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A developer is building an API using Azure Functions. They need to expose this API securely to external partners and ensure that usage is monitored, and access is controlled via subscription keys. The solution should also allow for request throttling and caching. Which Azure service should be used to achieve these requirements?
- AAzure Application Gateway
- BAzure API Management (APIM)
- CAzure Load Balancer
- DAzure Front Door
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Azure API Management (APIM)
Azure API Management (APIM) is a fully managed service that allows organizations to publish, secure, transform, maintain, and monitor APIs. It provides features like subscription key management, request throttling, caching, and analytics, which perfectly align with the stated requirements for exposing the Azure Function API.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Azure Application Gateway is a web traffic load balancer that enables you to manage traffic to your web applications, but it lacks API-specific features like subscription keys or advanced throttling.
- C. Azure Load Balancer distributes incoming network traffic across multiple backend resources or servers and does not offer API management capabilities.
- D. Azure Front Door is a global, scalable entry-point that uses the Microsoft global edge network to create fast, secure, and widely scalable web applications, but it's not designed for API-specific management like subscription keys or caching for API responses.
Azure API Management (APIM)
A turn-key solution for publishing, securing, transforming, maintaining, and monitoring APIs.
- Provides a facade for backend APIs.
- Offers security features like subscription keys and OAuth2.
- Supports policies for throttling, caching, and transformations.
Memory trick: APIM is the API bouncer, securing and managing access.