October 24, 2024

Streamlining API Management with Microsoft Copilot: Simplify Policy Writing in Azure APIM

Written by Jonathan De Vera

Introduction

Azure API Management (APIM) is one of those tools that’s been a game-changer for managing APIs at scale, but let’s be honest—crafting and fine-tuning policies for APIs can be a bit of a headache. I remember when I first started working with APIM during its early days, I had to manually figure out which policies I needed, look them up in the documentation, and learn the XML syntax for each. It was time-consuming as there were not many examples to refer to at the time and I’d spend a lot of time checking the documentation to make sure I got it right.

Fast forward to today, and it’s a whole different story. Microsoft Copilot, integrated right within the Azure Portal, has made writing and managing API policies so much easier. Copilot assists by suggesting policies, helping you troubleshoot, and even improving your code as you write. In this post, I’ll guide you through how to use Microsoft Copilot in Azure APIM and show you three real-world examples that demonstrate how this AI assistant can simplify your work.

How to Use Microsoft Copilot for APIM Policy Writing

Before jumping into the examples, here’s a quick overview of how Copilot works in the policy editor.

Using Microsoft Copilot in the Policy Editor

Integrated Assistance: Microsoft Copilot is built directly into the Azure Portal. There’s no additional setup required. As you start typing in the Policy Editor of Azure API Management, Copilot will automatically provide real-time suggestions based on the context.
Interactive Suggestions: As you write policy code in XML, Copilot will suggest snippets that fit your use case. You can review the suggested policies, accept them as is, or tweak them to match your requirements.
Real-time Editing: You’ll find that Copilot’s suggestions appear dynamically within the code editor, meaning you don’t need to navigate to a separate panel or click a button. This makes policy writing faster and more intuitive.

Writing Policies with Copilot

Now here’s the fun part. When you start typing your policies in XML, Copilot will kick in and suggest code snippets that match what you’re trying to do. It’ll even suggest improvements as you go along, so you don’t have to write every line from scratch or guess at the right structure.

You’ll also notice a Copilot button (usually next to the code editor options). Clicking this button will open up a side panel where Copilot will assist by generating policy code suggestions based on what you’re trying to achieve.

For example, when you click the Copilot button and type something like “rate limit the API to 100 calls per minute,” it will suggest a policy snippet based on your input.

Testing and Review

While Copilot is smart, it’s not perfect. Always review the code suggestions, tweak them to fit your specific needs, and make sure you test your policies before deploying them in production.

Real-World Examples of Using Microsoft Copilot to Write APIM Policies

Now, let’s look at how Microsoft Copilot simplifies policy creation through three real-world examples. I’ll show how Copilot helps with rate limiting, IP whitelisting, and response transformation.

Example 1: Setting Up Rate Limiting with Microsoft Copilot

Rate limiting is crucial for controlling the number of requests a user can make within a specific time frame. In the past, setting this up required manually writing out XML policies, but with Copilot, the process is streamlined.

Objective: Limit the number of API calls to 100 requests per minute per user.
Start Writing with Copilot:
- Open the Policy Editor for the specific API operation.
- Begin typing the policy logic like this:

<inbound>
  <rate-limit ...

Copilot’s Dynamic Suggestion: As soon as you start typing <rate-limit>, Copilot will kick in and suggest the correct policy structure based on what you’ve entered. It will suggest something like:

<inbound>
  <rate-limit calls="100" renewal-period="60" />
</inbound>

Customise for Best Practices: To ensure the rate limit is applied to individual users, you can adjust the policy to include a counter-key

<inbound>
  <rate-limit calls="100" renewal-period="60" counter-key="@(context.Request.Headers.GetValueOrDefault('Authorization', 'default'))" />
</inbound>

Test and Validate: Once you apply this policy, test your API by making multiple requests to ensure the rate limit is functioning as expected.

Example 2: Securing APIs with IP Whitelisting Using Microsoft Copilot

Restricting API access to trusted IP addresses is a common security measure. In the past, I had to manually piece together XML configurations for IP whitelisting. Copilot now simplifies this process.

Objective: Only allow access to the API from specific IP addresses, such as 192.168.1.1 and 10.0.0.1.
Start Writing with Copilot:
- Open the Policy Editor for the API operation you want to protect.
- Start typing the IP filter policy logic:

<inbound>
  <ip-filter ...

Copilot’s Dynamic Suggestion: As soon as you start typing <ip-filter>, Copilot will automatically suggest the rest of the policy:

<inbound>
  <ip-filter action="allow">
    <address>192.168.1.1</address>
    <address>10.0.0.1</address>
  </ip-filter>
</inbound>

Customise for Best Practices: To ensure you’re capturing the real client IP address when the API is behind a load balancer or gateway, use the X-Forwarded-For header. Update the policy as needed:

<inbound>
  <check-header name="X-Forwarded-For" failed-check-httpcode="403" failed-check-error-message="Access Denied">
    <value>192.168.1.1</value>
    <value>10.0.0.1</value>
  </check-header>
</inbound>

Test and Validate: Make sure to test the API from different IP addresses (allowed and blocked) to confirm that the policy works as intended.

Example 3: Response Transformation Using Microsoft Copilot

Sometimes, you need to transform the response before sending it back to the client. Back in the day, response transformations required quite a bit of manual coding. Now, Copilot can help you handle this easily.

Objective: Add a custom header and change the status code to 202 Accepted when the response is 200 OK
Start Writing with Copilot:
- Open the Policy Editor.
- Click the Copilot button.
- Type in the prompt:
  - “Set a custom header and change the status code to 202 when the response is 200.”
Copilot’s Suggestion: Here’s an example of what Copilot might generate:

<outbound>
  <set-header name="X-Custom-Header" exists-action="override">
    <value>Processed</value>
  </set-header>
  <choose>
    <when condition="@(context.Response.StatusCode == 200)">
      <set-status code="202" reason="Accepted" />
    </when>
  </choose>
</outbound>

Test and Validate: After applying the policy, test the API to confirm that the response headers and status codes are being modified as intended.

Why Microsoft Copilot Makes a Difference in APIM Policy Writing

Microsoft Copilot makes working with APIM policies smoother and more efficient. Instead of manually typing out and troubleshooting XML configurations, Copilot provides you with real-time suggestions and helps you avoid common pitfalls. Here’s why it’s a game-changer:

Speed: Copilot reduces the time spent on repetitive tasks by suggesting ready-to-use code snippets.
Accuracy: It prevents common syntax errors and ensures that the policy logic adheres to best practices.
Improved Workflow: With Copilot’s integration directly in the policy editor, you can focus on optimizing your APIs instead of battling with XML.

Conclusion

Writing policies for Azure API Management doesn’t have to be a manual, error-prone process anymore. With Microsoft Copilot, you can now create and customise policies quickly and accurately. Whether it’s setting up rate limits, restricting access through IP whitelisting, or transforming API responses, Copilot’s real-time suggestions make your work easier and more efficient.

Try using Microsoft Copilot in your next APIM project—it will save you time and help you follow best practices effortlessly!