17 Dec Case Study: lyntia’s Strategic Migration to IBM API Connect for More Secure API Governance
At the heart of digital transformation, APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) are the building blocks that facilitate the interconnection of systems and services. For a wholesale infrastructure operator like lyntia, the management and governance of this API ecosystem are critical to ensuring operational continuity, security and business scalability.
As part of its evolution strategy, lyntia identified the need to modernise its management platform. The migration to IBM API Connect, in collaboration with Cloud APPi, became a strategic project whose main aim was to consolidate a more robust, centralised and efficient API Governance model, all without disrupting existing services.
Strategic challenges: unified visibility and regulatory compliance
The joint project between lyntia and Cloud APPi focused on overcoming critical challenges to API ecosystem maturity:
Unified and centralised view
There was a need for a unified and centralised view of the API ecosystem, crucial for consistent management throughout its lifecycle.
Security, scalability and traceability
It was imperative to ensure the security, scalability, and traceability of the exposed services while meeting technical and regulatory compliance requirements.
Encouraging self-consumption and reuse
The project sought to facilitate the self-consumption of APIs across the organisation’s functional areas, encouraging reuse and faster development.
The technical solution: IBM API Connect and the interceptor component
The migration was carried out to IBM API Connect, a leading tool for managing, securing and monitoring an organisation’s APIs. However, the main technical challenge was to ensure 100% operational continuity for API consumers during the transition.
Continuity guaranteed with the ‘Interceptor’
To achieve a staggered, transparent move to production for customers (while maintaining the access token unchanged), Cloud APPi developed a technical ‘interceptor’ component. This intermediate component connected the lyntia system to the two API Managers (the initial one and the new IBM API Connect) via the AWS API Gateway. This architecture allowed lyntia to maintain the two solutions operating in parallel, deciding the target API Manager at the route level for greater flexibility.
Ensuring quality and standardisation
Collaboration was key in defining the APIs, establishing standard templates and style guides to ensure consistency and quality. In addition, processes were implemented to verify and identify API owners and consumers, supporting traceability and required documentation.
Lessons learned and sustainable improvements
This project not only culminated in the comprehensive migration of APIs, but also generated valuable lessons and benefits that strengthen lyntia’s internal capacity:
- – Strengthened API Governance: Achieved a stronger governance model focused on delivering value from the earliest stages.
- – Full continuity: Guaranteed to have no impact on consumers during the transition process, ensuring a seamless experience.
- – Budgetary efficiency: The implementation of the licence on IBM API Connect contributed to cost optimisation and budgetary efficiencies.
- – Internal strengthening: lyntia gained key technical and organisational expertise, improving its internal capabilities to manage the lifecycle of its APIs.
Conclusion: Software innovation, infrastructure resilience
The migration to IBM API Connect represents a milestone in lyntia’s digital transformation strategy. This case study with Cloud APPi demonstrates how innovation at the software layer, with a focus on security and API Governance, is underpinned by the robustness and resilience of a wholesale fibre-optic infrastructure. Centralised and secure API management is essential for lyntia to maintain its position as a leading operator, able to offer high-capacity connectivity solutions to its customers with the utmost confidence and without compromising operational continuity.