Engagement CA Security in API Connect Analytics: A New Enhancement in v10.0.8.4

A Closer Look at Engagement CA Security

In enterprise API programs, trust is non-negotiable. Every time API Connect Analytics engages with endpoints — whether that’s destinations, tasks, or external systems — those connections need to be both reliable and secure. Misconfigured certificates, expired keys, or untrusted endpoints can all create vulnerabilities that undermine analytics integrity.

With the release of API Connect v10.0.8.4, a new enhancement — Engagement CA Security — has been introduced to close this gap. This feature ensures that Analytics engagement only trust CA-signed certificates, helping organizations:

• Block untrusted or rogue endpoints from connecting

• Maintain compliance and audit readiness with proper certificate hygiene

• Simplify lifecycle management through easier certificate rotation, revocation, and auditing
  
  

This enhancement strengthens the foundation of trust for Analytics engagement, making API Connect deployments more secure, consistent, and audit-ready.

From Inconsistency to Consistency

Before v10.0.8.4, TLS behavior was inconsistent across environments:

• In SaaS deployments, TLS was always enabled.

• In on-prem deployments, TLS was always disabled.
  
  

This created operational confusion and uneven levels of protection. With Engagement CA Security in API Connect v10.0.8.4, TLS is enabled everywhere by default, establishing a consistent and secure baseline. On-prem users retain the option to explicitly disable TLS validation if needed, but now do so with a clear understanding of the trade-offs.

Enabling Engagement CA Security in API Connect Analytics

Step 1: Create a CA Secret

Begin by creating a Kubernetes secret with your CA certificate. This secret allows API Connect Analytics to validate endpoint certificates:

kubectl create secret generic engagement-ca-secret \
  --from-file=ca.crt=/path/to/ca-cert.pem \
  -n analytics-namespace

Step 2: Reference the Secret in the Analytics CR

Next, add the secret reference to your Analytics Custom Resource (CR):

apiVersion: analytics.apiconnect.ibm.com/v1beta1
kind: Analytics
metadata:
  name: analytics-sample
spec:
  engagementCASecrets:
    - name: engagement-ca-secret

Once applied, the storage pod will automatically restart to pick up the trusted certificate.

Step 3: Verify the Import in Logs

After the restart, verify that the certificate was successfully imported:

kubectl logs analytics-storage-0 -n analytics-namespace

Step 4: Validate in the Engagement UI

Finally, open the Engagement Task UI in API Connect Analytics. If everything is configured correctly, your destination rule will appear as active.

Managing Certificates in API Connect Analytics

Disabling TLS Validation

While TLS validation is recommended, certain on-premises scenarios may require disabling it. This can be done through a container override in the CR:

apiVersion: analytics.apiconnect.ibm.com/v1beta1
kind: Analytics
spec:
  storage:
    containers:
      - name: storage
        env:
          - name: DISABLE_TLS_VALIDATION
            value: "true"

Certificate Rotation

When certificates expire, are revoked, or require updating, rotation in API Connect Analytics is straightforward:

# Delete the old secret
kubectl delete secret engagement-ca-secret -n analytics-namespace

# Recreate with the new certificate
kubectl create secret generic engagement-ca-secret \
  --from-file=ca.crt=/path/to/new-ca-cert.pem \
  -n analytics-namespace

# Restart the storage pod
kubectl delete pod analytics-storage-0 -n analytics-namespace

Troubleshooting Tips

API Connect v10.0.8.4 also improves transparency with clear error messaging:

• If no certificate or an incorrect one is provided, you may see:

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  certificate path cannot be found
  
  
  
  
  

• If a non-existent secret is referenced, the storage pod will fail to start and errors will appear when describing the pod.

Logs are the quickest way to pinpoint and resolve these issues.

Why This Enhancement Matters in v10.0.8.4

Engagement CA Security in API Connect v10.0.8.4 is more than just a configuration option — it’s a security enhancement that:

• Reduces risk by enforcing trust across all Analytics engagements

• Provides consistency across SaaS and on-prem deployments

• Meets compliance and audit requirements with strong certificate hygiene

• Simplifies operations with easier certificate management

By embedding trust directly into the analytics layer, this feature ensures that API Connect continues to provide not only powerful analytics, but also secure and reliable engagement for enterprise-scale API programs.