Final answer:
Azure API Management is a Microsoft service that helps organizations manage APIs through a variety of services, including a gateway, a customizable developer portal, and security features.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Azure API Management service is a solution provided by Microsoft that enables organizations to create, publish, maintain, monitor, and secure APIs at scale. Essentially, it acts as a front-door to abstract backend services from API consumers and provide consolidated services such as user authentication, rate limiting, quotas, analytics, and more. By using Azure API Management, developers can ensure that their APIs adhere to consistent API design principles, which simplifies and enhances the experience for both the API publishers and consumers.
- API Gateway: Provides a reverse proxy to forward requests to the appropriate backend service.
- Developer Portal: An automatically generated, customizable website that enables developers to discover and test APIs.
- Security: Protects APIs with key authentication, IP filtering, and token validation.
- Analytics and Monitoring: Offers insights into the API usage and health.
- Developer Engagement: Tools to help onboard and engage API developers, such as API documentation and interactive console.