Introduction TIBCO API Exchange Manager is an environment for creating and managing API catalogs and developer communities for TIBCO API Exchange. API Manager supports four main user roles: • Application Developer • Product Manager • Partner Administrator • Portal Administrator What Is an API? In the TIBCO API Exchange environment, an API is a web application programming interface that can be shared between a provider organization and a partner. TIBCO API Exchange Manager includes support for SOAP and REST APIs. The API or service has a URL where it can be accessed as an endpoint. An API includes one or more message exchange patterns supporting different functions, called operations. An API may also include human-readable documentation and a machine-readable specification. Products and Plans A product is a package of one or more APIs—a commercial bundle. Products allow API providers to create and manage catalogs of APIs. Products are offered through plans, which provide different tiers or terms of service: typically rates, thresholds, and prices, for the packaged APIs. Partners are granted access to APIs through these plans. Partners can also request custom plans. Applications An application is a partner component that calls or consumes the API. The API might be called from an application running under direct control of the partner; running from a data center server, for example. It might also run outside the control of the partner, for example on a mobile phone or desktop. A partner registers each application with TIBCO API Exchange Manager, which allocates a unique application-specific key. Partners can enable or disable access to APIs on a per-application basis by revoking or resetting keys.
