The API JSON file parameters define the behavior and properties of your API. The sample API JSON files shipped with ASE can be changed to your environment settings and are populated with default values.
The following table describes the JSON file parameters:
Parameter | Description |
---|---|
protocol |
API request type with supported values of: ws - WebSocket ; http - HTTP |
url |
The value of the URL for the managed API. You can configure up to six levels of sub-paths. For example, "/shopping"- name of a 1 level API "/shopping/electronics/phones/brand" – 4 level API "/" – entire server (used for ABS API Discovery or load balancing) |
hostname |
Hostname for the API. The value cannot be empty. “*” matches any hostname. |
cookie |
Name of cookie used by the backend servers. |
cookie_idle_timeout |
The amount of time a cookie is valid – for example 20m for 20 min. The time duration formats include: s: seconds, m: minutes, h: hour, d: day
|
logout_api_enabled |
When true, ASE expires cookies when a logout request is sent. |
cookie_persistence_enabled |
When true, the subsequent request from a client is sent to the server which initially responded. |
oauth2_access_token |
When true, ASE captures OAuth2 Access Tokens. When false, ASE does not look for OAuth2 Tokens. Default value is false. For more information, see Capture client identifiers-inline. |
is_token_mandatory |
When set to true, if the request has a missing token, ASE
adds the IP address of the client to blacklist and blocks the request. When set
to false, ASE does not block the client. Important: For ASE to check and block the client the following values
must be set to true: The default value is false.
|
apikey_qs |
When API Key is sent in the query string, ASE uses the specified parameter name to capture the API key value. For more information, see Capture client identifiers-inline. |
apikey_header |
When API Key is part of the header field, ASE uses the specified parameter name to capture the API key value. For more information, see Capture client identifiers-inline. |
login_url |
Public URL used by a client to connect to the application. |
enable_blocking |
When true, ASE blocks all types of attack on this API. When false, no attacks are blocked. Default value is false. |
api_memory_size |
Maximum ASE memory allocation for an API. The default value is 128 MB. The data unit can be MB or GB. |
health_check |
When true, enable health checking of backend servers. When false, no health checks are performed. Ping Identity recommends setting this parameter as true. |
health_check_interval |
The interval in seconds at which ASE sends a health check to determine backend server status. |
health_retry_count |
The number of times ASE queries the backend server status after not receiving a response. |
health_url |
The URL used by ASE to check backend server status. |
health_check_headers |
Configure one or more health check headers in the API JSON in a key-value
format. This is an optional configuration and applies only to inline ASE
deployment. In the sample JSON, the following example is provided:
Example: See the following table for X-Host and X-Custom-Header details. |
server_ssl |
When set to true, ASE connects to the backend API server over SSL. If set to false, ASE uses TCP to connect to the backend server. |
Servers: host port server_spike_threshold server_connection_quota |
The IP address or hostname and port number of each backend server running the API. See REST API Protection from DoS and DDoS for information on optional flow control parameters. |
API Mapping: internal_url |
Internal URL is mapped to the public external URL See API Name Mapping – Protect Internal URLs for more information |
The following API Pattern Enforcement parameters only apply when API Firewall is activated | |
Flow Control client_spike_threshold server_connection_queueing bytes_in_threshold bytes_out_threshold |
ASE flow control ensures that backend API servers are protected from surges (for example DDoS, traffic spike) in API traffic. See WebSocket API Protection from DoS and DDoS for information on parameters. |
protocol_allowed |
List of accepted protocols Values can be HTTP, HTTPS, WS, WSS. Note: When
Firewall is enabled, protocol_allowed takes precedence
over the protocol parameter.
|
http_redirect response_code response_def https_url |
Redirect unencrypted HTTP requests to http_redirect, the FQDN address of a HTTPS secure connection. See Configuring Pattern Enforcement for details. |
methods_allowed |
List of accepted REST API methods. Possible values are:
|
content_type_allowed |
List of content types allowed. Multiple values cannot be listed. For example, application/json. |
error_code error_type error_message_body |
Error message generated by ASE after blocking a client See ASE Detected Error Messages for details |
Decoy Config decoy_enabled response_code response_def response_message decoy_subpaths |
When decoy_enabled is set to true, decoy sub-paths function as decoy APIs. response_code is the status code (for example, 200) that ASE returns when a decoy API path is accessed. response_def is the response definition (for example OK) that ASE returns when a decoy API path is accessed. response_message is the response message (for example OK) that ASE returns when a decoy API path is accessed. decoy_subpaths is the list of decoy API sub-paths (for example shop/admin, shop/root) See Configuring API deception for details. |
username_header | The name of the custom header containing username. When the value of
username_header is set, ASE extracts the username from the
custom header. For more information, see Extract username from custom header in inline mode. Note: You can
configure Username capture from either username_header or
JWT object, but not both. |
JWT location username clientid |
When the parameter values of JWT object are set, ASE decodes the JWT to extract the user information. location is the place of occurrence of JWT in an API request. The supported values are:
username is the JWT claim to extract the username. clientid is the JWT claim to extract the client-id. For more information, see Extract user information from JWT in inline mode. Note:
You can configure Username capture from either JWT object or username_header, but not both. |
Example Key | Value |
---|---|
X-Host |
In the sample API JSON, ASE will dynamically replace %{HOST} with IP
address (127.0.0.1) configured in the
servers section.
|
X-Custom-Header | Your custom header value. All the custom health check headers configured are sent to all the backend API servers. |
Here is a sample JSON file for a REST API:
{
"api_metadata": {
"protocol": "http",
"url": "/rest",
"hostname": "*",
"cookie": "",
"cookie_idle_timeout": "200m",
"logout_api_enabled": false,
"cookie_persistence_enabled": false,
"oauth2_access_token": false,
"is_token_mandatory": false,
"apikey_qs": "",
"apikey_header": "",
"login_url": "",
"enable_blocking": true,
"api_mapping": {
"internal_url": ""
},
"api_pattern_enforcement": {
"protocol_allowed": "",
"http_redirect": {
"response_code": "",
"response_def": "",
"https_url": ""
},
"methods_allowed": [],
"content_type_allowed": "",
"error_code": "401",
"error_def": "Unauthorized",
"error_message_body": "401 Unauthorized"
},
"flow_control": {
"client_spike_threshold": "0/second",
"server_connection_queueing": false
},
"api_memory_size": "128mb",
"health_check": false,
"health_check_interval": 60,
"health_retry_count": 4,
"health_url": "/health",
"health_check_headers": {},
"server_ssl": false,
"servers": [
{
"host": "127.0.0.1",
"port": 8080,
"server_spike_threshold": "0/second",
"server_connection_quota": 0
},
{
"host": "127.0.0.1",
"port": 8081,
"server_spike_threshold": "0/second",
"server_connection_quota": 0
}
],
"decoy_config": {
"decoy_enabled": false,
"response_code": 200,
"response_def": "",
"response_message": "",
"decoy_subpaths": []
},
"username_header": "x-username-header",
"jwt": {
"location": "h:authorization:bearer",
"username": "username",
"clientid": "client_id"
}
}
}
Add configured API JSON to ASE
After configuring an API JSON file, add it to ASE to activate ASE processing. To add an API, execute the following CLI command:
/opt/pingidentity/ase/bin/cli.sh –u admin -p admin add_api {file_path/api_name}
After configuring API JSON files for each API, ASE configuration is complete.
Update a configured API
After activation, an API JSON definition can be updated in real time. Edit the API JSON file located in the /config/api directory and make the desired changes. Save the edited API JSON file and execute the following CLI command:
/opt/pingidentity/ase/bin/cli.sh –u admin -p admin update_api <api_name>
For example:
/opt/pingidentity/ase/bin/cli.sh –u admin -p admin update_api shop
api shop updated successfully