Application Programmable Interfaces (APIs) are interfaces for communication. They are similar to User Interfaces (UIs), which are visually-aided design tools that allow humans to communicate with machines. However, APIs are designed to allow applications to communicate with each other instead of users. Think of them as an intermediary agent, connecting applications to the resources and functionality of other applications.
APIs streamline the software development process significantly by recreating features other third-party apps have mastered, allowing teams to focus on other aspects of their software, such as enhancing user experience, optimising performance and implementing robust security features. In particular, representational state transfer (REST) APIs provide developers with a high level of flexibility and freedom, which is one reason why they are a common method for connecting components and applications.
This article explores how our new product, Kriten, simplifies some of the complexities surrounding Kubernetes with REST APIs, allowing developers to adopt a more intuitive and efficient approach to software development.
Kriten: Your API-Driven Execution Environment
Whether on cloud or on-premise, automation significantly increases the speed and accuracy of running IT infrastructure. We developed Kriten, a code execution platform that runs as a cloud-native application on Kubernetes clusters, to address some of the major IT automation inhibitors developers face. Before we go any further, let’s explore some of the tool’s key features:
Run code efficiently
Running code in an enterprise environment can be challenging. We’ve created a solution that makes this process easier. with Kriten, there’s no need to write API code because the platform does it for you. This means developers can run code in just two commands—three if you include logging in!
Prioritise knowledge-sharing, securely
Naturally, engineering teams aren’t keen to expose system-level privileges. However, this limits access to automation routines. Kriten provides a solution by launching from job-specific URLs, giving users no access to code, usernames, system accounts or any other sensitive data. Additionally, Kriten has granular RBAC, allowing you to specify who can launch jobs.
Language-agnosticism
Kriten is language-agnostic, meaning it can operate on any containerised application. Think of it like this: if it can be containerised, you can run it with Kriten.
How are APIs Used In Kriten?
Now you’ve got some background about what Kriten does, let’s delve a little deeper into how APIs are used in Kriten. With Kriten, you gain access to a system that automates the deployment of application images. It executes the necessary setup and deployment processes, transferring your application images to Kubernetes pods within the Kriten Kubernetes cluster. The result is a simplified application management and orchestration process in a Kubernetes environment.
To better understand how APIs are used in Kriten, let’s break down some core elements:
REST API
Kriten uses the REST API method to interact with resources, allowing for efficient communication over HTTP by directing API calls to specific file paths which correspond to resources within the Kriten environment.
Endpoints
In Kriten, endpoints act as open channels, ready to receive and process incoming requests. These are the destinations for client API requests, where Kriten’s server processes and responds to the requests.
API token
An API token is a string of characters that identifies and authenticates an authorised user. For example, authorised users send their credentials to Kriten’s user endpoint URI when they log in. Then, Kriten processes the request, validates the user and responds with an authentication token, ensuring only approved users gain access.
Request methods
Request methods in the Kriten API, such as ‘PUT’, ‘GET’ and ‘POST’, indicate the action the client wishes the server to perform.
Status code
As per REST convention, Kriten responds to requests with an HTTP code that provides an indication of the response’s overall status.
In Summary: How Kriten Uses REST API to Solve Common Problems
We developed Kriten to remove some of the major barriers to IT automation. API-driven execution environment simplifies the deployment process in Kubernetes, ensuring accuracy and reliability for end users. By handling the complexities of software deployment, Kriten allows developers to concentrate on what they do best: creating apps and leaving Kriten to deploy the container into the Kubernetes environment.
To learn more about Kriten’s key features, use cases and deployment options, please visit our Kriten page.