michaela-damm.jpg
blocshop
August 14, 2020
0 min read

APIs and microservices – what’s the difference?

APIs and microservices – what’s the difference?.jpeg

Are you confused about the differences between microservices and APIs? Read on for a quick and clear explanation of where they fit into modern approaches to web applications. And how you can use them both to supercharge your development process.

What’s an API?

An Application Programming Interface (API) is a system of structured communication. It lets an application get information from an external service or product using a set of commands. These commands and the information they produce are predictable and usually exhaustively documented.

Here are some examples of APIs in the wild:

  • Need to get a list of all restaurant addresses in your town from Google Maps? Use the Google Maps API.

  • Want to gather account activity from Twitter or search for keywords in old Tweets? Use one of the many Twitter APIs.

  • Want to add secure online payments from PayPal to your application? Use the PayPal API.

APIs include protocols for requests and responses, formats for the transfer of data, and conventions to be followed when interacting with their respective applications.

Ultimately, APIs allow applications to talk to each other and get what they need.

Because the API is standardized, you can be sure that you’ll get a particular response to your request. That makes it easy for you to feed that response into your application and use it for whatever you need.

What are microservices?

Until relatively recently, applications were always programmed as monolithic, self-contained entities. As some of these applications became more complex and unwieldy, it started to make sense to break them up into smaller components. Carve out some functionality, create a separate application, and enjoy the benefits of a smaller codebase, leaner team, and independent development pipelines.

These separate components are called microservices.

Microservices operate independently, so they can use different coding languages and even be replaced or improved without affecting the application as a whole. Microservices even use different databases. They really focus on their own area.

Large companies have been especially active in using microservices. Smaller teams and projects can be easier to manage when you’re dealing with a vast ecosystem such as Netflix or Amazon.

How do APIs and microservices work together?

APIs enable external applications to communicate, but the same process can be used when you break up a single application into microservices. Microservices also use APIs to communicate.

What’s the difference between microservices and API?

Microservices are an architectural approach to designing an application. They are part of a design decision whereby you use small, independent services for individual functionality.

In the microservices architecture, APIs are the communications framework that you use to enable each of the microservices to exchange information.

For example, an online store might be broken up into the following microservices:

  • Product catalog – this contains all the items sold in the store.

  • Orders – when someone orders a product, the order gets tracked here.

  • Payments – the customer pays for their order and the payment is processed in this service.

You can probably already imagine several other microservices, but let’s stick with these for now.

There are inherent advantages to keeping all of these areas separate, especially in a big online e-shop. If there’s a change to the structure of the products offered, there’s no need to mess with the way orders and payments services are coded. The same goes for if something new needs to be added to how payments are processed. There’s no need to change Products or Orders just because you have to update Payments.

So our online store has three microservices. They need to talk to each other.

A customer browses a product and orders it. Products needs to tell Orders what the item is so that it can be correctly pulled from the warehouse shelf and shipped.

When the customer finally decides to pay for the order, Orders needs to interface with Payments so that the correct amount is billed.

None of these conversations need to be very complex. Most of the time, each service is just exchanging a small amount of data and updating its own separate database.

That’s where the API comes in.

Each microservice almost certainly has its own API - its own set of rules for communicating with it. When Products talks to Orders, there are particular pieces of information that Orders needs to receive. It probably isn’t interested in user reviews, for example, but it does need to know the current price of the item.

So a microservice needs to use APIs to talk to other microservices, but APIs are more neutral than that. As we saw above, they can be part of the microservice itself, but they can also be part of other external applications, such as Google Maps, Twitter, and PayPal.

Even better, because of the way that APIs can talk to services without worrying about the internal workings of those services or how they store data, some microservices within an application can be opened up to third parties.

In the same way that Google or PayPal allows communication with their services, our example online store could be given an API to enable another web application to serve data to online reseller or reviewing applications. This kind of integration can become incredibly powerful and lead to new, unexpected uses for data – and increased exposure for the company serving it. For some companies that provide really useful data, APIs can even be monetized directly.

Microservices and APIs are made for each other. The decentralized nature of microservices lends itself to a need for a framework of lightweight, specialized communications. When you get microservices and their APIs really working together, you might be surprised at just what you can achieve.

Blocshop has extensive experience in creating microservices from scratch and converting legacy monolithic systems to microservices. We also have the right know-how when it comes to creating the APIs you need to get everything talking and operating smoothly. Get in touch with us today to get a quote for your project, or even if you just want to have a chat about how microservices could help your business.

Free ebook: From monolith to microservices

From monolith to microservices (ebook): How to break a monolith application into microservices.png

Learn more from our insights

roro665_data_transformation_from_one_format_to_another_with_g_91332f66-93b0-48d8-9d5e-a8609529cbb7_3.png
September 25, 2024

Generative AI-powered ETL: A Fresh Approach to Data Integration and Analytics

ETL meets generative AI. See how AI-powered ETL redefines data integration and brings more flexible data processing and analytics across industries.

roro665_uk_pensions_dashboard_reform_magazine_cover_collage_-_1888e056-80f6-4aac-958c-bf02b128a7d3_1.png
September 03, 2024

UK Pensions Dashboard Compliance: Deadlines, Transition Steps, and the Use of AI-driven Data Mapping

How AI-driven data mapping can support UK Pensions Dashboard compliance. Understand key deadlines and steps for efficient data conversion and transition to the UK Pensions Dashboard.

roro665_a_cover_image_depicting_data_conversions_and_compliance_c8ddf35a-cc0f-447a-abb7-0f4b1f14bb64 (1).png
August 23, 2024

Using AI for data conversion and compliance in the banking sector

Discover how AI transforms data conversion and compliance in the banking industry, optimizing processes while managing risks.

ai_applications_in_banking_and_banking_technology_blocshop.png
August 14, 2024

AI Applications in Banking: Real-World Examples

Explore how major banks are using AI to enhance customer service, detect fraud, and optimize operations, with insights into technical implementations.

20221116_153941.jpg
July 31, 2024

From Concept to MVP in Just 12 Weeks with Blocshop

Blocshop delivers your MVP in 12 weeks, solving real pain points with agile sprints, daily scrum meetings, and fortnightly reviews. Here's the process explained.

chatgpt4_ai_integration_blocshop-transformed.png
July 19, 2024

ChatGPT-4: An Overview, Capabilities, and Limitations

The technical aspects, usage scenarios, and limitations of ChatGPT-4, including a comparison with ChatGPT-4o.

roro665_depict_a_data_sample_thta_completely_changes_its_form_725a4f20-ea40-4dd1-a68d-5c4327c9bf24_1.png
June 20, 2024

Generative AI used for data conversions and reformatting

How to use generative AI for data conversion, addressing integrity, hallucinations, privacy, and compliance issues with effective validation and monitoring strategies.

DALL·E 2024-05-30 09.37.01 - An illustration suitable for an article about ISO 20022. The scene should feature a modern, sleek representation of the ISO 20022 logo in the center. .webp
May 28, 2024

ISO 20022 Explained: A Comprehensive Guide for Financial Institution Managers

What is ISO 20022? How does it affect companies and institutions in the fintech and banking industry and how to prepare for its adoption? All explained in this article.

DALL·E 2024-05-22 20.55.08 - A detailed and high-quality DSLR photo of a person using a laptop to shop online, showing personalized product recommendations on the screen. The back.webp
May 16, 2024

Key AI Trends in E-commerce and Overview of AI integrations for E-commerce Platforms in 2024

Transform your e-commerce platform with AI tools for personalization, analytics, chatbots, search, and fraud detection. Boost sales and improve customer experiences.

eIDAS mark.png
May 09, 2024

Digital Identity and Payment Services in the EU in 2024: Key Updates

eIDAS 2.0 and PSD3 are set to enhance how digital identities and payment services are managed across the European Union in 2024. Here’s an overview of how each framework contributes to the digital landscape of the EU, what to expect, and how to prepare.

eIDAS 2 in fintech and open banking EU market.png
May 06, 2024

What is eIDAS 2.0 and EU Digital Identity Wallet and how will it change the EU digital market

Learn how eIDAS 2.0 and the EU Digital Identity Wallet will transform digital transactions and identity management across the European Union.

best large language models for ERP systems.png
March 31, 2024

Language Models Best Suited for Integration into ERPs

Four prominent large language models stand out for their compatibility and effectiveness in ERP system processes and automation. See what they are.

PSD3 in open banking Blocshop.png
April 23, 2024

PSD2 vs. PSD3: The Evolution of Payment Services Regulation

What is PSD3 in open banking? See how PSD3 compares to PSD2 and what should banks and fintech businesses do to ensure regulatory compliance in the EU market.

roro665_hands_working_with_a_laptop_in_a_modern_office_there_is_20dca307-c993-4539-99d7-fd5ca264248c.png
April 14, 2024

Enhancing ERP Systems with AI Chatbots

Explore how AI chatbots can transform ERP systems, enhancing efficiency, decision-making, and user interaction.

eIDAS in fintech and open banking EU market.png
April 29, 2024

eIDAS: The regulation helping secure Europe's digital future

See how eIDAS enhances EU digital transactions with secure identity verification, supporting e-commerce and public services across Europe.

hybrid ERPs.png
March 21, 2024

Hybrid ERP: An Innovative Approach to Enterprise Resource Planning

Hybrid ERP is a blend of cloud and on-premise solutions. With expertise in both, Blocshop is uniquely positioned to help you with hybrid ERP development and implementation.

0-4 cover.png
October 03, 2023

IT Staffing: Individual Hiring vs. Specialized Developer Teams

Should you hire individual developers or go for a specialized, custom-built developer team?

chatgpt-35-limitations.jpg
July 17, 2023

ChatGPT-3.5: An Overview and Limitations

In this article, we'll take a closer look at the capabilities and limitations of ChatGPT-3.5, providing you with a comprehensive overview of what it can do and what its boundaries are. So, let's delve into the inner workings of this large language model.

gpt4 vs gpt3-5 and the key differnces.png
June 15, 2023

A Deep Dive into GPT-4 vs GPT-3.5 Differences and Ability to Revolutionize Software Development

There are key differences between ChatGPT-3.5 and ChatGPT-4 that software developers and companies procuring software solutions alike should be aware of. Let's see how these differences affect the output generated by these models on specific examples.

ai-development-cto-2023.jpg
May 09, 2023

AI-powered software development: What CTOs need to know in 2023

As technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace in 2023 and beyond, CTOs must stay ahead of the curve by utilizing predictive analytics, automated testing processes, and deployment solutions.