The Power of APIs in EDB Postgres Ark

February 06, 2017

EnterpriseDB® (EDB™) created the EDB Postgres Ark™ to simplify the process of provisioning robust Postgres deployments, while also providing the benefits of cloud computing. The EDB Postgres Ark is a Database-as-a-Service (DBaaS) framework for hybrid cloud deployments of Postgres to private and public clouds such as Red Hat®, OpenStack®, Amazon Web Services™ (AWS), and other deployment platforms.

The EDB Postres Ark provides not just a user interface to control and manage deployments from an easy-to-use management console, but also a JSON-compatible REST-based Application Programming interface (API). These REST-based APIs facilitate the administration, as well as the operational use, of all the EDB Postgres Ark features and cloud assets with ease. The APIs also provide an alternative to using the GUI console to fully automate the database operational needs (Administrative and Cluster operations) of an enterprise.

API authentication keys, or 'tokens' as they are called in the EDB Postgres Ark, provides the first line of defense in securing the the EDB Postgres Ark APIs. Tokens are user-specific and are passed with API calls to manage how assets are exposed. Tokens generated using administrator credentials provide full access to administrative features; non-administrator tokens are designed to provide access to non-administrative the EDB Postgres Ark features and resources, thereby reducing security risks.

The EDB Postgres Ark API resources include database and server image management for administrators. the EDB Postgres Ark supports provisioning instances on 64-bit Red Hat Enterprise 6.x, 7.x and CentOS 6.x, 7.x Linux systems. It offers full support for not just community PostgreSQL (PG) but also EDB Postgres™ Advanced Server, combining the flexibility of a DBaaS framework with database compatibility for Oracle®. Currently, PG and EDB Postgres Advanced Server versions 9.4, 9.5, and 9.6 are supported by the EDB Postgres Ark. Along with its user management capabilities, the EDB Postgres Ark API gives administrators the flexibility to control and monitor deployments across various tenants/roles.

The EDB Postgres Ark API provisions robust Postgres deployment, or in EDB Postgres Ark terms, cluster creation, with a payload that consists of unique name tag, custom database information, archiving and encryption selection, storage, and number of nodes, to name a few details. Whether cloning an existing cluster or recovering a cluster from a backup, the DB Postgres Ark APIs do it all. Each cluster is provisioned with high availability, integrated backup and recovery service, elastic capacity, load balancing, self healing capabilities, and basic monitoring.

Users also have the option to toggle from the archiving state of the cluster between Point-In-Time-Recovery mode and normal mode to facilitate disaster recovery with a simple API call. The EDB Postgres Ark API also presents, at the user’s disposal, the capability to secure a cluster by enabling encryption while provisioning a deployment. 

The standardized set of the EDB Postgres Ark API resources ensures smooth operations with zero impact on the application irrespective of the cloud provider (AWS, OpenStack, etc.). One set of API resources serves them all. Easy to use, the EDB Postgres Ark APIs will play an important role in the integration of the EDB Postgres Ark with the leading cloud-native platform, Pivotal Cloud Foundry®.

For businesses looking for a simplified and centralized DBaaS framework to integrate and communicate with their application, the EDB Postgres Ark, equipped with the EDB Postgres Ark API, is an excellent solution.

For API details please see the EDB Postgres Ark API documentation here. For information on the EDB Postgres Ark, contact us for send us an email at info@EDBPostgres.com.

Divya Varughese is Senior Quality Assurance Engineer at EnterpriseDB. 

Share this