

JavaScript object model - Object model for JavaScript policies, including access to flow variables.

Comparing Quota, Spike Arrest, and Concurrent Rate Limit Policies

OAuthV2 policy

JWT policies

SAML Assertion policies

How to create a Java callout - Cookbook for creating a callout.

Policy error reference - Error messages and flow variables set when policy errors occur.

Edge Proxy Design

Getting Started with Apigee API Management - Video tutorials for getting started with Apigee API management.

Understanding APIs and API Proxies - Overview of APIs and proxies.

API proxy configuration reference - Reference of proxy structure.

Endpoint properties reference - ProxyEndpoint and TargetEndpoint configuration properties.

Variables reference - Predefined variables available within proxies.

Conditions reference - Conditions enable dynamic control of proxies.

About message templates - String substitution via variables and functions within policies and endpoint elements. Also see Message template function reference.

Understanding organizations - Describes the components that make up an Apigee Edge organization.

Best practices for API proxy design and development - A great list of best practices to follow when designing API proxies. Be sure to drill down into links you find in this document.

Understanding routes - Overview of routes, which determine which TargetEndpoint will be used.

About Virtual Hosts - Overview of virtual hosts. Also see Virtual Host Property Reference.

Controlling how a proxy executes with flows - Explains the flow of a call through a proxy.

Managing proxy state with flow variables - Description of use of flow variables in proxies.

Handling faults - Description of fault handling in Edge.

Working with key value maps - Includes encrypted and unencrypted KVMs.

Support for HTTP response header (ResponseCache) - Use of caching headers.

Working with cache keys - Cache key details.

Cache internals - Implementation of caches in Edge.

Reusable shared flows - How to create and use shared flows for code reuse. Also see Attaching a shared flow using a flow hook.

Chaining API proxies together - Tutorial on proxy chaining.

Implementing HTTP Clients in JavaScript - Describes how to use JavaScript to make http calls.

Glossary - Glossary of Apigee Edge terms.

Error Handling Pattern for Proxies - Describes a clean way to handle creation of error messages within your proxy.

API Products, Developers, and Apps

Create API products - Also see What is an API product?

Managing app developers

Register apps and manage API keys

Making sense of API product configuration

Edge Analytics

Analytics Services overview

Analytics dashboards - List of dashboards available out-of-the-box.

Using the analytics dashboards - Use of the Edge Analytics UI. Also see

Build and Implement your API Analytics Strategy - Webcast overview of Edge Analytics.

Analytics metrics, dimensions, and filters reference

Edge Troubleshooting and Debugging

Using the Trace tool - Using the trace tool for debugging proxy issues.

Troubleshooting Playbooks - Guides for troubleshooting Edge, and troubleshooting FAQs.

Apigee Troubleshooting Videos - Videos to help with common troubleshooting scenarios.

Policy Error Playbooks - Complete error description and troubleshooting guidance for Edge runtime and deployment policy errors.

Product limits - Complete error description and troubleshooting guidance for Edge runtime and deployment policy errors.

Edge Deployment and Environment Promotion

API development lifecycle - Overview of API Lifecycle using Edge environments.

npm apigeetool - Node tool for deploying proxies and other resources to Edge.

Edge Developer Portal

There are two types of developer portals: Drupal-based and integrated. The Drupal-based portal is more powerful, and the integrated portal is easier to use.

What is a developer portal? - Overview of developer portals.

Differences between the Drupal and integrated developer portals

Drupal developer portal FAQ

Integrated developer portal documentation

Edge Monetization

Understand monetization - Summary of the monetization feature available in Apigee Edge. Drill down into other monetization topics in the docs.

API Security Topics and Best Practices

OAuth2 - This is the landing page for a wealth of topics on OAuth 2. Drill down into those topics.

API keys - An overview of API key validation for APIs.

OAuth: The BIG Picture - Overview of when, how, and why to use OAuth.

How to Integrate with Different Identity Management Systems - Identity management integration using Edge.

Advanced Security Extensions in Apigee Edge - Webcast includes discussion of JWT tokens. This webcast was created before the JWT policies were available in Edge.

OWASP Best Practices to Protect Your APIs from Security Vulnerabilities - Webcast discussing using Edge to protect against OWASP vulnerabilities.

About TLS/SSL - Description of one-way and two-way SSL/TLS terminology and flows.

Keystores and Truststores - Description of keystores and truststores used for SSL/TLS communication.

Data masking and hiding - Description of features in Edge that control visibility of data in logs and tracing.

Using Third-Party OAuth Tokens - How to use third-party OAuth tokens within Apigee.

API Lifecycle Topics and Best Practices

A Checklist for Every API Call - Topics to be considered for every API.

Digital Business Survival Guide - Guide to building an API program.

The Digital Transformation Journey - Insights into digital transformations of several companies.

Continuous Integration for API Proxies - Overview of continuous integration for APIs.

Forming an API Test Strategy - Where to Start - Getting started with API testing.

Apigee CI/CD with Cloud Source repositories, Cloud Build, and Cloud KMS - An example of how to use Google Cloud as your CI/CD pipeline.

Edge Microgateway

Deep Dive - Apigee Edge Microgateway - A webcast describing the features of Microgateway and demoing it. From 2016, but most of the content still applies. Also see the 4MV4D series on Microgateway.

Developing custom plugins - Step-by-step for developing custom Microgateway plugins.

Edge Microgateway FAQ

Edge Hosted Targets (native Node.js targets)

Hosted Targets overview

Hosted Targets tutorials

Hosted Targets reference

Hosted Targets FAQ

List of Resources by Source

Apigee Online Docs

Apigee eBooks

Apigee Webcasts

Apigee Community

Github

Youtube videos

Other links

Contributors
Comments
API-Evangelist
Participant V

wow!! great article.All in one. Thanks Mike.

Not applicable

wow!!. All in one great article. Thanks Mike

mdunker
Staff

Added links to "Making sense of API product configuration", "API Jam", "Best Practices for Defining an API Specification", and "Cache internals".

mdunker
Staff

Added link to "Developing custom plugins" for Microgateway.

remeeshnair
Participant IV

Very nice article, thank you Mike, appreciate you for putting all these together...

udayakaky
Explorer

Great Effort! Thanks Mike!!

mdunker
Staff

Added link to Apigee Troubleshooting videos.

mdunker
Staff

Added policy error playbooks for troubleshooting Edge runtime and deployment policy errors.

shawkyfoda
Participant IV

Regarding the Certificate Exam topics? there are 2 version for portal development , New Edge and Drupal based Version. Which one is included in the exam ?

mdunker
Staff

Hi @Shawky Foda -- I'd take a look at the Certification Study Guide -- thats the guide specific to the exam. This list is not meant specifically as a certification study guide. If I had to guess (I don't have specific knowledge of the questions that are currently on the exam), I'd say that anything regarding the developer portal would not be specific to how you develop on either portal.

mdunker
Staff

Added link to "Error Handling Pattern for Proxies."

mdunker
Staff

Added link to the certification study guide in the API Engineer Certification section.

mdunker
Staff

Changed API Jam link.

mdunker
Staff

Added link to page with sample certification exam.

mdunker
Staff

Added information about the integrated developer portal, and differences between integrated and Drupal-based developer portals.

mdunker
Staff

Apigee Edge Anti-Patterns is now live documentation instead of an ebook -- changed the link.

mdunker
Staff

Added note about downloading Anti-Patterns ebook.

mdunker
Staff

Fixed links to certification resources.

mdunker
Staff

Added link to doc page on using third-party OAuth tokens.

mdunker
Staff

Add information about Apigee's API Program Excellence course on YouTube.

mdunker
Staff

Added direct link to article: https://apigeek.page.link/learning-guide

simonxuan
Participant II

Daunting List but very comprehensive. Wish there are more samples of practice exam out there. Thanks Mike for the tremendous effort of listing them together here.

sachinmarkapura
Participant I

Very Useful article. Thanks for sharing.

itravindrasingh
Participant V

OAuth1.0a and Implicit grant type are mostly not recommended nowadays, are these still a topic must be prepared for the exam.

Does the

  1. Extensions topic also needs to be prepared for the exam?

Any features that are GA in Edge are all fair game. It's not as important to know the specifics of the implementation configuration, but it is important to know the capabilities and constraints of the items.

simonxuan
Participant II

Mike: If you publish an Apigee Certification Study Guide book in Amazon, I will be the first to buy it. Now I am restudying these missing links to prepare for my 2nd try. Thanks.

souvik-das
New Member

Hi @Mike Dunker, thank you for sharing and maintaining this exhaustive self-learning guide for Apigee API Engineer certification.

However, some of the webcast links are changed due to migration from Apigee to Google. I am happy to help identify such links and provide the correct URL.

Please let me know you thoughts.

mdunker
Staff

Hi @Souvik Das -- if you could point out the ones that are broken, that would be fantastic. Appreciate it!

mdunker
Staff

Fixed up a bunch of broken links. Big thanks to @Souvik Das for tracking these down!

venukatta
New Member

@Mike Dunker @Google I would like to thank you for this page which played a pivotal role in my certification. Thanks a lot!!

richamaheshwari
Participant I

Thanks @Mike Dunker @Google This page as really helpful for me in clearing my certification.I studied each and every thing mentioned here .

mdunker
Staff

Congrats on your certification!

mdunker
Staff

Congrats on your certification!

mdunker
Staff

Added link to product limits reference page.

mail-2
Participant IV

I think this needs an update. F.x. the Node.js section is deprecated since Oct 2019.

Trireme based node proxies were deprecated, but hosted targets (which use node) are not.

mail-2
Participant IV

Yes, that's why I'm suggesting an update of the Node.js section.

aluno
Explorer

Does anybody know the correct (updated) link to Apigee Edge Microgateway - A webcast describing the features of and demoing Microgateway? This one is not working 😞
Thanks in advance.

mdunker
Staff

Hi @Marcelo Franca - I have updated the link to the video above. It is from 2016, filmed in our old Apigee offices (pre-Google)! I also added a link to the playlist for Microgateway videos in the 4MV4D (four minute videos for developers) series. Hope that helps!

mdunker
Staff

Hi @Raffael2020

You are quite right! I have removed the content related to Node.js (Trireme). Thanks!

mdunker
Staff

Added details about updated Developing APIs course toward the top of the guide. All new content, and new labs!

mdunker
Staff

Added a link to Dino Chiesa's YouTube videos. Dino is an Apigeek who provides great answers on community.

mdunker
Staff

Added a community article about using Cloud Source Repositories, Cloud KMS, and Cloud Build to implement an Apigee CI/CD pipeline.

zubermohammad
Participant V

Great work @Mike Dunker @Google... Thanks for sharing.

mdunker
Staff

Thanks @Mohammed Zuber !

mdunker
Staff

Added link to Apigee naming conventions community article.

mdunker
Staff

Added a link to the Apigee DevRel github repo.

mdunker
Staff

Changed Apigee API Engineer certification details -- certification exam has been retired.

Version history
Last update:
‎12-15-2023 10:18 AM
Updated by: