App Connect

IBM CDK (Connector Development Kit) is a well-known tool which is used by developers and customers alike to create connectors using the OpenAPI spec. CDK created connectors can be easily imported into App Connect as a Service and App Connect on Containers to create application integration flows on the no-code/low-code designer canvas.

However, there are times when an OpenAPI spec is not always available. To advance connector development and reduce the dependency on the availability of an OpenAPI spec, we are pleased to introduce a new capability in IBM CDK which leverages an IBM watsonX Granite based GenAI service (developed in collaboration with IBM Research) to create a connector from API documentation.
Let’s see with an example:

1. Go to the Automation Explorer site and click on Connector Development Kit on the header (make sure you are already logged in).
   
   
   
   
   
2. Click on 'Create a connector'.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Select: Generate connector using AI (Experimental feature) and click on Next.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Choose an ‘Application name’, ‘Category’, assign an image, version number and click on Next.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Provide the link to the URL to your API documentation and click on ‘Discover operations’. CDK then uses the Gen AI service to discover all operations listed on the provided URL. The service also converts the operations into a format which is required by CDK to build the connector. You can provide up-to a max of 5 URLs (in-case your APIs are listed on different pages). Click on Next.
   
   
   
   
   

   
   
   
6. Select all the operations which you want to be part of your connectors. Click Next.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. Review the objects and generated actions. Click ‘Create’ when you are good.
   
   
   
   
   
8. IBM CDK then creates the connector. However, there might be some missing pieces which you might have to provide manually. Gen AI is not 100% accurate and it may make mistakes.
   
   
   
   
   
9. Next, go to the ‘Connection properties’ tab and set the required connection parameters. CDK not only helps in creating a connector but also helps in setting and testing the connections.
   
   
   
   
   
10. Get all the relevant connection parameters from your API documentation. In my case the API supports API key authorization and I am providing the mandatory properties as below:
    
    

    
    

    
    
    
    
11. The last step is to test the connections you’ve configured. This ensures that a user can test the connector (events & actions) while building it (test driven development) thus giving heightened confidence in the connector capabilities and quality.
    
    
    
    
    
12. Choose the auth type and key in the mandatory details. In my case its API KEY auth which has STORE ID & API KEY as mandatory fields. Click on connect.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Similarly, you can test all your actions and events before promoting the connector to App Connect as a Service.
    
    
13. The newly Gen AI created connector is now available under the CDK section. You can download it to import in your App Connect instance and use it to create application integration flows on the designer.
    
    
    
    
    Watch the video on the IBM App Connect Playlist to see the example in action.
    
    

Got questions?
        -    Ramkumar Ramalingam (ramkumar_rj@in.ibm.com)
        -    Siddalinga Swamy Mathad (sidswamy@in.ibm.com)