Plugins overview

This page applies to Apigee and Apigee hybrid.

Plugins, also known as on-ramp plugins, enable API hub to connect and ingest API metadata from various Google Cloud services and external sources where your APIs are managed or defined. They simplify and enhance the process of bringing your API metadata directly into API hub.

A plugin instance represents a configured and active connection between API hub and a specific API data source, facilitated by its associated plugin. It stores the unique configuration details required to connect to the data source, including connection credentials, curation settings, and any data import schedules. Each plugin instance serves as the entry point for collecting API metadata from its designated source.

How plugins and plugin instances work

Plugins serve as the underlying framework or capability that allows API hub to understand and integrate with different API management platforms and sources. They define how API hub can connect to a particular data source.

Plugin instances are the configured deployments of a plugin. You create a plugin instance to establish a live connection between API hub and a specific API data source. You can create multiple plugin instances for a single plugin, each with its own configuration and data curation logic.

Plugin types

The following plugin types are supported in API hub:

  • Built-in plugins: these are pre-built plugins developed and maintained by API hub to integrate with specific Google Cloud services and external platforms. Built-in plugins are of two types:
    1. Google Cloud plugins: these plugins are created and maintained by API hub to integrate with specific Google Cloud services. Plugin instances of these plugins are created during the process of attaching a runtime project to API hub. For more information, see Attach a runtime project.
    2. Non-Google Cloud plugins: these plugins are created and maintained by API hub to integrate with specific non-Google Cloud services. Plugin instances of these plugins are created from the API hub > Settings page. For more information, see Create plugin instance.

    For a list of all the built-in plugins supported in API hub, see Supported plugins.

  • Custom plugins: these plugins are created manually to connect API hub to a specific API data source. You can create custom plugins to connect to on-premises or multi-cloud sources, or to adapt API hub to meet specific business needs.

Supported plugins

The following table lists the plugins that are currently supported in API hub:

Plugin name Plugin type Description
Apigee and hybrid Built-in, Google Cloud plugin Imports API metadata from Apigee and Apigee hybrid.
Apigee Edge Private Cloud Built-in, Non-Google Cloud plugin Imports API metadata from Apigee Edge Private Cloud (OPDK).
Apigee Edge Public Cloud Built-in, Non-Google Cloud plugin Imports API metadata from Apigee Edge Public Cloud.

Plugin data ingestion methods

The following data ingestion methods are available for plugins:

  • Push-based ingestion: the connected data source actively sends (pushes) API metadata updates to API hub as changes occur. This method allows for more real-time synchronization of API metadata. All new Apigee, Apigee hybrid, Apigee Edge Public Cloud, and Apigee Edge Private Cloud plugins are created with push-based ingestion by default.
  • Pull-based ingestion: API hub periodically polls the connected data source to retrieve API metadata.

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