Getting started

Developer portal

The open-source developer portal is a website with the documentation VR APIs.

API consumers such as app developers access the open-source developer portal to discover the APIs, onboard to use them, and learn how to consume them in applications.

Using the developer portal, API consumers can:

  • Read API documentation

  • Call an API via the interactive console

  • Create an account and subscribe to get API keys

  • Access analytics on their own usage

  • Download API definitions

  • Manage API keys

Developer account

To use the VR APIs, you'll first need a developer account. Click on the Sign Up link, then follow instructions on that page and request access to portal from VR API Support. Provide the required details including a valid email address to create the account.

The account will have to be manually approved by VR before it is activated. You will receive a notification email once the account has been approved and a link to set the password for Developer portal (one for test and one for production environments separately).

APIs

API represents a set of operations available to app developers. Each API contains a reference to the backend service that implements the API, and its operations map to backend operations. One API can belong to multiple protected products. Subscription is requested on product level so the key will work on all APIs inside the subscribed product.

Products

Products are how APIs are surfaced to API consumers such as app developers. Products in API Management have one or more APIs, and can be open or protected. Protected products require a subscription key, while open products can be consumed freely.

Products can be viewed or subscribed to by users through the developer portal. Subscription approval is configured at the product level and can either require an administrator's approval or be automatic.

Subscription key

Developers who need to consume the published APIs must include a valid subscription key in HTTP requests when calling APIs. Developers can subscribe to Products. When requesting subscription, give your key a descriptive name:

  • {first name}-{last name}-{API product}-{environment}

Without a valid subscription key, the calls are:

  • Rejected immediately by the API Management gateway.

  • Not forwarded to the back-end services.

To access APIs, developers need a subscription and a subscription key.