How do you monitor performance of communication APIs?

Measuring and monitoring communication APIs' performance depends on the type of API you're using. APIs provided by a third-party developer or vendor will require different monitoring tools than an API developed internally.

When using an external vendor for your communication needs -- and using the vendor's communication APIs -- you aren't in control of the operational aspects of the communication elements provided by the API. To make sure the service works to your satisfaction, you need to monitor it continuously by checking for various metrics, such as uptime and session quality.

You have the option of using vendor-provided tools or third-party tools to monitor APIs. Some options include the following:

• A back-end dashboard contains information such as usage logs and graphs.
• Usage APIs, which you deploy, can provide insights into your communication API usage.
• Deeper insights on call quality can be included in an API's basic plan or as an add-on service, such as Twilio's Voice Insights or TokBox's dashboards that monitor call-session performance.
• Status pages, to which you subscribe, track API availability and performance.

If you need additional measurement capabilities, consider using an API management service that connects to a communication API. The API management product will collect and analyze API performance on your end, letting you meter the performance on your own. While this will work for communication APIs, it won't offer insights to the media quality itself.

When using internally developed communication APIs, your option is to use an API management service to monitor and meter usage internally. You will also need voice-over-IP monitoring tools that collect traffic or usage logs if you wish to track and analyze actual media quality.

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