Chapter 6
Application Programming
Interfaces (APIs)This chapter covers the following topics:
Application Programming Interfaces (APIs): This section
describes what APIs are and what they are used for.
Representational State Transfer (REST) APIs: This section of
provides a high-level overview of the RESTful APIs and how they
function as well as the benefits of using RESTful APIs.
RESTful API Authentication: This section covers various aspects of
the API authentication methods and the importance of API security.
Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP): This section examines
SOAP and common examples of when and where this protocol is used.
Remote-Procedure Calls (RPCs): This section provides a high-
level overview of RPCs, why they are used, and the components
involved.
Software developers use application programming
interfaces (APIs) to communicate with and configure
networks. APIs are used to communicate with
applications and other software. They are also used to
communicate with various components of a network
through software. You can use APIs to configure or
monitor specific components of a network, and there
are multiple different types of APIs. This chapter
focuses on two of the most common APIs: northbound
and southbound APIs. This chapter explains the
differences between these type of APIs through the
lens of network automation.“DO I KNOW THIS ALREADY?” QUIZ
The “Do I Know This Already?” quiz allows you to assess
whether you should read this entire chapter thoroughly