Deployment Zones on the Platform

If an API is hosted on the platform and is using the proxy capability, the API owner can specify one or more deployment zones, such as a geographical area or a specific data center, that the endpoint will be proxied in.

The GET /api/deploymentzones operation returns a list of deployment zones that are valid for the tenant.

Any container or container cluster that can host APIs for the platform instance can be defined as a deployment zone. If deployment zones are not configured, any valid container or container cluster is identified as a possible deployment zone and is therefore available to someone adding an API on the platform.

For example, there could be Network Director clusters in different data centers, and APIs could be hosted in each of the deployment zones.

Each deployment zone can also include location information. In the user interface, deployment zones for an API are displayed in a map interface.

Deployment zones are also useful for DNS redirection. For example, Network Director might be on one specific hostname, but it might be determined that it’s better not to expose that hostname to customers, but rather to specify a DNS redirection for each deployment zone.

Configuring deployment zones allows you to:

  • Limit the containers or container clusters that are available for APIs created on the platform, so that the APIs can only use those that you specify are available. When you define deployment zones, only those that are defined are valid choices when adding an API to the platform. You might have other containers or container clusters that you don’t want to use for platform APIs. Defining deployment zones protects those from use by platform APIs.
  • Limit a specific container or container cluster for use only as a Sandbox endpoint or only as a Live implementation.
  • Define a virtual host. A Network Director HTTP or HTTPS listener only has one hostname, but you could configure deployment zones to show a different hostname, a virtual hostname. This is useful in scenarios where the API needs to be published with a specific hostname, independently of where it is deployed.

To get a list of valid deployment zones for a specific tenant, use the GET /api/deploymentzones operation.