API Development for a Leading Automotive Parts Manufacturer

Location: Philadelphia

Introduction

A US based automotive parts manufacturer with over 50 years of distinguished experience in remanufacturing, stands as an industry leader known for its commitment to quality. With an expansive portfolio of over 10,000 high-quality automotive components that consistently meet or exceed OEM standards, the organization is a trusted name for customers seeking superior reliability and durability. Facing escalating operational costs from their existing MuleSoft infrastructure, which supported critical APIs and schedulers for over 50,000 orders daily, the company sought to modernize their systems. Their goal was to cut infrastructure costs by up to 60% while ensuring seamless functionality and security.

Problem Statement

The organization faced significant costs associated with maintaining MuleSoft infrastructure, which supported critical APIs and schedulers for Open Order, Walmart, and Shipment Status. The challenge was to reduce these infrastructure costs while ensuring that functionality and security were preserved.

Project Details

To address these issues, the project aimed to migrate APIs and schedulers from MuleSoft to a more cost-effective .NET solution, which would be deployed on Windows IIS and managed through Azure API Manager. The migration strategy involved implementing a Hub and Spoke architecture on Azure, ensuring that APIs remained private and were accessible only within the organization’s network.

Solution Summary

The solution was executed through several key steps:

Architecture Setup:

  • Hub and Spoke Architecture: Developed and implemented a Hub and Spoke architecture on Azure to secure the APIs within the organization’s network.
  • Security Configuration: Configured Windows Server to whitelist the Azure API Manager’s domain and IP addresses, ensuring secure access and data protection.

API Migration:

  • API Inventory: Compiled a comprehensive list of existing MuleSoft APIs.
  • Conversion to .NET Core: Migrated MuleSoft APIs to .NET Core APIs, addressing challenges such as incomplete URLs and data analysis by:
  • Reviewing documentation and collaborating with the organization’s team members.
  • Extracting summary data from Postman requests and MuleSoft AnyConnect platform.
  • Analyzing MuleSoft code via Bitbucket to understand API structure and functionality.
  • R&D: Conducted extensive research and development to ensure seamless interconnection of APIs.

Database and Service Integration:

  • Database Connections: Integrated various databases, including Microsoft SQL Server, MongoDB, and AS400.
  • SAP and AS400: Implemented and tested connections to SAP and AS400 within APIs and webjobs.
  • SMTP Services: Utilized SMTP connections for email services.

Deployment and Testing:

  • Deployment: Deployed the .NET APIs on the IIS server and scheduled jobs using Job Scheduler.
  • Testing: Deployed the .NET APIs on the IIS server and scheduled jobs using Job Scheduler.

Challenges

  • Incomplete Information: Faced difficulties due to incomplete details about APIs and scheduled jobs, requiring extensive effort to gather requirements and understand the existing system.
  • Integration Complexity: Encountered challenges with integrating various systems (SAP and AS400) and adapting to new tools and code structures.

Benefits

  • Cost Reduction: The migration significantly reduced operational costs by transitioning from MuleSoft’s expensive platform to a more cost-effective .NET solution.
  • Enhanced Maintainability: The new IIS-based system is easier to maintain, debug, and modify compared to the previous MuleSoft setup.
  • Knowledge Transfer: Provided the organization with foundational knowledge about IIS server management, empowering them to handle future developments independently.

Conclusion

The API development project for the organization successfully met its goal of reducing operational costs while maintaining API functionality and security. The migration to .NET not only cut expenses but also simplified maintenance and future modifications. This project demonstrates the effective use of Azure infrastructure and .NET technology to optimize and streamline enterprise operations.