API DIAGRAMS
SLAPI Walkthrough
SLAPI functionality is really a collection of discreet functions that are deployed independently to perform simple tasks. When a user initiates a POST of object information, this post is put in a queue, where it is validated and set as an object key with the values from the POST request.
SLAPI itself, is unaware of where the changes are coming from, but simply watches for changes in the queue, and when detected, reads the new object information and formats the json templates to distribute through the Check Point supported REST API (utilizing the OpenStack v2.0 API specifications)
API Layers
To provide a framework that simplifies scaling and management of the service, an API Gateway is used to route API calls to their intended endpoint, preventing any application instance from interacting directly with another, as well as redirecting and verifying the successful completion of service requests.
API Gateway
Application endpoint configuration should remain simple and repeatable, so overlaying a http protocol route mapping affords us the ability to manage disparate systems at only the web layer.
While this is not technically a requirement for deploying an API, having a central point to authorize, route, transform, or redirect service functions is worth the additional effort and planning.