DataWorks DataService Studio is a flexible, lightweight, secure, and stable platform for building data APIs. It acts as a bridge between databases and data applications. DataService Studio provides comprehensive data services and sharing capabilities for individuals, teams, and enterprises. It helps you manage internal and external API services in a unified manner. For example, you can quickly generate an API to query a data table or register existing APIs with DataService Studio for unified publishing and management.
Feature introduction
DataService Studio uses a serverless architecture. This lets you focus on the query logic of your APIs instead of the underlying infrastructure, such as the runtime environment. DataService Studio provisions computing resources, supports elastic scaling, and requires zero operations and maintenance (O&M) costs.
DataService Studio supports only Google Chrome 69 or later on a PC.
Related concepts
API (Application Programming Interface): An API is an interface that allows applications, software, and systems to interact with data sources. DataService Studio APIs support data read operations. You can use them to query data from databases and data tables.
Function: A function acts as an API filter to process the request or response parameters of an API. When you use functions as API filters, the pre-filter and post-filter for a single API must be of the same function type.
Resource group for DataService Studio: If you require high queries per second (QPS) and Service-Level Agreement (SLA) guarantees when calling DataService Studio APIs, you can use an exclusive resource group for DataService Studio to ensure successful calls. An exclusive resource group for DataService Studio can handle high-concurrency and high-frequency API calls and return results in a timely manner.
Billing
After you create a data API in DataService Studio, calling the API consumes resources from a resource group and incurs fees. DataWorks charges you based on the number of API calls. The billing method depends on the resource group type.
Serverless resource group:
Pay-as-you-go: When using a pay-as-you-go serverless resource group, configure the Occupied CUs for the DataService Studio purpose. For more information, see Manage quotas. Billing starts after you allocate the CUs. You are charged based on the formula:
Number of occupied CUs × Duration of CU allocation.Subscription: When using a subscription serverless resource group, configure the Guaranteed CUs for the DataService Studio purpose. For more information, see Manage quotas. You are charged based on the number of CUs that you use.
Exclusive resource group for DataService Studio: You are charged based on the specifications of the resource group. You can evaluate the expected number of API calls and select a resource group with appropriate specifications. An exclusive resource group for DataService Studio is dedicated to a single enterprise. For more information, see Billing of exclusive resource groups for DataService Studio (subscription).
The public resource group for DataService Studio is deprecated. For more information, see Notice on the deprecation of the DataWorks public resource group for DataService Studio.
API development process
Create a data source and configure network connectivity
Before you create an API in DataService Studio, you must add your database or data warehouse to DataWorks as a data source. This data source provides the data for your DataService Studio API. During API development, DataService Studio accesses the data source to retrieve table schema information. This helps you set the request and response parameters. When you call the API, DataService Studio accesses the data source to execute the query. For a list of supported data sources, see List of data sources for DataService Studio.
ImportantIf the connectivity test fails, check your configuration. For more information, see Configure network connectivity and whitelists.
DataService Studio uses business flows to develop APIs for each service. Business flows are also used to organize and manage APIs and related files, such as functions. Before you create an API in DataService Studio, you must create a business flow.
Generate a data API from a data table
DataService Studio provides a Codeless UI to generate APIs from data tables in various data sources. You can configure an API quickly without writing any code. For more information, see Generate an API in the codeless UI.
To meet the custom query needs of advanced users, DataService Studio provides a Code Editor where you can write custom SQL queries for an API. The code editor supports features such as table joins, complex queries, and aggregate functions. For more information, see Generate an API in the code editor.
Register existing APIs with the platform for unified management and publishing. For more information, see Register an API.
Optional. You can use Function Compute to process API request parameters and response results.
You must test the API that you created. An API can be published online only after it passes the test.
After an API passes the test, you can publish it to API Gateway so that other services can call it. After an API is published, you can also list it on Alibaba Cloud API Marketplace for sale. This helps enterprises quickly monetize their data and complete the business cycle.
NoteAPI Gateway provides managed API services that cover the entire API lifecycle, including publishing, management, O&M, and sales. It helps you aggregate microservices, separate the frontend from the backend, integrate systems, and expose features and data to partners and developers simply, quickly, cost-effectively, and with low risk. For more information, see Product Introduction.
API Gateway provides a crucial layer of security for APIs that are exposed externally or called within your own applications. It provides services such as permission management, traffic shaping, access control, and metering. APIs generated and registered in DataService Studio must typically be published to API Gateway to be made available externally. DataService Studio is integrated with API Gateway, which lets you publish APIs to API Gateway with a single click.
Alibaba Cloud API Marketplace covers seven categories: finance, artificial intelligence, e-commerce, transportation and geography, lifestyle services, enterprise management, and public affairs. Thousands of API products are available for sale, providing a platform to help you quickly monetize your data.
An application (app) serves as the identity for calling an API service. An app must be authorized to call a specific API. You can request authorization for an API or grant authorization to others to enable data sharing. For more information, see Authorize an API. You can also use API Gateway to call API services provided by other Alibaba Cloud users or third-party service providers. API Gateway provides a range of management and support services.