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

  • w: week
  • mnt: month
  • yr: year

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: 
"health_check_headers": {
            "X-Host": "%{HOST}",
            "X-Custom-Header": "value"
        },

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:

GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, HEAD

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:

  • qs:<key name>
  • h:<custom header name>
  • h:authorization:bearer
  • h:authorization:mac
  • h:cookie:<cookie key>

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

%{HOST} - If your backend server requires the value of header to contain hostname or IP address of the server, use %{HOST} in value. During health check, ASE dynamically replaces header values containing %{HOST} with hostname or IP address of the server.

In the sample API JSON, ASE will dynamically replace %{HOST} with IP address (127.0.0.1) configured in the servers section. 
"servers": [
            {
                "host": "127.0.0.1",
                "port": 8080,
                "server_spike_threshold": "0/second",
                "server_connection_quota": 0
            }
        ],
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